Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,493 in Hamilton versus $2,085 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,584 in Hamilton versus $3,174 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,676 in Hamilton versus $4,262 in Montreal.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 20% more expensive than in Montreal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 87% above, Montreal 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 CA$25.41

$16.52 CA$23.16

9.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$103

$74.0 CA$104

-0.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 CA$15.39

$10.94 CA$15.34

0.37%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CA$5.68

$3.84 CA$5.39

5.47%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.14 CA$2.99

-1.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.53

$1.45 CA$2.03

24.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 CA$8.17

$6.13 CA$8.60

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 CA$9.23

$6.73 CA$9.44

-2.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.35 CA$3.30

-5.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.98

$3.34 CA$4.68

-36.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 CA$4.00

$3.74 CA$5.25

-23.80%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.40

$3.39 CA$4.76

-7.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 CA$10.85

$16.30 CA$22.85

-52.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.21

$11.81 CA$16.56

-2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 CA$20.18

$15.64 CA$21.93

-7.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.48

$3.69 CA$5.18

5.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.70 CA$2.39

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$4.97

$4.11 CA$5.76

-13.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.47

$4.41 CA$6.18

-11.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.67

$2.79 CA$3.91

-6.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.07

$2.64 CA$3.70

-17.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.29 CA$3.21

-3.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.80

$1.78 CA$2.50

11.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.47 CA$18.88

$13.17 CA$18.47

2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.71

$10.64 CA$14.92

18.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$2.99 CA$4.19

-19.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$3.44 CA$4.82

-10.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.68

$2.81 CA$3.94

-6.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 CA$123

$72.8 CA$102

20.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 CA$4.96

$3.52 CA$4.93

0.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.45 CA$2.04

-15.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.62 CA$33.12

$34.29 CA$48.08

-31.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.22 CA$1.72

-6.56%

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

$25.4K CA$35.6K

$25.3K CA$35.4K

0.51%

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

$20.4K CA$28.6K

$22.1K CA$31.0K

-7.78%

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

$155 CA$218

$76.5 CA$107

103.12%

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

$40.11 CA$56.2

$35.60 CA$49.91

12.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$71.7

$42.96 CA$60.2

19.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 CA$51.6

$43.39 CA$60.8

-15.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.40 CA$31.40

$16.83 CA$23.60

33.10%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 CA$16.22

$11.09 CA$15.55

4.33%

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

$643 CA$901

$625 CA$876

2.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$5,896 CA$8,266

267.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 CA$78.5

$63.1 CA$88.5

-11.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.71 CA$47.26

$44.50 CA$62.4

-24.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 CA$136

$103 CA$144

-5.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$170

$118 CA$166

2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 CA$1,895

$1,207 CA$1,692

11.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 CA$1,778

$965 CA$1,353

31.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CA$2,785

$2,031 CA$2,848

-2.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,835

$1,577 CA$2,211

28.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 CA$3,800

$5,085 CA$7,129

-46.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 CA$3,854

$3,783 CA$5,304

-27.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,871 CA$4,025

$2,890 CA$4,051

-0.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.01

32.14%

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

Last update for Hamilton: July 14, 2026

Last update for Montreal: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,352 in Hamilton and $1,207 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Hamilton vs $74.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $395 per month, with Hamilton 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 Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Montreal. 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: $1,352 in Hamilton versus $1,207 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $643 in Hamilton versus $625 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $2,085 in Montreal versus $2,493 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 20% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.