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: $2,321 in Hamilton versus $2,056 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,399 in Hamilton versus $3,112 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,477 in Hamilton versus $4,167 in Montreal.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 69% above, Montreal 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.38 CA$25.54

$17.85 CA$24.81

2.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 CA$94.7

$72.3 CA$100

-5.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.51 CA$17.38

$10.92 CA$15.18

14.56%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$4.94

$3.97 CA$5.51

-10.33%

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

$2.20 CA$3.06

$2.07 CA$2.88

6.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$1.55 CA$2.15

12.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CA$7.20

$6.41 CA$8.91

-19.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 CA$9.04

$7.29 CA$10.13

-10.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.85

$2.39 CA$3.31

-14.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.09

$3.21 CA$4.45

-30.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.94

$3.07 CA$4.26

-7.49%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.78

$3.68 CA$5.11

-6.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 CA$10.52

$13.57 CA$18.86

-44.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 CA$14.46

$11.63 CA$16.16

-10.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 CA$19.52

$13.97 CA$19.41

0.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.44

$3.68 CA$5.12

6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.56 CA$2.16

-17.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.93

$3.41 CA$4.74

25.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.45

$3.03 CA$4.21

29.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$1.98 CA$2.76

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.43

$1.82 CA$2.54

-3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.56 CA$3.56

-8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.39 CA$1.93

5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 CA$19.76

$11.49 CA$15.97

23.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 CA$18.15

$10.92 CA$15.18

19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.31

$2.26 CA$3.14

5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.82

$3.01 CA$4.18

39.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.81

$2.69 CA$3.74

1.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 CA$122

$75.3 CA$105

16.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 CA$4.86

$3.35 CA$4.65

4.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$1.50 CA$2.09

-11.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.47 CA$32.62

$33.70 CA$46.83

-30.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.65

$1.29 CA$1.80

-7.75%

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

$28.9K CA$40.2K

$28.3K CA$39.3K

2.21%

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

$20.1K CA$27.9K

$20.0K CA$27.7K

0.58%

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

$151 CA$209

$80.4 CA$112

87.53%

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

$40.12 CA$55.8

$34.23 CA$47.57

17.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$71.1

$41.39 CA$57.5

23.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 CA$52.3

$29.24 CA$40.63

28.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.56 CA$29.96

$19.89 CA$27.64

8.40%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 CA$14.27

$11.71 CA$16.27

-12.30%

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

$615 CA$855

$564 CA$784

9.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.1K

$16.8K CA$23.4K

-1.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 CA$69.8

$59.5 CA$82.7

-15.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.50 CA$47.94

$42.13 CA$58.6

-18.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$128

$107 CA$149

-14.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$168

$111 CA$154

9.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 CA$1,834

$1,284 CA$1,784

2.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,683

$990 CA$1,376

22.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 CA$2,867

$2,260 CA$3,140

-8.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 CA$2,680

$1,667 CA$2,317

15.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 CA$3,910

$5,287 CA$7,347

-46.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,808 CA$3,902

$3,813 CA$5,298

-26.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,912 CA$4,047

$3,019 CA$4,195

-3.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.41

4.31%

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

Last update for Hamilton: August 29, 2026

Last update for Montreal: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,320 in Hamilton and $1,284 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68.0 in Hamilton vs $72.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $356 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 Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% 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: $1,320 in Hamilton versus $1,284 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Hamilton versus $564 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamilton pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,056 in Montreal versus $2,321 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 13% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.