Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,507 in Hamilton versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,577 in Hamilton versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Hamilton versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 13% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 87% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 CA$25.47

$15.91 €13.69

15.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 CA$103

$64.8 €55.7

15.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.02

$10.51 €9.04

3.14%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.58

$2.87 €2.47

40.42%

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

$2.10 CA$2.90

$2.24 €1.93

-6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.39

$1.50 €1.29

15.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$7.94

$3.49 €3.00

64.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 CA$8.99

$3.88 €3.34

67.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$1.14 €0.98

95.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$1.75 €1.51

20.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.16

$1.76 €1.51

70.45%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.43

$3.22 €2.77

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 CA$10.74

$13.49 €11.61

-42.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.11

$7.91 €6.81

47.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$19.89

$15.87 €13.65

-9.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.34

$2.31 €1.99

67.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.81

$1.70 €1.46

-22.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.95

$2.01 €1.73

78.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.17

$2.46 €2.12

51.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.65

$1.84 €1.59

43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.04

$2.00 €1.72

10.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$1.93 €1.66

15.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 CA$2.77

$0.79 €0.68

153.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.59 CA$18.82

$6.61 €5.68

105.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.11

$5.72 €4.92

128.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.42

$1.37 €1.17

80.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.16

$2.97 €2.56

1.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.55

$2.37 €2.04

8.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CA$119

$45.56 €39.19

89.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 CA$4.96

$4.29 €3.69

-16.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$0.82 €0.70

47.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.51 CA$33.94

$18.30 €15.74

33.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$2.06 €1.78

-44.17%

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

$25.0K CA$34.6K

$34.3K €29.5K

-27.20%

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

$20.9K CA$29.0K

$39.3K €33.8K

-46.71%

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

$150 CA$208

$148 €127

1.49%

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

$38.86 CA$53.8

$20.52 €17.65

89.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$73.3

$39.61 €34.08

33.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 CA$50.5

$47.85 €41.16

-23.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 CA$30.29

$18.92 €16.28

15.64%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 CA$16.24

$9.18 €7.90

27.78%

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

$644 CA$892

$614 €528

4.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K CA$31.0K

$16.0K €13.8K

39.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.4

$105 €90.0

-45.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 CA$47.14

$42.06 €36.18

-19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 CA$135

$94.0 €80.8

3.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$167

$120 €103

0.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 CA$1,864

$1,628 €1,400

-17.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,808

$1,255 €1,080

4.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 CA$2,846

$3,030 €2,607

-32.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 CA$2,728

$2,020 €1,738

-2.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,754 CA$3,813

$7,800 €6,709

-64.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 CA$3,833

$4,273 €3,675

-35.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 CA$4,037

$1,603 €1,379

81.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

3.81

73.75%

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

Last update for Hamilton: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,346 in Hamilton and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 82% 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: $75.0 in Hamilton vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Hamilton pays 82% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,346 in Hamilton versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $644 in Hamilton versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,507 in Hamilton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon 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.

Safety-wise, Hamilton and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.