Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Mouscron Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Mouscron

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,466 in Hamilton versus $2,004 in Mouscron.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Hamilton versus $2,898 in Mouscron.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,625 in Hamilton versus $3,792 in Mouscron.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 23% more expensive than Mouscron, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 83% above, Mouscron 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.65 CA$26.04

$12.89 €11.11

44.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.4 CA$103

$58.3 €50.2

26.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.21 CA$15.66

$9.79 €8.44

14.50%

Cappuccino

$4.11 CA$5.74

$2.84 €2.44

44.72%

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

$2.17 CA$3.02

$2.30 €1.98

-5.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.44

$2.24 €1.93

-21.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 CA$8.27

$4.08 €3.51

45.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.54 CA$9.14

$3.57 €3.08

83.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CA$3.13

$1.36 €1.17

64.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 CA$3.01

$2.78 €2.40

-22.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.02

$2.67 €2.30

7.87%

Eggs

$3.27 CA$4.57

$4.08 €3.52

-19.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 CA$10.85

$17.57 €15.14

-55.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.25

$11.54 €9.95

0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 CA$20.14

$17.25 €14.86

-16.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.36

$2.90 €2.50

32.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$2.32 €2.00

-43.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 CA$5.02

$2.34 €2.02

53.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.31

$3.43 €2.95

10.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.96 €2.55

-10.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.06

$2.37 €2.04

-7.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CA$3.13

$1.48 €1.27

51.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 CA$2.75

$0.82 €0.71

140.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.37 CA$18.67

$12.74 €10.98

4.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.85 CA$17.94

$7.68 €6.62

67.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.32

$1.68 €1.45

41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CA$4.24

$1.99 €1.71

52.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$2.88 €2.48

-7.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 CA$121

$55.8 €48.08

55.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$4.99

$5.91 €5.09

-39.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$2.66 €2.29

-52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.83 CA$33.28

$46.17 €39.78

-48.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.55

$1.83 €1.58

-39.34%

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

$24.6K CA$34.4K

$35.9K €30.9K

-31.34%

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

$20.3K CA$28.4K

$33.2K €28.6K

-38.92%

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

$153 CA$214

$201 €173

-23.77%

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

$39.05 CA$54.5

$25.37 €21.86

53.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 CA$73.6

$52.1 €44.85

1.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.20 CA$52.0

$37.91 €32.66

-1.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.80 CA$30.45

$17.02 €14.67

28.08%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 CA$16.54

$15.19 €13.09

-22.05%

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

$632 CA$882

$649 €559

-2.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K CA$31.4K

$13.3K €11.4K

69.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 CA$79.2

$111 €95.6

-48.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.55 CA$46.86

$48.32 €41.63

-30.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$137

$116 €100

-15.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$165

$229 €197

-48.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 CA$1,880

$900 €776

49.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 CA$1,761

$742 €640

69.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,002 CA$2,795

$1,336 €1,151

49.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 CA$2,744

$1,103 €950

78.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 CA$3,832

$4,109 €3,540

-33.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,741 CA$3,827

$2,855 €2,460

-4.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,964 CA$4,139

$4,139 €3,566

-28.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

3.27

102.45%

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

Last update for Hamilton: June 8, 2026

Last update for Mouscron: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,346 in Hamilton and $900 in Mouscron. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mouscron pays 40% 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 $58.0 in Mouscron. Groceries flip the comparison at $342 vs $343, 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 Mouscron: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mouscron is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mouscron earns 40% 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 $900 in Mouscron. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $632 in Hamilton versus $649 in Mouscron. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamilton pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,004 in Mouscron versus $2,466 in Hamilton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Mouscron but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Mouscron the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mouscron 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 Mouscron 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 Mouscron gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.