Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Coquitlam and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,253 a month against $2,784 in Coquitlam, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Coquitlam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

134

Cost of Living Index in Coquitlam
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Coquitlam Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,784

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Coquitlam 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 Coquitlam and in Hamilton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,784 in Coquitlam versus $2,253 in Hamilton.

Coquitlam $2,784
Hamilton $2,253

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,921 in Coquitlam versus $3,331 in Hamilton.

Coquitlam $3,921
Hamilton $3,331

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,058 in Coquitlam versus $4,408 in Hamilton.

Coquitlam $5,058
Hamilton $4,408

Living in Coquitlam is roughly 24% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Coquitlam 106% above, Hamilton 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.08 CA$22.74

$17.21 CA$24.33

-6.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 CA$97.9

$65.7 CA$92.8

5.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.46 CA$14.78

$11.87 CA$16.77

-11.88%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.34

$3.37 CA$4.77

11.87%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.22 CA$3.14

-4.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$1.69 CA$2.39

-4.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$8.02

$4.99 CA$7.05

13.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.11 CA$8.64

$6.03 CA$8.52

1.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.89 CA$2.67

-23.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$2.12 CA$2.99

18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 CA$3.80

$3.13 CA$4.43

-14.06%

Eggs

$3.88 CA$5.48

$3.33 CA$4.70

16.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 CA$13.56

$7.88 CA$11.13

21.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.46 CA$19.02

$11.30 CA$15.98

19.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.57 CA$27.66

$14.24 CA$20.13

37.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.57

$3.81 CA$5.38

3.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.27 CA$1.79

8.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.59

$3.98 CA$5.63

-0.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.76

$3.82 CA$5.40

6.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.57 CA$2.22

$2.71 CA$3.83

-42.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 CA$3.89

$1.91 CA$2.69

43.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$1.95 CA$2.75

28.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 CA$1.47

$1.33 CA$1.88

-21.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.62 CA$22.09

$12.49 CA$17.65

25.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.70 CA$16.54

$13.95 CA$19.72

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.65 CA$3.74

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 CA$4.07

$3.77 CA$5.33

-23.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.56 CA$3.62

-13.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 CA$105

$84.1 CA$119

-11.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$3.36 CA$4.76

-20.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.28 CA$1.82

7.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.47 CA$34.59

$23.24 CA$32.85

5.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.90

$1.21 CA$1.71

10.74%

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

$25.6K CA$36.3K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

-7.20%

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

$18.6K CA$26.3K

$19.6K CA$27.7K

-5.32%

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

$81.0 CA$114

$152 CA$214

-46.59%

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

$35.50 CA$50.2

$41.21 CA$58.3

-13.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 CA$74.2

$50.2 CA$70.9

4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.62 CA$29.14

$36.85 CA$52.1

-44.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$17.62 CA$24.91

-39.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.31 CA$14.57

$10.23 CA$14.46

0.78%

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

$1,091 CA$1,542

$600 CA$848

81.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K CA$16.1K

$16.6K CA$23.4K

-31.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.2 CA$80.9

$47.93 CA$67.8

19.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.93 CA$46.55

$30.45 CA$43.05

8.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 CA$134

$83.8 CA$118

13.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 CA$135

$114 CA$161

-15.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 CA$2,745

$1,251 CA$1,769

55.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,734 CA$2,452

$1,123 CA$1,588

54.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,462 CA$4,894

$2,042 CA$2,887

69.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,582 CA$3,651

$1,873 CA$2,647

37.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,099 CA$8,623

$2,695 CA$3,810

126.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,977 CA$7,036

$2,668 CA$3,771

86.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,953 CA$4,175

$2,860 CA$4,044

3.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.6

-6.96%

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

Last update for Coquitlam: 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

Coquitlam

$1.7K 62.3%

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9% 35.2% $611

Groceries & Markets

Coquitlam

$360 12.9%

Hamilton

$335 14.9% 7% $25

Eating Out

Coquitlam

$261 9.4%

Hamilton

$266 11.8% 2.1% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Coquitlam

$169 6.1%

Hamilton

$243 10.8% 43.8% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Coquitlam

$126 4.5%

Hamilton

$124 5.5% 1.7% $2.1

Getting Around

Coquitlam

$93 3.3%

Hamilton

$104 4.6% 12.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Coquitlam

$41 1.5%

Hamilton

$57 2.5% 39% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,941 in Coquitlam and $1,251 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquitlam pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Coquitlam vs $66.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $335 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

14:19 2:19 PM

3 h ahead of Coquitlam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,625

519,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Coquitlam Hamilton 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Coquitlam
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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

Coquitlam vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and clothing. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Coquitlam, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,941 in Coquitlam versus $1,251 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,784 per month in Coquitlam versus $2,253 in Hamilton – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Hamilton runs roughly 13% less than in Coquitlam. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,253 in Hamilton versus $2,784 in Coquitlam, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Coquitlam. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hamilton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Coquitlam, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Coquitlam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.