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: $1,996 in Gavle versus $2,507 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,963 in Gavle versus $3,577 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,931 in Gavle versus $4,647 in Hamilton.

Living in Gavle costs roughly 20% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gavle 49% above, Hamilton 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.89 SEK 120

$18.39 CA$25.47

-29.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 SEK 900

$74.6 CA$103

29.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.55 SEK 98.4

$10.84 CA$15.02

-2.68%

Cappuccino

$5.20 SEK 48.51

$4.03 CA$5.58

29.03%

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

$2.06 SEK 19.24

$2.10 CA$2.90

-1.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SEK 22.22

$1.73 CA$2.39

37.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 SEK 80.2

$5.73 CA$7.94

49.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.38 SEK 78.2

$6.49 CA$8.99

29.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 SEK 16.07

$2.23 CA$3.09

-22.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 SEK 23.98

$2.11 CA$2.92

21.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 SEK 36.38

$3.00 CA$4.16

30.00%

Eggs

$4.18 SEK 39.03

$3.20 CA$4.43

30.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 SEK 86.3

$7.76 CA$10.74

19.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 SEK 96.2

$11.64 CA$16.11

-11.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 SEK 140

$14.37 CA$19.89

4.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.33 SEK 31.08

$3.86 CA$5.34

-13.73%

Banana (1kg)

$2.86 SEK 26.72

$1.31 CA$1.81

118.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 SEK 32.43

$3.58 CA$4.95

-2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 SEK 41.58

$3.73 CA$5.17

19.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 SEK 17.56

$2.64 CA$3.65

-28.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$2.20 CA$3.04

-17.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 SEK 24.29

$2.22 CA$3.08

17.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 SEK 14.60

$2.00 CA$2.77

-22.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.80 SEK 72.8

$13.59 CA$18.82

-42.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.95 SEK 111

$13.08 CA$18.11

-8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 SEK 15.30

$2.47 CA$3.42

-33.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 SEK 17.22

$3.01 CA$4.16

-38.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 SEK 37.44

$2.56 CA$3.55

56.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 SEK 547

$86.2 CA$119

-32.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.69 SEK 43.74

$3.58 CA$4.96

31.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 SEK 12.48

$1.21 CA$1.68

10.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.80 SEK 455

$24.51 CA$33.94

99.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 SEK 16.98

$1.15 CA$1.60

58.26%

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

$29.5K SEK 274.9K

$25.0K CA$34.6K

18.08%

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

$33.6K SEK 313.9K

$20.9K CA$29.0K

60.67%

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

$85.3 SEK 796

$150 CA$208

-43.19%

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

$28.10 SEK 262

$38.86 CA$53.8

-27.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.37 SEK 386

$53.0 CA$73.3

-21.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 SEK 467

$36.45 CA$50.5

37.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.80 SEK 147

$21.88 CA$30.29

-27.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.89 SEK 130

$11.73 CA$16.24

18.41%

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

$160 SEK 1,497

$644 CA$892

-75.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,622 SEK 61.8K

$22.4K CA$31.0K

-70.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.4 SEK 890

$56.6 CA$78.4

68.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.67 SEK 454

$34.04 CA$47.14

42.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 SEK 774

$97.3 CA$135

-14.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$157 SEK 1,463

$120 CA$167

30.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 SEK 7,792

$1,346 CA$1,864

-37.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$897 SEK 8,372

$1,306 CA$1,808

-31.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 SEK 16.2K

$2,056 CA$2,846

-15.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 SEK 11.9K

$1,970 CA$2,728

-35.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,020 SEK 18.8K

$2,754 CA$3,813

-26.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,431 SEK 13.4K

$2,768 CA$3,833

-48.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,285 SEK 30.7K

$2,916 CA$4,037

12.66%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $835 in Gavle and $1,346 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gavle pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Gavle vs $75.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $343 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 26% in total monthly costs ($1,996 vs $2,507 including rent). Gavle is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Gavle pays 13% more on average, 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: $835 in Gavle versus $1,346 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 47% less than in Hamilton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $160 in Gavle versus $644 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,996 in Gavle versus $2,507 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 26% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.