Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Rome Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Rome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,905 in Hamilton versus $1,986 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,997 in Hamilton versus $3,073 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,089 in Hamilton versus $4,159 in Rome.

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 4% less than in Rome, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 43% above, Rome 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.09 NZ$24.11

$17.54 €15.33

-19.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.8 NZ$145

$76.0 €66.4

11.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.75 NZ$14.98

$11.67 €10.20

-25.02%

Cappuccino

$3.53 NZ$6.04

$1.77 €1.55

99.44%

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

$2.40 NZ$4.11

$2.45 €2.14

-2.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 NZ$4.87

$1.26 €1.10

126.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 NZ$12.13

$5.75 €5.02

23.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 NZ$10.25

$5.06 €4.42

18.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 NZ$2.69

$1.70 €1.49

-7.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 NZ$2.24

$2.07 €1.81

-36.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 NZ$3.26

$2.99 €2.61

-36.45%

Eggs

$5.69 NZ$9.74

$4.52 €3.95

25.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.73 NZ$9.80

$17.69 €15.45

-67.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 NZ$13.70

$11.75 €10.26

-31.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.12 NZ$19.02

$20.56 €17.96

-45.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 NZ$4.65

$2.43 €2.12

11.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.87 NZ$4.92

$2.36 €2.06

21.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.03 NZ$5.18

$2.02 €1.77

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.77 NZ$11.58

$2.67 €2.34

153.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 NZ$3.85

$1.76 €1.54

27.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.44

$1.85 €1.62

8.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 NZ$4.50

$1.27 €1.11

107.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NZ$1.82

$0.56 €0.49

89.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.06 NZ$44.59

$6.81 €5.95

282.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 NZ$18.74

$3.96 €3.46

176.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.54 NZ$6.05

$1.94 €1.69

82.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 NZ$7.63

$2.76 €2.41

61.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 NZ$2.87

$1.72 €1.50

-2.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.50 NZ$79.6

$41.16 €35.97

12.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 NZ$7.38

$5.23 €4.57

-17.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 NZ$3.40

$1.58 €1.38

25.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.46 NZ$72.6

$34.86 €30.46

21.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 NZ$2.79

$2.03 €1.77

-19.70%

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

$23.4K NZ$40.0K

$29.0K €25.3K

-19.46%

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

$23.2K NZ$39.7K

$29.9K €26.1K

-22.39%

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

$92.8 NZ$159

$222 €194

-58.28%

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

$39.33 NZ$67.3

$10.96 €9.58

258.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 NZ$91.9

$30.99 €27.07

73.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.44 NZ$55.5

$64.2 €56.1

-49.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.93 NZ$28.96

$23.99 €20.96

-29.43%

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 NZ$23.29

$11.63 €10.16

17.02%

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

$832 NZ$1,423

$539 €471

54.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K NZ$31.2K

$10.7K €9,341

70.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 NZ$107

$73.1 €63.9

-14.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.19 NZ$70.5

$34.58 €30.22

19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 NZ$154

$86.6 €75.7

4.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 NZ$200

$119 €104

-1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 NZ$1,685

$1,328 €1,160

-25.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$849 NZ$1,452

$866 €757

-2.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 NZ$2,147

$2,596 €2,268

-51.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 NZ$2,793

$1,602 €1,400

1.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,048 NZ$6,927

$8,434 €7,369

-52.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,612 NZ$7,891

$3,464 €3,026

33.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,677 NZ$4,580

$1,947 €1,701

37.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

3.95

72.91%

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

Last update for Hamilton: July 13, 2026

Last update for Rome: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Hamilton and $1,328 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Hamilton vs $76.0 in Rome. Groceries flip the comparison at $309 vs $333, with Hamilton 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 Rome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% higher in Hamilton, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Hamilton versus $1,328 in Rome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hamilton – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $76.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,905 per month in Hamilton versus $1,986 in Rome – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,905 in Hamilton versus $1,986 in Rome, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Rome. 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 Rome, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hamilton and Rome are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Hamilton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.