Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Appleton, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Appleton, WI: $2,114 a month against $2,253 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
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Appleton, WI Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Appleton, WI

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hamilton and in Appleton, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,253 per month in Hamilton vs $2,114 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Hamilton $2,253
Appleton, WI $2,114

A couple spends around $3,331 per month in Hamilton vs $3,257 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Hamilton $3,331
Appleton, WI $3,257

A family of three spends $4,408 per month in Hamilton vs $4,400 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Hamilton $4,408
Appleton, WI $4,400

Hamilton costs about 7% more than Appleton, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hamilton and Appleton, WI sit above the global median – Hamilton by 67%, Appleton, WI by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$24.33

$18.17 $18.17

-5.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$92.8

$65.1 $65.1

0.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 CA$16.77

$11.10 $11.10

6.94%

Cappuccino

$3.37 CA$4.77

$5.37 $5.37

-37.24%

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

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.59 $2.59

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$2.31 $2.31

-26.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 CA$7.05

$4.61 $4.61

8.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 CA$8.52

$6.09 $6.09

-0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$1.03 $1.03

83.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$3.06 $3.06

-30.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.43

$5.13 $5.13

-38.99%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.70

$4.53 $4.53

-26.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 CA$11.13

$14.18 $14.18

-44.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 CA$15.98

$8.35 $8.35

35.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$15.52 $15.52

-8.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.38

$4.84 $4.84

-21.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.33 $1.33

-4.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$3.14 $3.14

26.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$4.37 $4.37

-12.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$2.13 $2.13

27.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.69

$2.63 $2.63

-27.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 CA$2.75

$2.21 $2.21

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$3.14 $3.14

-57.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 CA$17.65

$10.94 $10.94

14.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$14.89 $14.89

-6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$1.76 $1.76

50.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$3.34 $3.34

12.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 CA$4.76

$3.22 $3.22

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.82

$1.39 $1.39

-7.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.24 CA$32.85

$24.33 $24.33

-4.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$0.98 $0.98

23.47%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$35.4K $35.4K

-22.04%

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

$19.6K CA$27.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

-22.88%

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

$152 CA$214

$174 $174

-12.97%

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

$41.21 CA$58.3

$44.20 $44.20

-6.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$70.9

$61.6 $61.6

-18.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 CA$52.1

$23.46 $23.46

57.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.91

$39.62 $39.62

-55.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 CA$14.46

$14.55 $14.55

-29.69%

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

$600 CA$848

$1,508 $1,508

-60.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.4K

$31.4K $31.4K

-47.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$39.23 $39.23

22.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 CA$43.05

$24.89 $24.89

22.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 CA$118

$50.0 $50.0

67.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$111 $111

2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 CA$1,769

$1,524 $1,524

-17.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 CA$1,588

$992 $992

13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 CA$2,887

$1,800 $1,800

13.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 CA$2,647

$1,897 $1,897

-1.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 CA$3,810

$2,257 $2,257

19.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,668 CA$3,771

$2,278 $2,278

17.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,860 CA$4,044

$3,999 $3,999

-28.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

6.37

-27.79%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Appleton, WI: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9%

Appleton, WI

$992 46.9% 11.7% $132

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$335 14.9%

Appleton, WI

$380 18% 13.6% $46

Eating Out

Hamilton

$266 11.8%

Appleton, WI

$298 14.1% 11.8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$243 10.8%

Appleton, WI

$280 13.3% 15.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$124 5.5%

Appleton, WI

$101 4.8% 18.5% $23

Getting Around

Hamilton

$104 4.6%

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5% 90.2% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$57 2.5%

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5% 8.3% $4.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,251 in Hamilton versus $1,524 in Appleton, WI. 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 40% higher in Appleton, WI, 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 $66.0 in Hamilton versus $65.0 in Appleton, WI. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Hamilton vs $380 in Appleton, WI – so Hamilton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

1 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

74,139

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hamilton Appleton, WI 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
Appleton, WI

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

Hamilton vs Appleton, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hamilton is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,380 per month in Hamilton and $3,170 in Appleton, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Hamilton and $65.0 in Appleton, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Hamilton – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Appleton, WI, where all-in costs run around $2,114, than in Hamilton at $2,253. In Appleton, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamilton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Appleton, WI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Appleton, WI. 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.