Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Oldham Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Oldham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,321 in Hamilton versus $2,072 in Oldham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,399 in Hamilton versus $3,051 in Oldham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,477 in Hamilton versus $4,030 in Oldham.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 12% more expensive than in Oldham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 69% above, Oldham 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.38 CA$25.43

$20.41 £15.10

-9.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 CA$94.3

$88.9 £65.8

-23.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.51 CA$17.31

$9.73 £7.20

28.57%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$4.92

$4.94 £3.66

-27.94%

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

$2.20 CA$3.04

$2.97 £2.19

-25.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.40

$2.08 £1.54

-16.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CA$7.17

$7.67 £5.67

-32.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 CA$9.00

$6.89 £5.10

-5.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.84

$1.53 £1.13

33.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$1.73 £1.28

28.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.93

$2.91 £2.15

-2.41%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.76

$3.65 £2.70

-5.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 CA$10.48

$9.80 £7.25

-22.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 CA$14.40

$9.15 £6.77

13.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 CA$19.43

$15.94 £11.79

-11.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.42

$3.20 £2.37

22.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.77

$1.94 £1.44

-34.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.90

$2.93 £2.17

45.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.42

$3.43 £2.54

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.65

$1.68 £1.24

57.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.42

$1.70 £1.26

2.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.24

$1.26 £0.93

85.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$1.42 £1.05

2.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 CA$19.67

$24.42 £18.06

-41.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 CA$18.07

$10.29 £7.61

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$2.93 £2.17

-18.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.80

$3.25 £2.40

28.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$2.77 £2.05

-1.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 CA$121

$94.8 £70.2

-7.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 CA$4.84

$3.29 £2.43

6.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$2.07 £1.53

-35.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.47 CA$32.48

$31.17 £23.06

-24.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.64

$2.03 £1.50

-41.38%

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

$28.9K CA$40.0K

$39.5K £29.3K

-26.91%

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

$20.1K CA$27.8K

$42.5K £31.4K

-52.72%

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

$151 CA$209

$301 £223

-49.99%

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

$40.12 CA$55.5

$21.60 £15.98

85.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$70.8

$40.03 £29.61

27.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 CA$52.1

$43.84 £32.44

-14.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.56 CA$29.83

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 CA$14.21

$13.69 £10.12

-24.98%

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

$615 CA$852

$1,315 £973

-53.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.0K

$20.5K £15.2K

-18.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 CA$69.5

$91.6 £67.7

-45.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.50 CA$47.74

$43.56 £32.23

-20.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$127

$99.8 £73.9

-7.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$167

$91.1 £67.4

32.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 CA$1,826

$1,238 £916

6.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,676

$748 £554

61.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 CA$2,855

$1,443 £1,067

42.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 CA$2,668

$1,078 £797

78.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 CA$3,893

$5,372 £3,974

-47.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,808 CA$3,886

$4,378 £3,239

-35.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,912 CA$4,030

$2,504 £1,852

16.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.99

-7.82%

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

Last update for Hamilton: August 29, 2026

Last update for Oldham: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,320 in Hamilton and $1,238 in Oldham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 16% 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: $68.0 in Hamilton vs $89.0 in Oldham. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $311, with Oldham 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 Oldham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oldham is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $1,320 in Hamilton versus $1,238 in Oldham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Hamilton versus $1,315 in Oldham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,072 in Oldham versus $2,321 in Hamilton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Oldham but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Oldham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Oldham 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.

Expats usually find Oldham 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.