Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Eau Claire, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Eau Claire, WI: $2,182 a month against $2,306 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamilton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

111

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
Learn more

Hamilton Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Eau Claire, WI
Learn more

Eau Claire, WI Living Index

Jump to prices

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,306

/mo nomad

Eau Claire, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Eau Claire, 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 Eau Claire, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,306 in Hamilton versus $2,182 in Eau Claire, WI.

Hamilton $2,306
Eau Claire, WI $2,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Hamilton versus $3,118 in Eau Claire, WI.

Hamilton $3,384
Eau Claire, WI $3,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,461 in Hamilton versus $4,054 in Eau Claire, WI.

Hamilton $4,461
Eau Claire, WI $4,054

Living in Hamilton is roughly 6% more expensive than in Eau Claire, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 70% above, Eau Claire, WI 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 CA$25.03

$18.86 $18.86

-6.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 CA$94.3

$66.4 $66.4

0.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 CA$17.18

$9.85 $9.85

23.35%

Cappuccino

$3.39 CA$4.79

$5.19 $5.19

-34.68%

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

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.73 $2.73

-21.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.40

$1.47 $1.47

15.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.02 CA$7.09

$4.09 $4.09

22.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 CA$8.74

$6.16 $6.16

0.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 CA$2.74

$0.82 $0.82

136.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CA$2.88

$3.39 $3.39

-39.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 CA$4.38

$4.28 $4.28

-27.57%

Eggs

$3.34 CA$4.72

$3.65 $3.65

-8.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 CA$11.18

$12.96 $12.96

-38.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.17 CA$15.79

$13.40 $13.40

-16.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 CA$20.65

$14.63 $14.63

-0.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.77

$4.63 $4.63

-11.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.84

$1.22 $1.22

6.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.47

$3.38 $3.38

14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 CA$5.22

$4.96 $4.96

-25.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.75

$2.84 $2.84

-6.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$3.10 $3.10

-35.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 CA$2.81

$1.50 $1.50

32.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 CA$1.83

$2.34 $2.34

-44.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 CA$17.66

$10.63 $10.63

17.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.40 CA$20.36

$14.84 $14.84

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$2.15 $2.15

23.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 CA$5.61

$4.54 $4.54

-12.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$2.08 $2.08

21.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 CA$123

$49.80 $49.80

74.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 CA$5.00

$3.99 $3.99

-11.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$2.04 $2.04

-38.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.47 CA$33.18

$42.96 $42.96

-45.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.65

$0.88 $0.88

32.95%

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

$26.4K CA$37.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.52%

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

$22.0K CA$31.1K

$25.3K $25.3K

-13.27%

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

$154 CA$217

$216 $216

-28.67%

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

$42.63 CA$60.3

$48.81 $48.81

-12.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 CA$72.2

$69.0 $69.0

-25.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 CA$53.5

$56.0 $56.0

-32.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 CA$24.59

$20.14 $20.14

-13.65%

Cinema Ticket

$10.32 CA$14.59

$11.07 $11.07

-6.78%

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

$610 CA$862

$996 $996

-38.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$23.0K

$23.2K $23.2K

-29.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.77 CA$68.9

$48.99 $48.99

-0.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.28 CA$44.22

$30.26 $30.26

3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 CA$122

$108 $108

-20.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 CA$169

$82.1 $82.1

45.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 CA$1,752

$1,028 $1,028

20.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 CA$1,635

$894 $894

29.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,032 CA$2,873

$1,820 $1,820

11.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 CA$2,660

$1,260 $1,260

49.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 CA$3,828

$2,149 $2,149

25.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,733 CA$3,863

$1,946 $1,946

40.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,989 CA$4,225

$3,910 $3,910

-23.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

6.65

-30.83%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 19, 2026

Last update for Eau Claire, WI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.2K 50.2%

Eau Claire, WI

$894 41% 22.7% $262

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$336 14.6%

Eau Claire, WI

$391 17.9% 16.1% $54

Eating Out

Hamilton

$272 11.8%

Eau Claire, WI

$292 13.4% 7.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$248 10.7%

Eau Claire, WI

$333 15.3% 34.7% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$129 5.6%

Eau Claire, WI

$121 5.6% 5.7% $7.3

Getting Around

Hamilton

$107 4.6%

Eau Claire, WI

$72 3.3% 32.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$58 2.5%

Eau Claire, WI

$78 3.6% 33.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,239 in Hamilton and $1,028 in Eau Claire, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Eau Claire, WI pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Hamilton vs $66.0 in Eau Claire, WI. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $391, with Hamilton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇺🇸 Eau Claire, WI

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

12:00 12:00 PM

1 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

68,802

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Hamilton Eau Claire, WI 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
Eau Claire, 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 Eau Claire, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eau Claire, WI is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Eau Claire, WI. 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: $1,239 in Hamilton versus $1,028 in Eau Claire, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Hamilton pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Eau Claire, WI – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $67.0 in Hamilton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,182 in Eau Claire, WI versus $2,306 in Hamilton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Eau Claire, WI but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Eau Claire, WI the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Eau Claire, WI is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Eau Claire, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.