Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Portlaoise Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Portlaoise

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,493 in Hamilton versus $2,573 in Portlaoise.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,584 in Hamilton versus $3,607 in Portlaoise.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,676 in Hamilton versus $4,641 in Portlaoise.

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 3% less than in Portlaoise, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 87% above, Portlaoise 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 CA$25.41

$18.20 €15.90

-0.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$103

$68.4 €59.8

7.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 CA$15.39

$10.39 €9.07

5.68%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CA$5.68

$4.16 €3.64

-2.64%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.36 €2.06

-11.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.53

$1.54 €1.34

17.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 CA$8.17

$6.98 €6.10

-16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 CA$9.23

$5.95 €5.20

10.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.45 €1.27

53.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.98

$1.01 €0.88

109.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 CA$4.00

$2.22 €1.94

28.38%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.40

$3.99 €3.49

-21.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 CA$10.85

$2.70 €2.36

186.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.21

$10.29 €8.99

12.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 CA$20.18

$11.50 €10.05

25.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.48

$3.01 €2.63

29.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$2.07 €1.81

-37.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$4.97

$2.75 €2.40

29.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.47

$3.42 €2.99

14.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.67

$1.44 €1.26

81.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.07

$1.45 €1.27

51.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.39 €1.22

58.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.80

$1.62 €1.41

22.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.47 CA$18.88

$17.10 €14.94

-21.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.71

$13.89 €12.14

-9.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$5.02 €4.39

-51.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$5.09 €4.45

-39.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.68

$2.40 €2.10

9.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 CA$123

$98.5 €86.0

-11.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 CA$4.96

$4.91 €4.29

-27.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$2.74 €2.39

-55.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.62 CA$33.12

$42.59 €37.22

-44.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$2.06 €1.80

-44.66%

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

$25.4K CA$35.6K

$42.3K €36.9K

-39.92%

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

$20.4K CA$28.6K

$38.8K €33.9K

-47.42%

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

$155 CA$218

$282 €246

-44.81%

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

$40.11 CA$56.2

$21.55 €18.83

86.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$71.7

$56.1 €49.02

-8.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 CA$51.6

$51.3 €44.84

-28.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.40 CA$31.40

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 CA$16.22

$11.18 €9.77

3.49%

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

$643 CA$901

$1,056 €922

-39.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$7,978 €6,970

171.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 CA$78.5

$89.9 €78.6

-37.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.71 CA$47.26

$40.08 €35.02

-15.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 CA$136

$101 €87.8

-3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$170

$106 €92.7

14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 CA$1,895

$1,498 €1,309

-9.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 CA$1,778

$1,250 €1,092

1.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CA$2,785

$2,388 €2,086

-16.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,835

$1,947 €1,701

3.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 CA$3,800

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 CA$3,854

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,871 CA$4,025

$3,137 €2,741

-8.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.8

37.92%

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

Last update for Hamilton: July 14, 2026

Last update for Portlaoise: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,352 in Hamilton and $1,498 in Portlaoise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portlaoise pays 9% 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 $68.0 in Portlaoise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $294 per month, with Portlaoise 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 Portlaoise: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Portlaoise. 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: $1,352 in Hamilton versus $1,498 in Portlaoise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $643 in Hamilton versus $1,056 in Portlaoise. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Portlaoise pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,493 in Hamilton versus $2,573 in Portlaoise, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Portlaoise. 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 Portlaoise, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hamilton and Portlaoise 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 Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Portlaoise. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.