Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Aurora, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,253 a month against $2,694 in Aurora, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Aurora, IL
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Aurora, IL Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Aurora, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,694

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Aurora, IL

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 Aurora, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,253 per month in Hamilton vs $2,694 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

Hamilton $2,253
Aurora, IL $2,694

A couple spends around $3,331 per month in Hamilton vs $3,802 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

Hamilton $3,331
Aurora, IL $3,802

A family of three spends $4,408 per month in Hamilton vs $4,909 in Aurora, IL, rent included.

Hamilton $4,408
Aurora, IL $4,909

Hamilton is about 16% cheaper than Aurora, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Hamilton and Aurora, IL sit above the global median – Hamilton by 67%, Aurora, IL by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$24.33

$14.13 $14.13

21.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$92.8

$61.1 $61.1

7.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 CA$16.77

$12.10 $12.10

-1.90%

Cappuccino

$3.37 CA$4.77

$5.46 $5.46

-38.28%

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

$2.22 CA$3.14

$3.02 $3.02

-26.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$2.29 $2.29

-26.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 CA$7.05

$5.11 $5.11

-2.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 CA$8.52

$8.11 $8.11

-25.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$0.83 $0.83

127.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$3.57 $3.57

-40.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.43

$4.29 $4.29

-27.04%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.70

$3.51 $3.51

-5.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 CA$11.13

$8.84 $8.84

-10.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 CA$15.98

$11.57 $11.57

-2.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$16.32 $16.32

-12.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.38

$4.58 $4.58

-16.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.72 $1.72

-26.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$3.72 $3.72

6.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$3.15 $3.15

21.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$1.82 $1.82

48.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.69

$2.66 $2.66

-28.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 CA$2.75

$1.85 $1.85

5.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.56 $1.56

-14.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 CA$17.65

$10.86 $10.86

15.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$13.69 $13.69

1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$2.21 $2.21

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$2.94 $2.94

28.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.62

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$119

$136 $136

-38.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 CA$4.76

$3.90 $3.90

-13.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.82

$1.96 $1.96

-34.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.24 CA$32.85

$44.58 $44.58

-47.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.07 $1.07

13.08%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$24.8K $24.8K

11.20%

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

$19.6K CA$27.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

-23.55%

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

$152 CA$214

$173 $173

-12.20%

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

$41.21 CA$58.3

$52.6 $52.6

-21.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$70.9

$55.4 $55.4

-9.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 CA$52.1

$30.28 $30.28

21.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.91

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 CA$14.46

$11.81 $11.81

-13.38%

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

$600 CA$848

$1,511 $1,511

-60.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.4K

$23.0K $23.0K

-27.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$55.6 $55.6

-13.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 CA$43.05

$51.1 $51.1

-40.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 CA$118

$90.1 $90.1

-6.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$81.0 $81.0

40.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 CA$1,769

$1,651 $1,651

-24.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 CA$1,588

$1,453 $1,453

-22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 CA$2,887

$2,168 $2,168

-5.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 CA$2,647

$2,225 $2,225

-15.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 CA$3,810

$9,844 $9,844

-72.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,668 CA$3,771

$3,280 $3,280

-18.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,860 CA$4,044

$3,858 $3,858

-25.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

6.45

-28.68%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Aurora, IL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9%

Aurora, IL

$1.5K 54% 29.4% $330

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$335 14.9%

Aurora, IL

$354 13.1% 5.7% $19

Eating Out

Hamilton

$266 11.8%

Aurora, IL

$278 10.3% 4.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$243 10.8%

Aurora, IL

$281 10.4% 15.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$124 5.5%

Aurora, IL

$125 4.6% 0.6% $0.8

Getting Around

Hamilton

$104 4.6%

Aurora, IL

$150 * 5.6% 43.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$57 2.5%

Aurora, IL

$54 2% 6% $3.4

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 $1,651 in Aurora, IL. 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 35% higher in Aurora, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Hamilton versus $61.0 in Aurora, IL. Groceries tell a different story – $335 in Hamilton vs $354 in Aurora, IL – so Hamilton wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇺🇸 Aurora, IL

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

09:56 9:56 AM

1 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

180,542

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hamilton Aurora, IL 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
Aurora, IL

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 Aurora, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aurora, IL costs about 20% more than Hamilton, 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 $3,380 per month in Hamilton and $4,041 in Aurora, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hamilton, 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 $61.0 in Aurora, IL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,253 in Hamilton and $2,694 in Aurora, IL. That's a gap of about 20%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Hamilton, where all-in costs run around $2,253, than in Aurora, IL at $2,694. In Hamilton it covers expenses comfortably, while in Aurora, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hamilton costs $2,253 versus $2,694 in Aurora, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Hamilton. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aurora, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.