Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,253 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Toronto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Hamilton versus $2,561 in Toronto.

Hamilton $2,253
Toronto $2,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Hamilton versus $3,694 in Toronto.

Hamilton $3,331
Toronto $3,694

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,408 in Hamilton versus $4,826 in Toronto.

Hamilton $4,408
Toronto $4,826

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 12% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 67% above, Toronto 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$24.33

$17.18 CA$24.29

0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$92.8

$76.0 CA$107

-13.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 CA$16.77

$10.54 CA$14.89

12.62%

Cappuccino

$3.37 CA$4.77

$4.02 CA$5.68

-16.17%

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

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.12 CA$3.00

4.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$1.75 CA$2.48

-3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 CA$7.05

$6.24 CA$8.83

-20.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 CA$8.52

$7.09 CA$10.02

-14.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$2.44 CA$3.45

-22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$2.68 CA$3.78

-20.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.43

$2.24 CA$3.17

39.73%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.70

$3.56 CA$5.03

-6.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 CA$11.13

$9.09 CA$12.85

-13.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 CA$15.98

$11.33 CA$16.01

-0.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$14.53 CA$20.55

-2.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.38

$3.62 CA$5.12

5.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.21 CA$1.72

4.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$3.60 CA$5.09

10.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$4.21 CA$5.96

-9.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$1.79 CA$2.53

51.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.69

$1.59 CA$2.25

20.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 CA$2.75

$2.27 CA$3.21

-14.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.25 CA$1.77

6.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 CA$17.65

$13.82 CA$19.53

-9.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$14.27 CA$20.18

-2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$2.20 CA$3.10

20.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$2.43 CA$3.44

55.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.39 CA$3.38

7.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$119

$111 CA$157

-24.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 CA$4.76

$2.91 CA$4.12

15.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.82

$1.20 CA$1.69

6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.24 CA$32.85

$21.38 CA$30.23

8.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$28.2K CA$39.8K

-1.93%

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

$19.6K CA$27.7K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

-3.18%

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

$152 CA$214

$120 CA$170

25.98%

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

$41.21 CA$58.3

$32.26 CA$45.60

27.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$70.9

$47.93 CA$67.8

4.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 CA$52.1

$38.48 CA$54.4

-4.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.91

$22.96 CA$32.46

-23.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 CA$14.46

$12.38 CA$17.50

-17.37%

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

$600 CA$848

$830 CA$1,173

-27.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.4K

$23.1K CA$32.6K

-28.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$50.7 CA$71.7

-5.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 CA$43.05

$40.02 CA$56.6

-23.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 CA$118

$98.0 CA$139

-14.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$121 CA$171

-5.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 CA$1,769

$1,592 CA$2,251

-21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 CA$1,588

$1,410 CA$1,994

-20.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 CA$2,887

$2,670 CA$3,775

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 CA$2,647

$2,152 CA$3,042

-12.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 CA$3,810

$7,945 CA$11.2K

-66.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,668 CA$3,771

$6,542 CA$9,249

-59.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,860 CA$4,044

$3,727 CA$5,269

-23.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.47

2.91%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1% 25.5% $287

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$335 14.9%

Toronto

$340 13.3% 1.5% $5

Eating Out

Hamilton

$266 11.8%

Toronto

$278 10.9% 4.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$243 10.8%

Toronto

$201 7.8% 17.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$124 5.5%

Toronto

$139 5.4% 12.1% $15

Getting Around

Hamilton

$104 4.6%

Toronto

$129 5.1% 24.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$57 2.5%

Toronto

$63 2.5% 10.3% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Hamilton and $1,592 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 30% 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: $66.0 in Hamilton vs $76.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $340 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

Same time as Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Hamilton Toronto 59 km

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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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Toronto. 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: $1,251 in Hamilton versus $1,592 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $600 in Hamilton versus $830 in Toronto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $2,253 in Hamilton versus $2,561 in Toronto, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Toronto. 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 Toronto, 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 14% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.