Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, Canada and Bielefeld

For one person, living is cheaper in Bielefeld: $1,923 a month against $2,379 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Bielefeld
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Bielefeld Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,379

/mo nomad

Bielefeld

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,923

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Bielefeld

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

A single person spends $2,379 per month in Hamilton vs $1,923 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Hamilton $2,379
Bielefeld $1,923

A couple spends around $3,409 per month in Hamilton vs $2,915 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Hamilton $3,409
Bielefeld $2,915

A family of three spends $4,440 per month in Hamilton vs $3,906 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Hamilton $4,440
Bielefeld $3,906

Hamilton costs about 24% more than Bielefeld, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Hamilton and Bielefeld sit above the global median – Hamilton by 75%, Bielefeld by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.79 CA$24.89

$13.54 €12.13

31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.3

$65.8 €58.9

4.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 CA$17.07

$15.58 €13.96

-21.63%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.87

$3.84 €3.44

-9.37%

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

$2.18 CA$3.05

$2.97 €2.66

-26.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$3.16 €2.83

-47.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 CA$7.08

$5.27 €4.73

-3.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CA$8.68

$4.84 €4.34

28.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CA$2.78

$1.23 €1.10

61.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.11 €1.89

-3.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.41

$3.64 €3.26

-13.46%

Eggs

$3.39 CA$4.74

$3.65 €3.27

-7.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.90 CA$11.05

$13.61 €12.20

-41.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.03

$10.81 €9.69

6.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.93

$19.95 €17.88

-24.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.68

$3.23 €2.90

25.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$2.15 €1.93

-39.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.65

$2.04 €1.83

98.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.26

$5.02 €4.50

-25.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.15 €1.03

131.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.71

$1.29 €1.16

49.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 CA$2.76

$1.58 €1.42

24.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$1.02 €0.91

31.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 CA$17.68

$9.69 €8.68

30.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CA$19.70

$5.71 €5.12

146.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.05 €0.94

153.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$1.67 €1.49

141.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$3.36 €3.01

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 CA$128

$64.4 €57.7

41.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$5.00

$4.57 €4.10

-21.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$3.06 €2.75

-59.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.74 CA$33.20

$33.35 €29.89

-28.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.70

$2.23 €1.99

-45.74%

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

$26.1K CA$36.5K

$32.9K €29.5K

-20.73%

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

$22.4K CA$31.3K

$38.3K €34.3K

-41.55%

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

$157 CA$219

$295 €264

-46.90%

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

$41.99 CA$58.7

$29.63 €26.55

41.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 CA$70.7

$44.47 €39.85

13.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.23 CA$47.88

$35.05 €31.41

-2.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.97 CA$25.13

$38.87 €34.83

-53.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 CA$14.60

$14.12 €12.65

-26.06%

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

$490 CA$685

$824 €739

-40.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K CA$23.4K

$31.7K €28.4K

-47.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 CA$69.1

$97.3 €87.2

-49.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.10 CA$43.50

$38.66 €34.64

-19.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$123

$127 €114

-30.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$139 €125

-15.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 CA$1,801

$685 €614

87.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 CA$1,706

$627 €561

94.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 CA$2,890

$1,221 €1,094

69.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 CA$2,559

$1,129 €1,012

62.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,105 CA$4,343

$4,556 €4,082

-31.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,705 CA$3,783

$2,232 €2,000

21.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,039 CA$4,250

$2,865 €2,568

6.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

3.95

16.46%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bielefeld: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.2K 51.3%

Bielefeld

$627 32.6% 48.6% $593

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$341 14.3%

Bielefeld

$324 16.9% 4.9% $17

Eating Out

Hamilton

$274 11.5%

Bielefeld

$262 13.6% 4.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$249 10.5%

Bielefeld

$369 19.2% 48.1% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$129 5.4%

Bielefeld

$181 9.4% 40.4% $52

Getting Around

Hamilton

$112 4.7%

Bielefeld

$98 5.1% 12.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$55 2.3%

Bielefeld

$63 3.3% 14.8% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,288 in Hamilton versus $685 in Bielefeld. 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 6% higher in Hamilton, 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 $69 in Hamilton versus $66 in Bielefeld. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $324 – making Bielefeld the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇩🇪 Bielefeld

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

5 h ahead of Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

328,012

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.642 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hamilton Bielefeld 6,280 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
Bielefeld

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 Bielefeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hamilton is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,568 per month in Hamilton and $2,885 in Bielefeld. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bielefeld, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $685 there versus $1,288 in Hamilton.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Hamilton, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69 in Hamilton and $66 in Bielefeld. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Hamilton has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,923 in Bielefeld to $2,379 in Hamilton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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