Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Richmond Hill Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Richmond Hill

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,423 in Hamilton versus $3,028 in Richmond Hill.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,571 in Hamilton versus $4,193 in Richmond Hill.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,718 in Hamilton versus $5,358 in Richmond Hill.

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 20% less than in Richmond Hill, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 80% above, Richmond Hill 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 CA$25.26

$18.33 CA$25.11

0.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 CA$101

$82.5 CA$113

-10.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 CA$15.05

$8.94 CA$12.25

22.93%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.44

$3.25 CA$4.45

22.15%

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

$2.11 CA$2.89

$2.08 CA$2.85

1.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.41

$1.47 CA$2.02

19.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 CA$7.84

$5.75 CA$7.87

-0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 CA$8.92

$7.34 CA$10.05

-11.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.14

$2.31 CA$3.16

-0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 CA$3.02

$2.58 CA$3.53

-14.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.04

$2.19 CA$2.99

34.70%

Eggs

$3.15 CA$4.32

$3.79 CA$5.19

-16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 CA$10.31

$13.77 CA$18.86

-45.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.66 CA$15.98

$11.31 CA$15.49

3.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.32 CA$19.62

$14.75 CA$20.20

-2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.22

$4.56 CA$6.25

-16.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.77

$1.27 CA$1.75

2.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.94

$2.97 CA$4.07

21.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.26

$3.56 CA$4.88

7.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.73

$2.49 CA$3.41

9.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 CA$2.93

$2.16 CA$2.96

-0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 CA$2.96

$1.89 CA$2.59

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.80

$0.88 CA$1.20

131.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.65 CA$18.70

$11.98 CA$16.41

13.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.00 CA$17.81

$13.12 CA$17.97

-0.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 CA$3.24

$1.99 CA$2.72

19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.27

$2.39 CA$3.27

30.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 CA$3.64

$2.75 CA$3.76

-3.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.4 CA$120

$114 CA$156

-23.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 CA$4.82

$3.21 CA$4.39

9.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.67

$1.11 CA$1.52

9.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.80 CA$32.61

$21.79 CA$29.85

9.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.52

$1.15 CA$1.58

-3.48%

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

$25.5K CA$34.9K

$24.6K CA$33.7K

3.69%

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

$20.4K CA$27.9K

$20.1K CA$27.5K

1.40%

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

$152 CA$208

$179 CA$245

-14.98%

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

$39.72 CA$54.4

$42.14 CA$57.7

-5.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 CA$71.1

$58.4 CA$79.9

-11.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 CA$49.45

$43.99 CA$60.3

-17.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.42 CA$30.72

Cinema Ticket

$11.81 CA$16.18

$12.68 CA$17.37

-6.86%

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

$632 CA$866

$422 CA$577

50.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K CA$30.0K

$15.4K CA$21.1K

42.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 CA$77.1

$46.67 CA$63.9

20.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.08 CA$46.68

$42.89 CA$58.8

-20.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$132

$61.7 CA$84.6

56.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$164

$89.5 CA$123

33.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 CA$1,870

$1,786 CA$2,447

-23.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 CA$1,732

$1,826 CA$2,501

-30.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 CA$2,760

$3,072 CA$4,208

-34.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,996 CA$2,734

$2,553 CA$3,498

-21.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,764 CA$3,787

$6,681 CA$9,153

-58.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,740 CA$3,753

$5,493 CA$7,525

-50.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,845 CA$3,898

$3,052 CA$4,181

-6.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.59

0.46%

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

Last update for Hamilton: April 12, 2026

Last update for Richmond Hill: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,365 in Hamilton and $1,786 in Richmond Hill. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richmond Hill pays 7% 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: $74 in Hamilton vs $82 in Richmond Hill for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $343 vs $346 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 Richmond Hill: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Richmond Hill earns 7% 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: $1,365 in Hamilton versus $1,786 in Richmond Hill. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $632 in Hamilton versus $422 in Richmond Hill. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Richmond Hill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,423 in Hamilton versus $3,028 in Richmond Hill, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Richmond Hill. 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 Richmond Hill, 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 25% less than in Richmond Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.