Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Portsmouth Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Portsmouth

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,493 in Hamilton versus $2,574 in Portsmouth.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,584 in Hamilton versus $3,644 in Portsmouth.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,676 in Hamilton versus $4,714 in Portsmouth.

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 3% less than in Portsmouth, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 CA$25.41

$22.96 £17.07

-21.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.3 CA$103

$85.8 £63.8

-14.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 CA$15.39

$8.79 £6.53

24.91%

Cappuccino

$4.05 CA$5.67

$4.46 £3.32

-9.19%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.21 £1.64

-4.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 CA$2.53

$1.74 £1.29

4.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 CA$8.17

$6.05 £4.50

-3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.58 CA$9.23

$6.26 £4.65

5.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.63 £1.21

36.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.98

$1.52 £1.13

39.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 CA$4.00

$2.86 £2.13

-0.35%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.40

$3.17 £2.36

-0.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 CA$10.84

$8.76 £6.51

-11.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.21

$7.35 £5.47

57.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 CA$20.17

$15.07 £11.21

-4.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.48

$4.27 £3.18

-8.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$2.19 £1.62

-40.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 CA$4.97

$3.06 £2.27

16.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.47

$4.85 £3.61

-19.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.67

$1.23 £0.92

113.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.07

$1.66 £1.23

31.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.10 £0.81

100.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.79

$1.86 £1.38

6.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.47 CA$18.88

$17.38 £12.92

-22.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.63 CA$17.70

$11.49 £8.54

9.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.38

$3.04 £2.26

-20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$1.81 £1.34

69.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 CA$3.68

$3.46 £2.57

-24.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 CA$123

$89.7 £66.7

-2.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 CA$4.96

$4.70 £3.49

-24.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.74 £1.30

-29.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.62 CA$33.12

$16.44 £12.22

43.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.96 £1.46

-41.84%

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

$25.4K CA$35.6K

$38.2K £28.4K

-33.59%

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

$20.4K CA$28.6K

$40.7K £30.3K

-49.90%

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

$155 CA$218

$454 £338

-65.78%

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

$40.11 CA$56.2

$15.59 £11.59

157.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$71.7

$41.66 £30.97

22.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.80 CA$51.6

$35.82 £26.63

2.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.40 CA$31.39

$20.42 £15.18

9.70%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 CA$16.22

$10.76 £8.00

7.53%

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

$643 CA$901

$1,283 £954

-49.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K CA$30.4K

$18.1K £13.4K

19.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 CA$78.4

$83.4 £62.0

-32.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.71 CA$47.25

$42.06 £31.27

-19.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.7 CA$136

$88.4 £65.7

9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$170

$135 £101

-10.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 CA$1,895

$1,397 £1,038

-3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 CA$1,778

$1,082 £804

17.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CA$2,785

$1,927 £1,432

3.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,022 CA$2,835

$1,710 £1,271

18.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 CA$3,799

$4,472 £3,325

-39.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,749 CA$3,854

$3,822 £2,841

-28.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,871 CA$4,025

$3,463 £2,574

-17.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

5.9

12.20%

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

Last update for Hamilton: July 14, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,352 in Hamilton and $1,397 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth pays 21% 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 $86.0 in Portsmouth. Groceries flip the comparison at $341 vs $310, with Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Portsmouth. 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 $1,397 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $643 in Hamilton versus $1,283 in Portsmouth. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Portsmouth pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,493 in Hamilton versus $2,574 in Portsmouth, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Portsmouth. 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 Portsmouth, 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 3% less than in Portsmouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.