Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Salisbury

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,306 a month against $2,579 in Salisbury, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hamilton
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,306
/mo nomad
Salisbury
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,579
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Salisbury

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 Salisbury actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,306 in Hamilton versus $2,579 in Salisbury.

  • Hamilton $2,306
  • Salisbury $2,579

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Hamilton versus $3,592 in Salisbury.

  • Hamilton $3,384
  • Salisbury $3,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,461 in Hamilton versus $4,604 in Salisbury.

  • Hamilton $4,461
  • Salisbury $4,604

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 11% less than in Salisbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 70% above, Salisbury 90% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hamilton
Salisbury
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.71 CA$25.03
$26.82 £20.12
-33.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.7 CA$94.3
$91.0 £68.3
-26.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.15 CA$17.18
$12.45 £9.34
-2.41%
Cappuccino
$3.39 CA$4.79
$4.78 £3.59
-29.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 CA$3.04
$3.32 £2.49
-35.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 CA$2.40
$2.30 £1.72
-26.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.02 CA$7.09
$5.96 £4.47
-15.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.18 CA$8.74
$4.61 £3.46
34.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hamilton
Salisbury
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 CA$2.74
$1.67 £1.25
16.17%
White Bread (500g)
$2.04 CA$2.88
$1.05 £0.79
94.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.10 CA$4.38
$1.79 £1.34
73.18%
Eggs
$3.34 CA$4.72
$3.22 £2.42
3.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.91 CA$11.18
$9.17 £6.88
-13.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.17 CA$15.79
$8.49 £6.37
31.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.60 CA$20.65
$14.39 £10.79
1.46%
Apples (1kg)
$4.08 CA$5.77
$1.56 £1.17
161.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.30 CA$1.84
$1.22 £0.92
6.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.87 CA$5.47
$4.10 £3.08
-5.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.69 CA$5.22
$4.23 £3.18
-12.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.65 CA$3.75
$2.12 £1.59
25.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.00 CA$2.82
$1.08 £0.81
85.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.99 CA$2.81
$2.05 £1.54
-2.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 CA$1.83
$1.57 £1.18
-17.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.49 CA$17.66
$23.75 £17.82
-47.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.40 CA$20.36
$12.02 £9.01
19.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 CA$3.74
$3.86 £2.90
-31.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 CA$5.61
$3.87 £2.90
2.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Hamilton
Salisbury
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.52 CA$3.56
$4.07 £3.05
-38.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.0 CA$123
$84.9 £63.7
2.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.54 CA$5.00
$7.00 £5.25
-49.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.26 CA$1.78
$1.69 £1.27
-25.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.47 CA$33.18
$21.28 £15.96
10.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.17 CA$1.65
$1.97 £1.48
-40.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.4K CA$37.3K
$38.8K £29.1K
-31.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K CA$31.1K
$40.6K £30.5K
-45.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton
Salisbury
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$154 CA$217
$384 £288
-59.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$42.63 CA$60.3
$15.69 £11.77
171.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.1 CA$72.2
$35.71 £26.79
43.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton
Salisbury
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.84 CA$53.5
$93.0 £69.8
-59.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.39 CA$24.59
$19.81 £14.87
-12.22%
Cinema Ticket
$10.32 CA$14.59
$10.03 £7.53
2.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hamilton
Salisbury
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$610 CA$862
$1,207 £905
-49.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K CA$23.0K
$5,390 £4,043
202.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton
Salisbury
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.77 CA$68.9
$66.5 £49.85
-26.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.28 CA$44.22
$44.42 £33.32
-29.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.6 CA$122
$82.6 £61.9
4.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 CA$169
$88.0 £66.0
35.44%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hamilton
Salisbury
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,239 CA$1,752
$1,209 £907
2.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,157 CA$1,635
$1,117 £838
3.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,032 CA$2,873
$2,033 £1,525
-0.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,882 CA$2,660
$1,495 £1,122
25.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,708 CA$3,828
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,733 CA$3,863
$4,815 £3,613
-43.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hamilton
Salisbury
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,989 CA$4,225
$3,706 £2,781
-19.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.6
5.59
-17.71%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salisbury: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hamilton
$1.2K
Salisbury
$1.1K 3.4% $40
Groceries & Markets
Hamilton
$336
Salisbury
$300 10.9% $37
Eating Out
Hamilton
$272
Salisbury
$371 36.5% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hamilton
$248
Salisbury
$435 75.9% $188
Clothing & Footwear
Hamilton
$129
Salisbury
$127 1.5% $2
Getting Around
Hamilton
$107
Salisbury
$117 9.1% $9.7
Sport & Entertainment
Hamilton
$58
Salisbury
$113 93.3% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,239 in Hamilton and $1,209 in Salisbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salisbury pays 24% 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 $91.0 in Salisbury. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $300, with Salisbury cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Hamilton
🇬🇧 Salisbury
🕒 Local time
00:35 12:35 AM
05:35 5:35 AM
5 h ahead of Hamilton
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
519,949
45,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hamilton Salisbury 5,680 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hamilton
  • Salisbury

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 Salisbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Salisbury cheaper than Hamilton?
Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and leisure. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Hamilton or Salisbury?
On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Salisbury. 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 Salisbury?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,239 in Hamilton versus $1,209 in Salisbury. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $610 in Hamilton versus $1,207 in Salisbury. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Hamilton and in Salisbury?
Shoppers in Salisbury pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Hamilton or in Salisbury?
At $2,306 in Hamilton versus $2,579 in Salisbury, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Salisbury. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Hamilton or Salisbury more family-friendly?
For families, Hamilton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Salisbury, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Hamilton or Salisbury?
Safety-wise, Hamilton and Salisbury are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Salisbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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