Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,018 a month against $2,253 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamilton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Montreal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Hamilton versus $2,018 in Montreal.

Hamilton $2,253
Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Hamilton versus $3,085 in Montreal.

Hamilton $3,331
Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,408 in Hamilton versus $4,152 in Montreal.

Hamilton $4,408
Montreal $4,152

Living in Hamilton is roughly 12% more expensive than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 67% above, Montreal 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$24.33

$18.82 CA$26.61

-8.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$92.8

$70.3 CA$99.4

-6.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 CA$16.77

$10.66 CA$15.06

11.35%

Cappuccino

$3.37 CA$4.77

$3.84 CA$5.43

-12.24%

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

$2.22 CA$3.14

$1.92 CA$2.71

15.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$1.54 CA$2.18

9.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 CA$7.05

$6.23 CA$8.81

-19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 CA$8.52

$7.10 CA$10.03

-15.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$2.31 CA$3.27

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$3.14 CA$4.44

-32.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.43

$3.21 CA$4.54

-2.49%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.70

$3.52 CA$4.97

-5.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 CA$11.13

$12.81 CA$18.11

-38.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 CA$15.98

$11.46 CA$16.20

-1.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$13.39 CA$18.92

6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.38

$3.14 CA$4.43

21.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.44 CA$2.03

-11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$3.47 CA$4.91

14.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$3.07 CA$4.34

24.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$1.90 CA$2.69

42.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.69

$1.77 CA$2.50

7.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 CA$2.75

$2.34 CA$3.31

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.55 CA$2.19

-14.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 CA$17.65

$11.38 CA$16.09

9.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$10.63 CA$15.03

31.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$2.27 CA$3.21

16.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$2.82 CA$3.99

33.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.66 CA$3.76

-3.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$119

$77.3 CA$109

8.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 CA$4.76

$3.20 CA$4.53

5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.82

$1.48 CA$2.09

-13.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.24 CA$32.85

$32.88 CA$46.48

-29.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.34 CA$1.90

-9.70%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-1.85%

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

$19.6K CA$27.7K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-0.09%

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

$152 CA$214

$76.0 CA$107

99.61%

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

$41.21 CA$58.3

$33.95 CA$48.00

21.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$70.9

$42.31 CA$59.8

18.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 CA$52.1

$29.76 CA$42.07

23.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.91

$20.28 CA$28.67

-13.12%

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 CA$14.46

$11.15 CA$15.77

-8.25%

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

$600 CA$848

$507 CA$717

18.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.4K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

3.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$57.6 CA$81.4

-16.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 CA$43.05

$37.58 CA$53.1

-18.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 CA$118

$91.9 CA$130

-8.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$110 CA$155

3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 CA$1,769

$1,260 CA$1,782

-0.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 CA$1,588

$948 CA$1,340

18.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 CA$2,887

$2,137 CA$3,021

-4.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 CA$2,647

$1,614 CA$2,281

16.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 CA$3,810

$4,960 CA$7,011

-45.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,668 CA$3,771

$3,838 CA$5,425

-30.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,860 CA$4,044

$2,827 CA$3,997

1.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.48

2.68%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9%

Montreal

$948 47% 15.7% $176

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$335 14.9%

Montreal

$346 17.2% 3.5% $12

Eating Out

Hamilton

$266 11.8%

Montreal

$288 14.3% 8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$243 10.8%

Montreal

$152 7.5% 37.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$124 5.5%

Montreal

$133 6.6% 7.5% $9.3

Getting Around

Hamilton

$104 4.6%

Montreal

$99 4.9% 5.4% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$57 2.5%

Montreal

$52 2.6% 9.1% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Hamilton and $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 1% 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: $66.0 in Hamilton vs $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $346 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

Same time as Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hamilton Montreal 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in transport, utilities, and leisure. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Hamilton, 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: $1,251 in Hamilton versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $600 in Hamilton versus $507 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamilton pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,018 in Montreal versus $2,253 in Hamilton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Montreal 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 Montreal 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.