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: $2,493 in Hamilton versus $2,056 in Oldham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,584 in Hamilton versus $3,034 in Oldham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,676 in Hamilton versus $4,013 in Oldham.

Living in Hamilton is roughly 21% more expensive than in Oldham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 CA$25.51

$19.99 £14.88

-9.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$103

$89.7 £66.8

-18.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 CA$15.45

$10.36 £7.71

5.98%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CA$5.70

$4.62 £3.44

-12.34%

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

$2.10 CA$2.95

$2.58 £1.92

-18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.54

$1.76 £1.31

2.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 CA$8.20

$6.99 £5.20

-16.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 CA$9.27

$6.13 £4.57

7.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.14

$1.57 £1.17

42.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$1.80 £1.34

17.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 CA$4.01

$3.37 £2.51

-15.43%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.41

$4.04 £3.01

-22.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 CA$10.88

$10.45 £7.78

-25.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.27

$9.73 £7.24

18.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 CA$20.25

$17.45 £12.99

-17.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.50

$3.34 £2.49

17.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.83

$1.90 £1.42

-31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$4.99

$3.17 £2.36

11.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.49

$3.77 £2.81

3.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.68

$1.81 £1.35

44.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.08

$1.88 £1.40

16.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CA$3.10

$1.25 £0.93

76.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.81

$1.43 £1.06

39.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.47 CA$18.95

$18.21 £13.56

-26.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.77

$9.95 £7.41

26.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.39

$2.86 £2.13

-15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.32

$3.50 £2.60

-12.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.69

$3.48 £2.59

-24.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 CA$123

$83.2 £62.0

5.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 CA$4.98

$5.49 £4.08

-35.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.67 £1.25

-26.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.62 CA$33.24

$34.64 £25.79

-31.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.61

$1.91 £1.42

-40.31%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$38.1K £28.4K

-33.35%

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

$20.4K CA$28.7K

$40.8K £30.4K

-49.95%

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

$155 CA$219

$303 £225

-48.69%

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

$40.11 CA$56.4

$23.26 £17.31

72.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$72.0

$43.37 £32.29

17.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 CA$51.8

$46.92 £34.93

-21.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.40 CA$31.51

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 CA$16.28

$13.12 £9.77

-11.81%

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

$643 CA$905

$1,603 £1,194

-59.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K CA$30.5K

$6,714 £4,999

222.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 CA$78.7

$89.8 £66.9

-37.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.71 CA$47.43

$42.54 £31.67

-20.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 CA$136

$90.5 £67.4

6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$170

$73.0 £54.4

65.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 CA$1,902

$1,199 £893

12.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 CA$1,785

$736 £548

72.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CA$2,795

$1,449 £1,079

37.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,845

$1,083 £806

86.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 CA$3,813

$5,811 £4,326

-53.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 CA$3,868

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,871 CA$4,040

$2,452 £1,825

17.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.6

18.21%

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

Last update for Hamilton: July 14, 2026

Last update for Oldham: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,352 in Hamilton and $1,199 in Oldham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 17% 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: $73.0 in Hamilton vs $90.0 in Oldham. Groceries flip the comparison at $341 vs $328, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% 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: $1,352 in Hamilton versus $1,199 in Oldham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $643 in Hamilton versus $1,603 in Oldham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,056 in Oldham versus $2,493 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 21% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.