Cost of Living Comparison Between Gavle and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Gavle and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,471 in Gavle versus $2,321 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Gavle versus $3,399 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,226 in Gavle versus $4,477 in Hamilton.

Living in Gavle costs roughly 37% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 7% above, Hamilton 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.47 SEK 119

$18.38 CA$25.43

-32.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.8 SEK 859

$68.1 CA$94.3

31.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 SEK 92.6

$12.51 CA$17.31

-22.62%

Cappuccino

$5.26 SEK 50.3

$3.56 CA$4.92

47.75%

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

$2.12 SEK 20.24

$2.20 CA$3.04

-3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SEK 23.06

$1.74 CA$2.40

38.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 SEK 79.6

$5.18 CA$7.17

60.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 SEK 70.2

$6.50 CA$9.00

12.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 SEK 16.56

$2.05 CA$2.84

-15.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 SEK 25.15

$2.22 CA$3.08

18.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.99 SEK 38.15

$2.84 CA$3.93

40.49%

Eggs

$3.90 SEK 37.28

$3.44 CA$4.76

13.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 SEK 93.0

$7.57 CA$10.48

28.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.92 SEK 105

$10.40 CA$14.40

5.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 SEK 187

$14.04 CA$19.43

38.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 SEK 29.79

$3.91 CA$5.42

-20.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 SEK 27.06

$1.28 CA$1.77

121.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 SEK 30.63

$4.27 CA$5.90

-25.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 SEK 43.97

$3.92 CA$5.42

17.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 SEK 16.48

$2.64 CA$3.65

-34.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 18.00

$1.75 CA$2.42

7.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 SEK 24.51

$2.34 CA$3.24

9.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 SEK 19.77

$1.46 CA$2.02

41.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.30 SEK 79.4

$14.22 CA$19.67

-41.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.54 SEK 110

$13.06 CA$18.07

-11.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 SEK 16.15

$2.38 CA$3.30

-28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.71

$4.19 CA$5.80

-60.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 SEK 32.67

$2.74 CA$3.79

24.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.3 SEK 596

$87.7 CA$121

-28.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 SEK 45.22

$3.50 CA$4.84

35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 SEK 14.79

$1.33 CA$1.84

16.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.03 SEK 335

$23.47 CA$32.48

49.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.91 SEK 18.26

$1.19 CA$1.64

60.50%

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

$26.9K SEK 257.1K

$28.9K CA$40.0K

-7.03%

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

$28.8K SEK 275.7K

$20.1K CA$27.8K

43.60%

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

$55.4 SEK 530

$151 CA$209

-63.26%

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

$22.54 SEK 216

$40.12 CA$55.5

-43.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.89 SEK 382

$51.2 CA$70.8

-22.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.53 SEK 464

$37.62 CA$52.1

29.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.56 CA$29.83

Cinema Ticket

$15.71 SEK 150

$10.27 CA$14.21

52.97%

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

$138 SEK 1,316

$615 CA$852

-77.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K SEK 147.9K

$16.6K CA$23.0K

-6.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 SEK 711

$50.2 CA$69.5

47.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 SEK 548

$34.50 CA$47.74

66.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.1 SEK 499

$91.9 CA$127

-43.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.7 SEK 905

$121 CA$167

-21.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 SEK 5,575

$1,320 CA$1,826

-55.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$443 SEK 4,236

$1,211 CA$1,676

-63.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$817 SEK 7,814

$2,063 CA$2,855

-60.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$685 SEK 6,553

$1,928 CA$2,668

-64.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,005 SEK 19.2K

$2,814 CA$3,893

-28.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,373 SEK 13.1K

$2,808 CA$3,886

-51.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,222 SEK 30.8K

$2,912 CA$4,030

10.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

4.6

-28.04%

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

Last update for Gavle: August 31, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $583 in Gavle and $1,320 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $90.0 in Gavle vs $68.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $333 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

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

Gavle vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gavle and Hamilton differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,471 vs $2,321 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Gavle, 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: $583 in Gavle versus $1,320 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Gavle runs roughly 41% less than in Hamilton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $138 in Gavle versus $615 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,471 in Gavle versus $2,321 in Hamilton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gavle but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Gavle the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Gavle and Hamilton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gavle gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.