Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Oldham

For one person, living is cheaper in Oldham: $1,982 a month against $2,306 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamilton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Hamilton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,306
/mo nomad
Oldham
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,982
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Oldham

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hamilton and in Oldham actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,306 in Hamilton versus $1,982 in Oldham.

  • Hamilton $2,306
  • Oldham $1,982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Hamilton versus $2,932 in Oldham.

  • Hamilton $3,384
  • Oldham $2,932

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,461 in Hamilton versus $3,883 in Oldham.

  • Hamilton $4,461
  • Oldham $3,883

Living in Hamilton is roughly 16% more expensive than in Oldham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 70% above, Oldham 46% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamilton
Oldham
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.71 CA$25.03
$19.67 £14.75
-9.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.7 CA$94.3
$88.1 £66.1
-24.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.15 CA$17.18
$9.56 £7.17
27.09%
Cappuccino
$3.39 CA$4.79
$4.79 £3.59
-29.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 CA$3.04
$2.93 £2.20
-26.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 CA$2.40
$1.99 £1.49
-14.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.02 CA$7.09
$7.24 £5.43
-30.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.18 CA$8.74
$6.74 £5.06
-8.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamilton
Oldham
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$1.46 £1.10
32.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 CA$2.88
$1.69 £1.27
20.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.10 CA$4.38
$2.95 £2.21
5.08%
Eggs
$3.34 CA$4.72
$4.05 £3.04
-17.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.91 CA$11.18
$9.83 £7.37
-19.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.17 CA$15.79
$8.81 £6.61
26.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.60 CA$20.65
$15.54 £11.66
-6.05%
Apples (1kg)
$4.08 CA$5.77
$3.15 £2.36
29.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.30 CA$1.84
$1.86 £1.40
-30.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.87 CA$5.47
$2.85 £2.14
35.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.69 CA$5.22
$3.46 £2.59
6.65%
Potato (1kg)
$2.65 CA$3.75
$1.49 £1.11
77.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$1.60 £1.20
25.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.99 CA$2.81
$1.20 £0.90
65.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 CA$1.83
$1.23 £0.92
4.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.49 CA$17.66
$23.63 £17.73
-47.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.40 CA$20.36
$10.86 £8.15
32.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 CA$3.74
$2.76 £2.07
-3.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 CA$5.61
$3.12 £2.34
27.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamilton
Oldham
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.52 CA$3.56
$2.61 £1.96
-3.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.0 CA$123
$95.7 £71.8
-9.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 CA$5.00
$3.21 £2.41
10.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 CA$1.78
$2.02 £1.52
-37.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.47 CA$33.18
$30.03 £22.53
-21.84%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.65
$2.12 £1.59
-44.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K CA$37.3K
$38.2K £28.7K
-30.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K CA$31.1K
$39.8K £29.8K
-44.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton
Oldham
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$154 CA$217
$251 £188
-38.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.63 CA$60.3
$16.94 £12.71
151.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.1 CA$72.2
$40.55 £30.43
25.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton
Oldham
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.84 CA$53.5
$43.14 £32.36
-12.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.39 CA$24.59
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.32 CA$14.59
$13.18 £9.89
-21.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamilton
Oldham
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$610 CA$862
$1,290 £968
-52.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K CA$23.0K
$19.7K £14.8K
-17.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton
Oldham
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.77 CA$68.9
$87.1 £65.3
-43.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.28 CA$44.22
$41.43 £31.08
-24.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.6 CA$122
$93.5 £70.2
-7.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 CA$169
$87.3 £65.5
36.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamilton
Oldham
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,239 CA$1,752
$1,222 £917
1.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,157 CA$1,635
$728 £546
58.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,032 CA$2,873
$1,368 £1,026
48.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,882 CA$2,660
$1,093 £820
72.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,708 CA$3,828
$5,063 £3,798
-46.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,733 CA$3,863
$3,336 £2,503
-18.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamilton
Oldham
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,989 CA$4,225
$2,483 £1,863
20.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.6
4.82
-4.56%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 19, 2026

Last update for Oldham: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hamilton
$1.2K
Oldham
$728 37.1% $429
Groceries & Markets
Hamilton
$336
Oldham
$304 9.6% $32
Eating Out
Hamilton
$272
Oldham
$313 15.1% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton
$248
Oldham
$309 24.7% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton
$129
Oldham
$139 8.2% $11
Getting Around
Hamilton
$107
Oldham
$119 11.7% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton
$58
Oldham
$70 18.8% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,239 in Hamilton and $1,222 in Oldham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 20% 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: $67.0 in Hamilton vs $88.0 in Oldham. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $304, with Oldham cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Hamilton
🇬🇧 Oldham
🕒 Local time
05:54 5:54 AM
10:54 10:54 AM
5 h ahead of Hamilton
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
519,949
110,718
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamilton Oldham 5,560 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hamilton
  • Oldham

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Is Oldham cheaper than Hamilton?
Oldham is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and utilities. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Hamilton or Oldham?
Average pay runs 20% higher in Hamilton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Hamilton and Oldham?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,239 in Hamilton versus $1,222 in Oldham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $610 in Hamilton versus $1,290 in Oldham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Hamilton and in Oldham?
Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Hamilton or in Oldham?
At $1,982 in Oldham versus $2,306 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.
Is Hamilton or Oldham more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Oldham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Hamilton vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?