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: $2,060 in Gavle versus $2,493 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,021 in Gavle versus $3,584 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,982 in Gavle versus $4,676 in Hamilton.

Living in Gavle costs roughly 17% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 54% above, Hamilton 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.88 SEK 124

$18.13 CA$25.41

-28.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 SEK 908

$73.3 CA$103

28.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 SEK 101

$10.98 CA$15.39

-4.55%

Cappuccino

$5.07 SEK 48.83

$4.05 CA$5.68

25.19%

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

$2.14 SEK 20.66

$2.10 CA$2.94

1.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 SEK 23.69

$1.81 CA$2.53

35.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 SEK 79.0

$5.83 CA$8.17

40.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.63 SEK 83.2

$6.58 CA$9.23

31.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.59

$2.23 CA$3.13

-22.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 SEK 24.31

$2.12 CA$2.98

18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 SEK 37.56

$2.85 CA$4.00

36.84%

Eggs

$4.02 SEK 38.70

$3.14 CA$4.40

28.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 SEK 90.5

$7.74 CA$10.85

21.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 SEK 98.8

$11.56 CA$16.21

-11.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 SEK 142

$14.39 CA$20.18

2.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 SEK 31.83

$3.91 CA$5.48

-15.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 SEK 27.53

$1.30 CA$1.82

120.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 SEK 33.37

$3.55 CA$4.97

-2.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 SEK 44.06

$3.90 CA$5.47

17.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 SEK 17.81

$2.62 CA$3.67

-29.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 SEK 17.99

$2.19 CA$3.07

-14.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 SEK 25.39

$2.21 CA$3.09

19.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 15.05

$1.99 CA$2.80

-21.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 SEK 76.9

$13.47 CA$18.88

-40.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.55 SEK 111

$12.63 CA$17.71

-8.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 SEK 16.00

$2.41 CA$3.38

-31.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.79

$3.07 CA$4.31

-39.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 SEK 37.83

$2.62 CA$3.68

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.4 SEK 553

$87.4 CA$123

-34.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.68 SEK 45.13

$3.54 CA$4.96

32.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 SEK 12.73

$1.22 CA$1.71

8.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.27 SEK 475

$23.62 CA$33.12

108.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 SEK 18.09

$1.14 CA$1.60

64.91%

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

$29.1K SEK 280.8K

$25.4K CA$35.6K

14.80%

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

$33.6K SEK 323.8K

$20.4K CA$28.6K

64.59%

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

$112 SEK 1,079

$155 CA$218

-27.95%

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

$28.71 SEK 277

$40.11 CA$56.2

-28.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.73 SEK 402

$51.2 CA$71.7

-18.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.2 SEK 484

$36.80 CA$51.6

36.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.20 SEK 156

$22.40 CA$31.40

-27.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 SEK 137

$11.57 CA$16.22

22.64%

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

$159 SEK 1,529

$643 CA$901

-75.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,129 SEK 39.8K

$21.7K CA$30.4K

-80.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.1 SEK 955

$56.0 CA$78.5

77.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.72 SEK 470

$33.71 CA$47.26

44.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 SEK 807

$96.7 CA$136

-13.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 SEK 1,539

$121 CA$170

31.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 SEK 8,081

$1,352 CA$1,895

-37.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 SEK 8,639

$1,268 CA$1,778

-29.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,716 SEK 16.5K

$1,987 CA$2,785

-13.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 SEK 12.0K

$2,022 CA$2,835

-38.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,990 SEK 19.2K

$2,710 CA$3,800

-26.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,398 SEK 13.5K

$2,749 CA$3,854

-49.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,214 SEK 31.0K

$2,871 CA$4,025

11.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.1

6.62

-38.07%

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

Last update for Gavle: July 14, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Gavle and $1,352 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Gavle vs $73.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $341 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 21% in total monthly costs ($2,060 vs $2,493 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $839 in Gavle versus $1,352 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 52% less than in Hamilton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $159 in Gavle versus $643 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,060 in Gavle versus $2,493 in Hamilton, a $3,000 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 21% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.