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: $2,507 in Hamilton versus $2,063 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,577 in Hamilton versus $3,159 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Hamilton versus $4,255 in Montreal.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 22% more expensive than Montreal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 87% above, Montreal 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 CA$25.47

$15.92 CA$22.05

15.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 CA$103

$73.1 CA$101

2.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.02

$11.15 CA$15.43

-2.78%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.58

$3.80 CA$5.26

6.05%

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

$2.10 CA$2.90

$2.18 CA$3.01

-3.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.39

$1.46 CA$2.02

18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$7.94

$6.12 CA$8.48

-6.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 CA$8.99

$6.78 CA$9.38

-4.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$2.33 CA$3.22

-4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$3.39 CA$4.69

-37.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.16

$3.73 CA$5.16

-19.57%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.43

$3.38 CA$4.68

-5.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 CA$10.74

$16.25 CA$22.50

-52.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.11

$11.54 CA$15.98

0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$19.89

$15.24 CA$21.10

-5.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.34

$3.74 CA$5.18

3.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.81

$1.70 CA$2.36

-22.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.95

$4.11 CA$5.68

-12.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.17

$4.35 CA$6.02

-14.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.65

$2.71 CA$3.75

-2.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.04

$2.62 CA$3.62

-16.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$2.25 CA$3.12

-1.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 CA$2.77

$1.73 CA$2.39

15.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.59 CA$18.82

$13.31 CA$18.43

2.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.11

$10.78 CA$14.93

21.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.42

$3.01 CA$4.17

-17.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.16

$3.46 CA$4.80

-13.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.55

$2.74 CA$3.79

-6.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CA$119

$72.7 CA$101

18.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 CA$4.96

$3.63 CA$5.03

-1.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$1.46 CA$2.02

-17.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.51 CA$33.94

$33.44 CA$46.30

-26.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$1.21 CA$1.68

-4.96%

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

$25.0K CA$34.6K

$24.6K CA$34.1K

1.25%

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

$20.9K CA$29.0K

$21.7K CA$30.0K

-3.43%

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

$150 CA$208

$76.0 CA$105

97.41%

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

$38.86 CA$53.8

$35.72 CA$49.46

8.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$73.3

$42.86 CA$59.4

23.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 CA$50.5

$42.92 CA$59.4

-15.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 CA$30.29

$17.23 CA$23.86

26.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 CA$16.24

$11.09 CA$15.35

5.77%

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

$644 CA$892

$620 CA$858

4.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K CA$31.0K

$5,834 CA$8,078

283.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.4

$62.7 CA$86.8

-9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 CA$47.14

$44.41 CA$61.5

-23.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 CA$135

$101 CA$139

-3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$167

$119 CA$165

1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 CA$1,864

$1,211 CA$1,677

11.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,808

$960 CA$1,329

36.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 CA$2,846

$2,035 CA$2,818

0.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 CA$2,728

$1,589 CA$2,201

23.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,754 CA$3,813

$5,181 CA$7,173

-46.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 CA$3,833

$3,934 CA$5,446

-29.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 CA$4,037

$2,960 CA$4,098

-1.49%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Montreal: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,346 in Hamilton and $1,211 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Hamilton vs $73.0 in Montreal. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $392, with Hamilton cheaper for home cooking.

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 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Montreal earns 2% less. 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: $1,346 in Hamilton versus $1,211 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $644 in Hamilton versus $620 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamilton pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,063 in Montreal versus $2,507 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 22% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.