Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Philipsburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Philipsburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,380 in Hamilton versus $3,125 in Philipsburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,404 in Hamilton versus $6,156 in Philipsburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Hamilton versus $9,187 in Philipsburg.

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 24% less than in Philipsburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 74% above, Philipsburg 128% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.04 CA$25.23

$15.29 ANG 27.30

17.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 CA$92.0

$70.4 ANG 126

-6.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 CA$15.81

$8.31 ANG 14.82

35.98%

Cappuccino

$3.58 CA$5.00

$4.23 ANG 7.55

-15.37%

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

$2.22 CA$3.10

$2.82 ANG 5.03

-21.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.37

$3.94 ANG 7.03

-57.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 CA$7.14

$2.96 ANG 5.28

72.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 CA$8.63

$6.42 ANG 11.47

-3.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 CA$3.27

$2.93 ANG 5.23

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 CA$3.22

$2.64 ANG 4.70

-12.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$2.51 ANG 4.48

9.16%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.65

$6.49 ANG 11.59

-48.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 CA$11.07

$18.68 ANG 33.34

-57.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 CA$15.16

$14.20 ANG 25.34

-23.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 CA$19.51

$14.91 ANG 26.62

-6.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.42

$5.09 ANG 9.09

-23.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.72

$5.07 ANG 9.04

-75.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 CA$6.03

$8.83 ANG 15.77

-51.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.37

$7.65 ANG 13.66

-49.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 CA$3.25

$3.90 ANG 6.96

-40.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.30

$4.11 ANG 7.33

-59.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 CA$3.05

$5.13 ANG 9.15

-57.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 CA$1.95

$1.29 ANG 2.31

7.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.79 CA$17.89

$7.76 ANG 13.86

64.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 CA$19.03

$10.90 ANG 19.45

24.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CA$3.49

$5.15 ANG 9.19

-51.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CA$4.81

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$2.29 ANG 4.09

14.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.8 CA$121

$1.53 ANG 2.74

5574.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 CA$5.06

$14.82 ANG 26.45

-75.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 CA$1.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 CA$33.42

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.61

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

$29.0K CA$40.6K

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

$20.0K CA$28.0K

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

$157 CA$219

$149 ANG 265

5.57%

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

$43.23 CA$60.5

$32.43 ANG 57.9

33.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 CA$72.0

$65.6 ANG 117

-21.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.74 CA$52.8

$62.0 ANG 111

-39.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.50 CA$30.07

Cinema Ticket

$10.46 CA$14.63

$10.88 ANG 19.42

-3.86%

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

$615 CA$861

$250 ANG 447

145.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K CA$23.6K

$12.0K ANG 21.5K

40.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.21 CA$68.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.79 CA$43.07

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 CA$123

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$172

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 CA$1,815

$2,158 ANG 3,852

-39.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 CA$1,696

$1,998 ANG 3,566

-39.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,106 CA$2,947

$6,575 ANG 11.7K

-67.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,931 CA$2,701

$6,605 ANG 11.8K

-70.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,726 CA$3,813

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,722 CA$3,808

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,906 CA$4,065

$1,128 ANG 2,014

157.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

-8.00%

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

Last update for Hamilton: September 13, 2026

Last update for Philipsburg: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Hamilton and $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 158% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Hamilton vs $70.0 in Philipsburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $496 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

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 Philipsburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 31% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 158% 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: $1,297 in Hamilton versus $2,158 in Philipsburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Hamilton versus $250 in Philipsburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,380 in Hamilton versus $3,125 in Philipsburg, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Hamilton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Philipsburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.