Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Great Falls, MT and Hamilton

For one person, living costs are similar in Great Falls, MT and in Hamilton: $2,215 and $2,306 a month, rent and utilities included.

106

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
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Great Falls, MT Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,215

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,306

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,215 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $2,306 in Hamilton, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $2,215
Hamilton $2,306

A couple spends around $3,051 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $3,384 in Hamilton, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,051
Hamilton $3,384

A family of three spends $3,887 per month in Great Falls, MT vs $4,461 in Hamilton, rent included.

Great Falls, MT $3,887
Hamilton $4,461

Great Falls, MT is about 4% cheaper than Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Great Falls, MT and Hamilton sit above the global median – Great Falls, MT by 63%, Hamilton by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 $11.57

$17.71 CA$25.03

-34.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.01 $38.01

$66.7 CA$94.3

-42.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 $9.43

$12.15 CA$17.18

-22.39%

Cappuccino

$4.32 $4.32

$3.39 CA$4.79

27.43%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$2.15 CA$3.04

6.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.70 CA$2.40

15.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$5.02 CA$7.09

21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.18 CA$8.74

-4.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.94 CA$2.74

-44.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.04 CA$2.88

61.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.10 CA$4.38

60.32%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$3.34 CA$4.72

-3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$7.91 CA$11.18

111.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$11.17 CA$15.79

-13.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$14.60 CA$20.65

-15.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.08 CA$5.77

22.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.30 CA$1.84

2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.87 CA$5.47

6.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.69 CA$5.22

-41.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.65 CA$3.75

-7.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.00 CA$2.82

39.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.99 CA$2.81

21.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.29 CA$1.83

162.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.44 $8.44

$12.49 CA$17.66

-32.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.76 $17.76

$14.40 CA$20.36

23.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.65 CA$3.74

-23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.97 CA$5.61

10.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 CA$3.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.60 $29.60

$87.0 CA$123

-65.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.54 CA$5.00

80.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.26 CA$1.78

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 $40.76

$23.47 CA$33.18

73.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.17 CA$1.65

-15.38%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$26.4K CA$37.3K

23.19%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$22.0K CA$31.1K

11.97%

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

$132 $132

$154 CA$217

-14.28%

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

$40.11 $40.11

$42.63 CA$60.3

-5.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 $70.0

$51.1 CA$72.2

37.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.5 $63.5

$37.84 CA$53.5

67.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 CA$24.59

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 $11.71

$10.32 CA$14.59

13.47%

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

$903 $903

$610 CA$862

48.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$16.3K CA$23.0K

-12.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.83 $24.83

$48.77 CA$68.9

-49.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 $30.15

$31.28 CA$44.22

-3.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$86.6 CA$122

-7.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 $64.9

$119 CA$169

-45.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 $1,433

$1,239 CA$1,752

15.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$1,157 CA$1,635

-2.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 $2,622

$2,032 CA$2,873

29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 $1,629

$1,882 CA$2,660

-13.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$2,708 CA$3,828

-18.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$2,733 CA$3,863

-19.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,583 $3,583

$2,989 CA$4,225

19.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

4.6

34.78%

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

Last update for Great Falls, MT: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 51.1%

Hamilton

$1.2K 50.2% 2.3% $26

Groceries & Markets

Great Falls, MT

$390 17.6%

Hamilton

$336 14.6% 13.7% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Great Falls, MT

$242 10.9%

Hamilton

$248 10.7% 2.3% $5.5

Eating Out

Great Falls, MT

$232 10.5%

Hamilton

$272 11.8% 17% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1%

Hamilton

$129 5.6% 43.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9%

Hamilton

$58 2.5% 32.7% $28

Getting Around

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9%

Hamilton

$107 4.6% 149% $64

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,433 in Great Falls, MT versus $1,239 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 20% higher in Great Falls, MT, 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 $38.00 in Great Falls, MT versus $67.0 in Hamilton. Groceries tell a different story – $390 in Great Falls, MT vs $336 in Hamilton – so Hamilton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

01:06 1:06 AM

03:06 3:06 AM

2 h ahead of Great Falls, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,442

519,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Great Falls, MT Hamilton 2,480 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Great Falls, MT
Hamilton

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Great Falls, MT vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton costs about 4% more than Great Falls, MT, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,322 per month in Great Falls, MT and $3,459 in Hamilton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 16% 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 $38.00 in Great Falls, MT and $67.0 in Hamilton. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Great Falls, MT, where all-in costs run around $2,215, than in Hamilton at $2,306. In Great Falls, MT it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamilton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Great Falls, MT costs $2,215 versus $2,306 in Hamilton. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Great Falls, MT. 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.