Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,253 a month against $2,551 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,551

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Hamilton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Berlin and in Hamilton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,551 per month in Berlin vs $2,253 in Hamilton, rent included.

Berlin $2,551
Hamilton $2,253

A couple spends around $3,845 per month in Berlin vs $3,331 in Hamilton, rent included.

Berlin $3,845
Hamilton $3,331

A family of three spends $5,139 per month in Berlin vs $4,408 in Hamilton, rent included.

Berlin $5,139
Hamilton $4,408

Berlin costs about 13% more than Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Berlin and Hamilton sit above the global median – Berlin by 89%, Hamilton by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.81

$17.21 CA$24.33

-3.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.7 €68.2

$65.7 CA$92.8

16.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 €11.98

$11.87 CA$16.77

13.48%

Cappuccino

$4.37 €3.89

$3.37 CA$4.77

29.67%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 €3.09

$2.22 CA$3.14

56.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.69 CA$2.39

84.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 €4.75

$4.99 CA$7.05

7.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 €3.91

$6.03 CA$8.52

-27.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.89 CA$2.67

-32.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.12 CA$2.99

9.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.13 CA$4.43

8.63%

Eggs

$4.50 €4.00

$3.33 CA$4.70

35.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.78 €14.93

$7.88 CA$11.13

112.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 €10.59

$11.30 CA$15.98

5.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.90 €15.92

$14.24 CA$20.13

25.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 €3.07

$3.81 CA$5.38

-9.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$1.27 CA$1.79

53.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 €2.90

$3.98 CA$5.63

-18.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 €3.30

$3.82 CA$5.40

-2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.71 CA$3.83

-22.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.91 CA$2.69

9.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.27

$1.95 CA$2.75

-27.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.84

$1.33 CA$1.88

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.44 €9.29

$12.49 CA$17.65

-16.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.58 €5.85

$13.95 CA$19.72

-52.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$2.65 CA$3.74

-52.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 €1.85

$3.77 CA$5.33

-44.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 €3.86

$2.56 CA$3.62

69.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.6 €63.7

$84.1 CA$119

-14.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.26 €4.68

$3.36 CA$4.76

56.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 €2.75

$1.28 CA$1.82

141.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.32

$23.24 CA$32.85

56.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.05

$1.21 CA$1.71

90.91%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$32.4K €28.8K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

17.37%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.6K €34.3K

$19.6K CA$27.7K

96.89%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$382 €340

$152 CA$214

151.73%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.83 €16.75

$41.21 CA$58.3

-54.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.57 €43.20

$50.2 CA$70.9

-3.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.21 €35.76

$36.85 CA$52.1

9.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.90 €31.04

$17.62 CA$24.91

98.07%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$10.23 CA$14.46

53.76%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$142 €126

$600 CA$848

-76.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.0K

$16.6K CA$23.4K

-4.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 €84.8

$47.93 CA$67.8

98.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.32 €41.20

$30.45 CA$43.05

52.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €92.4

$83.8 CA$118

23.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 €128

$114 CA$161

25.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 €1,306

$1,251 CA$1,769

17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 €991

$1,123 CA$1,588

-0.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 €2,447

$2,042 CA$2,887

34.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 €1,875

$1,873 CA$2,647

12.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,454 €7,520

$2,695 CA$3,810

213.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,435 €4,834

$2,668 CA$3,771

103.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 €3,151

$2,860 CA$4,044

23.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

4.6

-17.39%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Berlin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.7%

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9% 0.8% $9.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$449 17.6%

Hamilton

$243 10.8% 45.9% $206

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$343 13.4%

Hamilton

$335 14.9% 2.4% $8.2

Eating Out

Berlin

$288 11.3%

Hamilton

$266 11.8% 7.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$175 6.9%

Hamilton

$124 5.5% 29% $51

Getting Around

Berlin

$110 4.3%

Hamilton

$104 4.6% 5% $5.5

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$72 2.8%

Hamilton

$57 2.5% 20.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,469 in Berlin versus $1,251 in Hamilton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Berlin versus $66.0 in Hamilton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $343 vs $335 – making Hamilton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

15:41 3:41 PM

09:41 9:41 AM

6 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

519,949

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Berlin Hamilton 6,540 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Berlin vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,826 per month in Berlin and $3,380 in Hamilton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hamilton, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,551 in Berlin and $2,253 in Hamilton. That's a gap of about 13%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Hamilton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hamilton, where all-in costs run around $2,253, than in Berlin at $2,551. In Hamilton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Hamilton – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hamilton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.