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: $1,659 in Hamilton versus $2,031 in Rome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,792 in Hamilton versus $3,167 in Rome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,925 in Hamilton versus $4,304 in Rome.

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 18% less than in Rome, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 21% above, Rome 48% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.79 NZ$21.70

$17.45 €15.05

-26.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 NZ$129

$70.9 €61.2

7.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.08 NZ$15.41

$11.79 €10.17

-22.99%

Cappuccino

$3.65 NZ$6.20

$2.26 €1.95

61.50%

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

$2.30 NZ$3.90

$3.10 €2.68

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 NZ$4.38

$1.55 €1.34

66.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 NZ$11.36

$5.86 €5.05

14.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 NZ$10.00

$6.82 €5.88

-13.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 NZ$2.61

$1.80 €1.56

-14.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 NZ$2.22

$2.28 €1.97

-42.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 NZ$3.52

$3.25 €2.80

-36.00%

Eggs

$5.78 NZ$9.80

$4.74 €4.09

21.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.97 NZ$10.12

$15.31 €13.21

-61.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.62 NZ$12.93

$12.46 €10.75

-38.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.58 NZ$21.34

$19.09 €16.46

-34.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 NZ$4.61

$2.67 €2.31

1.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NZ$3.92

$2.47 €2.13

-6.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 NZ$5.63

$2.56 €2.21

29.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.38 NZ$10.82

$2.44 €2.10

161.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 NZ$3.65

$1.46 €1.26

47.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.44 NZ$2.44

$1.61 €1.39

-10.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 NZ$3.66

$1.44 €1.24

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 NZ$1.81

$0.51 €0.44

107.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.56 NZ$45.05

$7.07 €6.10

275.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.47 NZ$19.45

$4.54 €3.92

152.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 NZ$7.11

$1.73 €1.49

142.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 NZ$7.48

$2.93 €2.53

50.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.80 NZ$3.06

$1.69 €1.46

6.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.35 NZ$73.5

$40.92 €35.30

5.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 NZ$6.53

$7.64 €6.59

-49.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.61 €29.85

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.66 NZ$2.82

$2.05 €1.77

-19.02%

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

$28.6K NZ$48.4K

$37.1K €32.0K

-23.05%

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

$24.3K NZ$41.3K

$36.0K €31.0K

-32.36%

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

$61.2 NZ$104

$220 €190

-72.18%

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

$38.79 NZ$65.8

$12.41 €10.70

212.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 NZ$97.6

$31.36 €27.05

83.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.26 NZ$44.54

$68.4 €59.0

-61.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 NZ$49.97

$25.35 €21.86

16.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.57 NZ$24.72

$11.50 €9.92

26.70%

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

$716 NZ$1,214

$504 €435

42.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K NZ$40.1K

$17.4K €15.0K

35.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 NZ$110

$74.4 €64.2

-12.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.36 NZ$66.8

$37.93 €32.71

3.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 NZ$165

$87.3 €75.3

11.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 NZ$184

$124 €107

-12.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$883 NZ$1,498

$1,244 €1,073

-29.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 NZ$1,157

$887 €765

-23.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,523 NZ$2,584

$2,637 €2,274

-42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 NZ$2,676

$1,795 €1,548

-12.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,106 NZ$6,964

$8,673 €7,481

-52.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,755 NZ$8,066

$3,283 €2,831

44.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,802 NZ$4,754

$1,947 €1,679

43.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

3.52

94.03%

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

Last update for Hamilton: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rome: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $883 in Hamilton and $1,244 in Rome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 44% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Hamilton vs $71.0 in Rome. Groceries flip the comparison at $310 vs $332, 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, Getting Around. The 22% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $883 in Hamilton versus $1,244 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 $76.0 versus $71.0 in Rome. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,659 per month in Hamilton versus $2,031 in Rome – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,659 in Hamilton versus $2,031 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 22% less than in Rome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.