Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and St Albans Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and St Albans

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,321 in Hamilton versus $3,003 in St Albans.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,399 in Hamilton versus $4,214 in St Albans.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,477 in Hamilton versus $5,426 in St Albans.

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 23% less than in St Albans, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 69% above, St Albans 119% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.38 CA$25.43

$21.29 £15.75

-13.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 CA$94.2

$93.2 £69.0

-26.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.51 CA$17.31

$9.27 £6.86

34.95%

Cappuccino

$3.56 CA$4.92

$4.80 £3.55

-25.83%

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

$2.20 CA$3.04

$2.76 £2.04

-20.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.40

$1.89 £1.40

-7.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CA$7.17

$7.58 £5.61

-31.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.50 CA$9.00

$6.74 £4.99

-3.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.84

$1.66 £1.23

23.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 CA$3.08

$1.59 £1.18

39.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.92

$2.53 £1.87

12.25%

Eggs

$3.44 CA$4.76

$4.49 £3.32

-23.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 CA$10.48

$9.99 £7.39

-24.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 CA$14.39

$9.65 £7.14

7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 CA$19.43

$14.04 £10.39

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.42

$3.09 £2.29

26.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.77

$1.35 £1.00

-5.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 CA$5.90

$2.23 £1.65

91.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.42

$3.32 £2.45

18.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.65

$1.62 £1.20

62.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 CA$2.42

$1.50 £1.11

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CA$3.24

$1.27 £0.94

84.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.02

$2.08 £1.54

-29.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.22 CA$19.67

$23.27 £17.22

-38.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 CA$18.07

$10.83 £8.01

20.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$2.86 £2.11

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 CA$5.80

$3.28 £2.42

27.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$2.94 £2.17

-6.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 CA$121

$83.0 £61.4

5.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 CA$4.84

$4.06 £3.00

-13.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$2.52 £1.86

-47.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.47 CA$32.47

$52.5 £38.82

-55.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.64

$2.00 £1.48

-40.50%

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

$28.9K CA$40.0K

$38.4K £28.4K

-24.71%

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

$20.1K CA$27.8K

$41.1K £30.4K

-51.20%

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

$151 CA$208

$338 £250

-55.47%

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

$40.12 CA$55.5

$19.42 £14.37

106.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.2 CA$70.8

$45.95 £33.99

11.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 CA$52.0

$53.3 £39.41

-29.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.56 CA$29.83

$13.65 £10.10

57.95%

Cinema Ticket

$10.27 CA$14.21

$20.25 £14.98

-49.28%

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

$615 CA$851

$2,635 £1,949

-76.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.0K

$10.7K £7,896

55.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 CA$69.5

$78.5 £58.0

-35.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.50 CA$47.73

$47.43 £35.09

-27.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.9 CA$127

$95.4 £70.6

-3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$167

$123 £91.2

-1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,320 CA$1,826

$1,920 £1,420

-31.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 CA$1,675

$1,594 £1,179

-24.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 CA$2,854

$3,059 £2,263

-32.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,928 CA$2,668

$2,362 £1,747

-18.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,814 CA$3,893

$9,368 £6,931

-69.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,808 CA$3,885

$7,097 £5,250

-60.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,912 CA$4,029

$3,037 £2,246

-4.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.4

-14.81%

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

Last update for Hamilton: August 29, 2026

Last update for St Albans: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,320 in Hamilton and $1,920 in St Albans. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

St Albans pays 4% 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: $68.0 in Hamilton vs $93.0 in St Albans. Groceries flip the comparison at $333 vs $311, with St Albans 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 St Albans: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in St Albans. 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: $1,320 in Hamilton versus $1,920 in St Albans. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Hamilton versus $2,635 in St Albans. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in St Albans pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,321 in Hamilton versus $3,003 in St Albans, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in St Albans. 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 St Albans, 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 29% less than in St Albans. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.