Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Poughkeepsie, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,306 a month against $2,964 in Poughkeepsie, NY, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hamilton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,306
/mo nomad
Poughkeepsie, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,964
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Poughkeepsie, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hamilton and in Poughkeepsie, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,306 in Hamilton versus $2,964 in Poughkeepsie, NY.

  • Hamilton $2,306
  • Poughkeepsie, NY $2,964

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Hamilton versus $4,152 in Poughkeepsie, NY.

  • Hamilton $3,384
  • Poughkeepsie, NY $4,152

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,461 in Hamilton versus $5,339 in Poughkeepsie, NY.

  • Hamilton $4,461
  • Poughkeepsie, NY $5,339

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 22% less than in Poughkeepsie, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 70% above, Poughkeepsie, NY 119% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamilton
Poughkeepsie, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.71 CA$25.03
$23.28 $23.28
-23.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.7 CA$94.3
$101 $101
-33.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.15 CA$17.18
$12.28 $12.28
-1.06%
Cappuccino
$3.39 CA$4.79
$4.61 $4.61
-26.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 CA$3.04
$1.94 $1.94
10.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 CA$2.40
$1.22 $1.22
39.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.02 CA$7.09
$6.06 $6.06
-17.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.18 CA$8.74
$7.99 $7.99
-22.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamilton
Poughkeepsie, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$1.05 $1.05
84.76%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 CA$2.88
$3.34 $3.34
-38.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.10 CA$4.38
$6.95 $6.95
-55.40%
Eggs
$3.34 CA$4.72
$5.10 $5.10
-34.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.91 CA$11.18
$13.13 $13.13
-39.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.17 CA$15.79
$15.69 $15.69
-28.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.60 CA$20.65
$17.36 $17.36
-15.90%
Apples (1kg)
$4.08 CA$5.77
$4.73 $4.73
-13.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.30 CA$1.84
$1.01 $1.01
28.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.87 CA$5.47
$5.44 $5.44
-28.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.69 CA$5.22
$4.80 $4.80
-23.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.65 CA$3.75
$3.21 $3.21
-17.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$3.60 $3.60
-44.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.99 CA$2.81
$1.98 $1.98
0.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 CA$1.83
$1.98 $1.98
-34.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.49 CA$17.66
$14.56 $14.56
-14.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.40 CA$20.36
$10.20 $10.20
41.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 CA$3.74
$2.09 $2.09
26.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 CA$5.61
$3.99 $3.99
-0.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamilton
Poughkeepsie, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.52 CA$3.56
$2.85 $2.85
-11.58%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.0 CA$123
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 CA$5.00
$5.02 $5.02
-29.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 CA$1.78
$1.36 $1.36
-7.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.47 CA$33.18
$30.14 $30.14
-22.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.65
$0.95 $0.95
23.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K CA$37.3K
$27.1K $27.1K
-2.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K CA$31.1K
$25.9K $25.9K
-15.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton
Poughkeepsie, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$154 CA$217
$208 $208
-26.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.63 CA$60.3
$70.5 $70.5
-39.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.1 CA$72.2
$69.2 $69.2
-26.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton
Poughkeepsie, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.84 CA$53.5
$20.39 $20.39
85.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.39 CA$24.59
$40.23 $40.23
-56.77%
Cinema Ticket
$10.32 CA$14.59
$14.92 $14.92
-30.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamilton
Poughkeepsie, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$610 CA$862
$1,511 $1,511
-59.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K CA$23.0K
$17.1K $17.1K
-4.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton
Poughkeepsie, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.77 CA$68.9
$54.6 $54.6
-10.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.28 CA$44.22
$40.09 $40.09
-21.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.6 CA$122
$113 $113
-23.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 CA$169
$106 $106
12.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamilton
Poughkeepsie, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,239 CA$1,752
$1,708 $1,708
-27.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,157 CA$1,635
$1,640 $1,640
-29.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,032 CA$2,873
$1,920 $1,920
5.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,882 CA$2,660
$2,237 $2,237
-15.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,708 CA$3,828
$1,567 $1,567
72.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,733 CA$3,863
$2,321 $2,321
17.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamilton
Poughkeepsie, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,989 CA$4,225
$4,545 $4,545
-34.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.6
6.66
-30.93%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 19, 2026

Last update for Poughkeepsie, NY: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hamilton
$1.2K
Poughkeepsie, NY
$1.6K 41.8% $483
Groceries & Markets
Hamilton
$336
Poughkeepsie, NY
$425 26.3% $88
Eating Out
Hamilton
$272
Poughkeepsie, NY
$337 24.2% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton
$248
Poughkeepsie, NY
$348 40.4% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton
$129
Poughkeepsie, NY
$141 9.7% $12
Getting Around
Hamilton
$107
Poughkeepsie, NY
$23 * 78.3% $84
Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton
$58
Poughkeepsie, NY
$50 14.1% $8.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,239 in Hamilton and $1,708 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Poughkeepsie, NY pays 52% 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: $67.0 in Hamilton vs $101 in Poughkeepsie, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $425 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Hamilton
🇺🇸 Poughkeepsie, NY
🕒 Local time
01:22 1:22 AM
01:22 1:22 AM
Same time as Hamilton
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
519,949
31,577
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamilton Poughkeepsie, NY 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Hamilton
  • Poughkeepsie, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Poughkeepsie, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Poughkeepsie, NY cheaper than Hamilton?
Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Hamilton or Poughkeepsie, NY?
On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Poughkeepsie, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Hamilton and Poughkeepsie, NY?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,239 in Hamilton versus $1,708 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Hamilton and in Poughkeepsie, NY?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Poughkeepsie, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Hamilton and in Poughkeepsie, NY?
All in, you'll spend $2,306 per month in Hamilton versus $2,964 in Poughkeepsie, NY – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Hamilton or in Poughkeepsie, NY?
At $2,306 in Hamilton versus $2,964 in Poughkeepsie, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Poughkeepsie, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Hamilton or Poughkeepsie, NY more family-friendly?
For families, Hamilton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Poughkeepsie, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Poughkeepsie, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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