Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,253 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,253 in Hamilton versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Hamilton $2,253
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Hamilton versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Hamilton $3,331
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,408 in Hamilton versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Hamilton $4,408
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 14% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 67% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.21 CA$24.33

$17.19 CA$24.30

0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.7 CA$92.8

$69.1 CA$97.6

-4.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 CA$16.77

$10.61 CA$15.00

11.88%

Cappuccino

$3.37 CA$4.77

$3.83 CA$5.42

-12.01%

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

$2.22 CA$3.14

$2.04 CA$2.88

8.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$1.65 CA$2.34

2.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 CA$7.05

$5.54 CA$7.83

-9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 CA$8.52

$6.20 CA$8.77

-2.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$2.14 CA$3.02

-11.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.12 CA$2.99

$2.51 CA$3.54

-15.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 CA$4.43

$4.49 CA$6.35

-30.29%

Eggs

$3.33 CA$4.70

$4.09 CA$5.78

-18.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 CA$11.13

$11.73 CA$16.58

-32.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.30 CA$15.98

$13.11 CA$18.54

-13.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 CA$20.13

$19.50 CA$27.57

-26.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 CA$5.38

$4.00 CA$5.65

-4.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$1.38 CA$1.94

-7.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$3.88 CA$5.48

2.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.40

$3.95 CA$5.58

-3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$2.72 CA$3.85

-0.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.69

$2.86 CA$4.05

-33.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 CA$2.75

$2.46 CA$3.48

-20.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$1.56 CA$2.21

-14.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 CA$17.65

$15.48 CA$21.88

-19.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.95 CA$19.72

$13.75 CA$19.44

1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 CA$3.74

$2.63 CA$3.72

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.77 CA$5.33

$2.89 CA$4.09

30.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.62

$2.48 CA$3.51

3.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$119

$83.0 CA$117

1.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 CA$4.76

$2.72 CA$3.85

23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 CA$1.82

$1.58 CA$2.24

-18.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.24 CA$32.85

$31.05 CA$43.89

-25.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.37 CA$1.94

-11.68%

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

$27.6K CA$39.1K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

-0.08%

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

$19.6K CA$27.7K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-0.15%

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

$152 CA$214

$82.5 CA$117

83.83%

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

$41.21 CA$58.3

$37.26 CA$52.7

10.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$70.9

$51.7 CA$73.1

-3.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.85 CA$52.1

$42.87 CA$60.6

-14.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.91

$12.40 CA$17.53

42.10%

Cinema Ticket

$10.23 CA$14.46

$12.13 CA$17.15

-15.66%

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

$600 CA$848

$1,102 CA$1,557

-45.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.4K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-16.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.93 CA$67.8

$56.4 CA$79.7

-15.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.45 CA$43.05

$33.43 CA$47.26

-8.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 CA$118

$93.9 CA$133

-10.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$93.8 CA$133

21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,251 CA$1,769

$1,775 CA$2,509

-29.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 CA$1,588

$1,497 CA$2,116

-24.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 CA$2,887

$3,082 CA$4,357

-33.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 CA$2,647

$2,416 CA$3,416

-22.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,695 CA$3,810

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-66.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,668 CA$3,771

$6,449 CA$9,118

-58.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,860 CA$4,044

$3,776 CA$5,339

-24.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

4.28

7.48%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 33.2% $373

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$335 14.9%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 17.2% $58

Eating Out

Hamilton

$266 11.8%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 1.4% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$243 10.8%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 29.4% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$124 5.5%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 0.5% $0.7

Getting Around

Hamilton

$104 4.6%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 0.6% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$57 2.5%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 17.2% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,251 in Hamilton and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 32% 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 $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $392 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

3 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

631,486

💱 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 Vancouver 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hamilton vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Vancouver. 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 $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $600 in Hamilton versus $1,102 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,253 in Hamilton versus $2,626 in Vancouver, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. 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 Vancouver, 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 17% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.