Cost of Living Comparison Between Bielefeld and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Bielefeld and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,949 per month in Bielefeld vs $2,507 in Hamilton, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,002 per month in Bielefeld vs $3,577 in Hamilton, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,056 per month in Bielefeld vs $4,647 in Hamilton, rent included.

Bielefeld is about 22% cheaper than Hamilton, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Bielefeld and Hamilton sit above the global median – Bielefeld by 45%, Hamilton by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.00 €12.06

$18.39 CA$25.56

-23.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 €66.7

$74.6 CA$104

3.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 €10.92

$10.84 CA$15.07

16.97%

Cappuccino

$3.87 €3.33

$4.03 CA$5.60

-3.97%

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

$2.91 €2.50

$2.10 CA$2.91

38.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.73 CA$2.40

30.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 €4.43

$5.73 CA$7.97

-10.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 €4.51

$6.49 CA$9.02

-19.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.12

$2.23 CA$3.10

-41.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 €1.93

$2.11 CA$2.93

6.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 €2.88

$3.00 CA$4.17

11.67%

Eggs

$3.78 €3.25

$3.20 CA$4.44

18.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.75 €12.70

$7.76 CA$10.78

90.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.01 €12.92

$11.64 CA$16.17

28.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.60 €16.87

$14.37 CA$19.96

36.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 €2.66

$3.86 CA$5.36

-19.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.31 CA$1.82

37.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.94

$3.58 CA$4.97

-36.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 €4.66

$3.73 CA$5.18

45.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 €1.33

$2.64 CA$3.66

-41.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 €1.33

$2.20 CA$3.05

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.22 CA$3.09

-10.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.90

$2.00 CA$2.78

-48.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.03 €8.64

$13.59 CA$18.88

-26.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 €5.03

$13.08 CA$18.18

-55.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$2.47 CA$3.43

-56.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 €1.47

$3.01 CA$4.18

-43.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 €3.16

$2.56 CA$3.56

43.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.2 €49.29

$86.2 CA$120

-33.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.26 €6.25

$3.58 CA$4.98

102.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 €1.82

$1.21 CA$1.69

75.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.3 €43.29

$24.51 CA$34.06

105.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.15 CA$1.60

73.04%

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

$30.8K €26.6K

$25.0K CA$34.7K

23.62%

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

$36.3K €31.3K

$20.9K CA$29.1K

73.32%

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

$320 €276

$150 CA$209

113.45%

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

$36.79 €31.68

$38.86 CA$54.0

-5.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.3 €47.62

$53.0 CA$73.6

4.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.61 €34.97

$36.45 CA$50.6

11.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.78 €19.62

$21.88 CA$30.39

4.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 €13.04

$11.73 CA$16.30

29.07%

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

$687 €591

$644 CA$895

6.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K €8,858

$22.4K CA$31.1K

-54.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 €71.3

$56.6 CA$78.7

46.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 €29.82

$34.04 CA$47.30

1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 €97.5

$97.3 CA$135

16.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 €129

$120 CA$167

23.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 €506

$1,346 CA$1,870

-56.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$614 €529

$1,306 CA$1,815

-52.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,051 €905

$2,056 CA$2,856

-48.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 €1,015

$1,970 CA$2,737

-40.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,822 €4,152

$2,754 CA$3,826

75.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,359 €2,032

$2,768 CA$3,846

-14.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,980 €2,566

$2,916 CA$4,051

2.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

6.62

-40.18%

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

Last update for Bielefeld: May 31, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $587 in Bielefeld versus $1,346 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 2% higher in Bielefeld, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bielefeld versus $75.0 in Hamilton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $353 vs $343 – making Hamilton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Bielefeld vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hamilton is pricier by about 29%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,923 per month in Bielefeld and $3,760 in Hamilton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Hamilton – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bielefeld and $75.0 in Hamilton. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bielefeld, where all-in costs run around $1,949, than in Hamilton at $2,507. In Bielefeld it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamilton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bielefeld – 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 Bielefeld. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamilton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.