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: $2,507 in Hamilton versus $2,503 in Portlaoise.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,577 in Hamilton versus $3,575 in Portlaoise.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,647 in Hamilton versus $4,647 in Portlaoise.

Monthly costs are close between Hamilton and Portlaoise; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 CA$25.47

$18.71 €16.10

-1.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 CA$103

$70.2 €60.4

6.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.02

$10.62 €9.13

2.07%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CA$5.58

$4.25 €3.66

-5.18%

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

$2.10 CA$2.90

$2.44 €2.10

-13.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 CA$2.39

$1.62 €1.40

6.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$7.94

$6.74 €5.80

-14.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.49 CA$8.99

$5.76 €4.96

12.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$1.46 €1.25

52.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 CA$2.92

$1.05 €0.91

100.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.16

$2.16 €1.85

38.89%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.43

$3.92 €3.37

-18.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.76 CA$10.74

$2.59 €2.23

199.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.11

$10.60 €9.12

9.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.37 CA$19.89

$11.39 €9.80

26.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.34

$2.97 €2.55

29.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CA$1.81

$2.02 €1.74

-35.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$4.95

$2.83 €2.44

26.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.17

$3.56 €3.06

4.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.65

$1.44 €1.24

83.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.04

$1.41 €1.21

56.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$1.39 €1.19

59.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 CA$2.77

$1.67 €1.44

19.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.59 CA$18.82

$17.18 €14.78

-20.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.08 CA$18.11

$13.75 €11.83

-4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 CA$3.42

$4.80 €4.13

-48.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.16

$4.89 €4.21

-38.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.55

$2.38 €2.04

7.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.2 CA$119

$98.3 €84.6

-12.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 CA$4.96

$4.91 €4.22

-27.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 CA$1.68

$2.66 €2.29

-54.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.51 CA$33.94

$43.46 €37.39

-43.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.60

$2.09 €1.79

-44.98%

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

$25.0K CA$34.6K

$42.5K €36.6K

-41.32%

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

$20.9K CA$29.0K

$38.9K €33.5K

-46.23%

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

$150 CA$208

$283 €244

-47.04%

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

$38.86 CA$53.8

$21.90 €18.83

77.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.0 CA$73.3

$54.4 €46.79

-2.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 CA$50.5

$52.9 €45.46

-31.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 CA$30.29

Cinema Ticket

$11.73 CA$16.24

$10.84 €9.32

8.21%

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

$644 CA$892

$1,062 €914

-39.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K CA$31.0K

$8,030 €6,908

178.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.6 CA$78.4

$89.8 €77.3

-36.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 CA$47.14

$38.86 €33.43

-12.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 CA$135

$99.3 €85.4

-2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$167

$108 €92.9

11.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 CA$1,864

$1,489 €1,281

-9.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,808

$1,249 €1,074

4.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 CA$2,846

$2,345 €2,017

-12.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 CA$2,728

$1,946 €1,674

1.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,754 CA$3,813

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 CA$3,833

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,916 CA$4,037

$3,210 €2,761

-9.16%

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: May 30, 2026

Last update for Portlaoise: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,346 in Hamilton and $1,489 in Portlaoise. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portlaoise pays 10% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75.0 in Hamilton vs $70.0 in Portlaoise for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $295 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

On paper, Portlaoise earns 10% less. 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: $1,346 in Hamilton versus $1,489 in Portlaoise. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Portlaoise runs roughly 14% less than in Hamilton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,503 in Portlaoise versus $2,507 in Hamilton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Portlaoise but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Portlaoise the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Portlaoise 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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Portlaoise wins on affordability, Hamilton on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.