Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, Canada and Lower Hutt

For one person, living is cheaper in Lower Hutt: $2,252 a month against $2,379 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Lower Hutt
Learn more

Lower Hutt Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,379

/mo nomad

Lower Hutt

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$2,252

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Lower Hutt

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,379 in Hamilton versus $2,252 in Lower Hutt.

Hamilton $2,379
Lower Hutt $2,252

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Hamilton versus $3,098 in Lower Hutt.

Hamilton $3,409
Lower Hutt $3,098

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,440 in Hamilton versus $3,944 in Lower Hutt.

Hamilton $4,440
Lower Hutt $3,944

Living in Hamilton is roughly 6% more expensive than in Lower Hutt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 75% above, Lower Hutt 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.79 CA$24.87

$10.86 NZ$19.35

63.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.2

$34.76 NZ$61.9

98.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 CA$17.06

$9.33 NZ$16.62

30.87%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.87

$3.17 NZ$5.64

9.78%

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

$2.18 CA$3.05

$1.97 NZ$3.51

10.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$1.77 NZ$3.16

-6.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 CA$7.07

$2.89 NZ$5.15

75.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.21 CA$8.67

$6.69 NZ$11.91

-7.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CA$2.77

$1.89 NZ$3.37

5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$1.72 NZ$3.06

18.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.41

$1.93 NZ$3.44

63.21%

Eggs

$3.39 CA$4.73

$6.92 NZ$12.32

-51.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.90 CA$11.04

$8.27 NZ$14.74

-4.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.01

$8.71 NZ$15.52

31.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 CA$20.91

$12.81 NZ$22.81

16.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.67

$2.83 NZ$5.03

43.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.84

$2.00 NZ$3.57

-34.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$2.99 NZ$5.32

35.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.26

$4.63 NZ$8.25

-18.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.72

$2.16 NZ$3.84

23.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.70

$1.24 NZ$2.21

55.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 CA$2.76

$2.02 NZ$3.60

-2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$1.15 NZ$2.05

16.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.64 CA$17.67

$16.96 NZ$30.21

-25.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CA$19.68

$8.77 NZ$15.62

60.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 CA$3.71

$3.24 NZ$5.77

-17.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 CA$5.64

$2.82 NZ$5.02

43.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.75 NZ$4.89

-4.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.2 CA$127

$106 NZ$188

-13.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$4.99

$1.92 NZ$3.42

85.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.80 NZ$3.20

-31.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.74 CA$33.17

$33.87 NZ$60.3

-29.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.70

$1.64 NZ$2.92

-26.22%

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

$26.1K CA$36.4K

$28.5K NZ$50.8K

-8.66%

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

$22.4K CA$31.3K

$23.9K NZ$42.6K

-6.29%

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

$157 CA$219

$146 NZ$261

6.88%

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

$41.99 CA$58.7

$33.15 NZ$59.0

26.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.6 CA$70.7

$54.7 NZ$97.5

-7.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.23 CA$47.84

$38.99 NZ$69.4

-12.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.97 CA$25.11

Cinema Ticket

$10.44 CA$14.59

$9.64 NZ$17.17

8.30%

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

$490 CA$684

$668 NZ$1,190

-26.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K CA$23.4K

$11.5K NZ$20.5K

45.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 CA$69.0

$79.3 NZ$141

-37.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.10 CA$43.46

$35.26 NZ$62.8

-11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$123

$102 NZ$182

-14.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$146 NZ$261

-19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 CA$1,800

$1,438 NZ$2,562

-10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 CA$1,705

$1,163 NZ$2,070

4.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 CA$2,887

$2,142 NZ$3,815

-3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,830 CA$2,557

$1,651 NZ$2,940

10.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,105 CA$4,340

$4,760 NZ$8,477

-34.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,705 CA$3,780

$3,397 NZ$6,050

-20.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,039 CA$4,247

$3,207 NZ$5,712

-5.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.39

-14.66%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lower Hutt: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.2K 51.3%

Lower Hutt

$1.2K 51.6% 4.7% $57

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$341 14.3%

Lower Hutt

$310 13.8% 9.1% $31

Eating Out

Hamilton

$274 11.5%

Lower Hutt

$196 8.7% 28.5% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$249 10.5%

Lower Hutt

$234 10.4% 5.9% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$129 5.4%

Lower Hutt

$164 7.3% 27.1% $35

Getting Around

Hamilton

$112 4.7%

Lower Hutt

$128 5.7% 14.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$55 2.3%

Lower Hutt

$58 2.6% 5.8% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,288 in Hamilton and $1,438 in Lower Hutt. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lower Hutt pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69 in Hamilton vs $35 in Lower Hutt for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $310 per month, with Lower Hutt cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇳🇿 Lower Hutt

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

06:12 6:12 AM

17 h ahead of Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

111,800

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 NZD = 0.562 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR 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 = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.562 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hamilton Lower Hutt 14,070 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
Lower Hutt

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 Lower Hutt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lower Hutt is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% 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 $1,438 in Lower Hutt. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $490 in Hamilton versus $668 in Lower Hutt. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.