Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, Canada and Coquitlam

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,379 a month against $2,586 in Coquitlam, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Coquitlam outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

113

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Coquitlam
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Coquitlam Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,379

/mo nomad

Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Coquitlam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,379 in Hamilton versus $2,586 in Coquitlam.

Hamilton $2,379
Coquitlam $2,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Hamilton versus $3,784 in Coquitlam.

Hamilton $3,409
Coquitlam $3,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,440 in Hamilton versus $4,983 in Coquitlam.

Hamilton $4,440
Coquitlam $4,983

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 8% less than in Coquitlam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 75% above, Coquitlam 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.79 CA$24.87

$16.62 CA$23.23

7.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.2

$72.0 CA$101

-4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 CA$17.06

$10.68 CA$14.93

14.33%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.87

$3.93 CA$5.49

-11.45%

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

$2.18 CA$3.05

$2.14 CA$2.99

1.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$1.68 CA$2.35

-1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 CA$7.07

$5.59 CA$7.81

-9.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CA$8.67

$6.49 CA$9.07

-4.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CA$2.77

$1.40 CA$1.96

42.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.68 CA$3.74

-23.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.41

$2.67 CA$3.73

17.98%

Eggs

$3.39 CA$4.73

$3.84 CA$5.37

-11.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.90 CA$11.04

$10.04 CA$14.03

-21.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.02

$13.23 CA$18.49

-13.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.92

$20.27 CA$28.33

-26.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.67

$4.00 CA$5.59

1.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$1.36 CA$1.90

-3.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$3.68 CA$5.15

9.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.26

$3.45 CA$4.83

8.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$1.09 CA$1.52

144.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.70

$2.82 CA$3.94

-31.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 CA$2.76

$2.63 CA$3.67

-25.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$1.05 CA$1.47

27.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 CA$17.67

$15.79 CA$22.07

-19.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CA$19.69

$12.36 CA$17.27

14.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.59 CA$3.61

2.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$3.03 CA$4.24

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.29 CA$3.20

15.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 CA$127

$79.0 CA$110

15.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$4.99

$2.74 CA$3.83

30.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.36 CA$1.90

-8.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.74 CA$33.18

$24.25 CA$33.89

-2.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.70

$1.37 CA$1.92

-11.68%

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

$26.1K CA$36.4K

$25.9K CA$36.2K

0.53%

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

$22.4K CA$31.3K

$21.5K CA$30.1K

3.94%

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

$157 CA$219

$83.3 CA$116

87.98%

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

$41.99 CA$58.7

$32.46 CA$45.37

29.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 CA$70.7

$51.7 CA$72.3

-2.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.23 CA$47.85

$14.10 CA$19.71

142.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.97 CA$25.11

$10.56 CA$14.76

70.17%

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 CA$14.59

$10.62 CA$14.84

-1.69%

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

$490 CA$684

$388 CA$543

26.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K CA$23.4K

$11.6K CA$16.3K

44.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 CA$69.0

$58.5 CA$81.7

-15.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.10 CA$43.46

$34.10 CA$47.67

-8.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$123

$94.8 CA$132

-7.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$94.4 CA$132

24.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 CA$1,800

$1,814 CA$2,536

-29.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 CA$1,705

$1,530 CA$2,138

-20.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 CA$2,888

$3,333 CA$4,658

-38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 CA$2,557

$2,485 CA$3,472

-26.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,105 CA$4,340

$6,088 CA$8,509

-48.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,705 CA$3,780

$4,998 CA$6,986

-45.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,039 CA$4,247

$3,143 CA$4,393

-3.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.28

7.48%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Coquitlam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.2K 51.3%

Coquitlam

$1.5K 59.2% 25.4% $310

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$341 14.3%

Coquitlam

$360 13.9% 5.6% $19

Eating Out

Hamilton

$274 11.5%

Coquitlam

$268 10.4% 2% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$249 10.5%

Coquitlam

$167 6.5% 32.8% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$129 5.4%

Coquitlam

$127 4.9% 1.5% $1.9

Getting Around

Hamilton

$112 4.7%

Coquitlam

$98 3.8% 12.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$55 2.3%

Coquitlam

$35 1.4% 35.9% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Hamilton and $1,814 in Coquitlam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquitlam pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69 in Hamilton vs $72 in Coquitlam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $360 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇨🇦 Coquitlam

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

09:52 9:52 AM

2 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

148,625

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamilton Coquitlam 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
Coquitlam

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 Coquitlam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Hamilton. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,288 in Hamilton versus $1,814 in Coquitlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,379 per month in Hamilton versus $2,586 in Coquitlam – Hamilton is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Coquitlam runs roughly 13% less than in Hamilton. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

It comes down to priorities – Hamilton wins on affordability, Coquitlam on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.