Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,237 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,237

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Seattle, WA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,237 in Hamilton versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA.

Hamilton $2,237
Seattle, WA $3,744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,267 in Hamilton versus $5,703 in Seattle, WA.

Hamilton $3,267
Seattle, WA $5,703

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,297 in Hamilton versus $7,661 in Seattle, WA.

Hamilton $4,297
Seattle, WA $7,661

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 40% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 67% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$25.16

$24.56 $24.56

-28.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 CA$86.5

$99.5 $99.5

-39.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 CA$17.05

$15.30 $15.30

-21.83%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.96

$6.62 $6.62

-47.43%

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

$2.15 CA$3.06

$3.25 $3.25

-33.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.34

$3.11 $3.11

-47.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.95

$7.77 $7.77

-37.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 CA$8.74

$7.93 $7.93

-22.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.09

$1.21 $1.21

79.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$4.94 $4.94

-54.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.62

$6.17 $6.17

-58.83%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.55

$4.96 $4.96

-35.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 CA$11.27

$19.00 $19.00

-58.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.34

$18.69 $18.69

-42.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 CA$19.44

$23.14 $23.14

-41.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.45

$5.93 $5.93

-35.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.73

$1.94 $1.94

-37.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.76

$5.19 $5.19

-22.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.42

$6.55 $6.55

-41.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.32

$3.62 $3.62

-35.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.25

$3.16 $3.16

-50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 CA$3.09

$2.91 $2.91

-25.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 CA$1.85

$2.38 $2.38

-45.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 CA$17.58

$12.36 $12.36

-0.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.90

$15.02 $15.02

-11.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.49

$4.30 $4.30

-43.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.81

$5.69 $5.69

-40.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CA$3.55

$3.05 $3.05

-18.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 CA$122

$109 $109

-21.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$2.64 $2.64

28.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.75

$1.74 $1.74

-29.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.37 CA$33.32

$30.02 $30.02

-22.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.70

$1.46 $1.46

-18.49%

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

$27.5K CA$39.2K

$36.7K $36.7K

-25.07%

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

$19.9K CA$28.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

-22.57%

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

$149 CA$212

$299 $299

-50.22%

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

$41.14 CA$58.7

$69.7 $69.7

-40.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 CA$70.3

$90.1 $90.1

-45.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 CA$53.0

$80.0 $80.0

-53.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.33 CA$24.71

$35.62 $35.62

-51.35%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 CA$14.52

$17.33 $17.33

-41.20%

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

$597 CA$852

$2,986 $2,986

-79.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.1K

$31.3K $31.3K

-48.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.29 CA$68.8

$77.7 $77.7

-37.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.75 CA$43.83

$54.9 $54.9

-43.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 CA$123

$126 $126

-31.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$163

$165 $165

-30.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 CA$1,801

$2,407 $2,407

-47.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 CA$1,617

$1,963 $1,963

-42.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 CA$2,859

$4,788 $4,788

-58.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 CA$2,664

$3,561 $3,561

-47.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 CA$3,790

$7,430 $7,430

-64.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 CA$3,840

$5,010 $5,010

-46.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,896 CA$4,128

$6,280 $6,280

-53.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

6.85

-32.85%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 6, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.1K 50.2%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 73% $828

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$327 14.5%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 65.5% $214

Eating Out

Hamilton

$271 12%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 48.5% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$240 10.6%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 91.7% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$126 5.6%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 51.5% $65

Getting Around

Hamilton

$105 4.7%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 25.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$58 2.6%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 99.2% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,263 in Hamilton and $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 117% 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: $61.0 in Hamilton vs $99.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $541 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

06:12 6:12 AM

03:12 3:12 AM

3 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Hamilton Seattle, WA 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
Seattle, WA

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 Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 117% lower in Seattle, WA. 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: $1,263 in Hamilton versus $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $597 in Hamilton versus $2,986 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,237 in Hamilton versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. 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 Seattle, WA, 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 67% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.