Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Split

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $1,647 a month against $1,822 in Split, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Split
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Split Living Index

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Hamilton

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,647

/mo nomad

Split

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,822

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hamilton and in Split

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,647 in Hamilton versus $1,822 in Split.

Hamilton $1,647
Split $1,822

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,571 in Hamilton versus $2,797 in Split.

Hamilton $2,571
Split $2,797

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,496 in Hamilton versus $3,771 in Split.

Hamilton $3,496
Split $3,771

Living in Hamilton costs roughly 10% less than in Split, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton 22% above, Split 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 NZ$20.83

$16.50 €14.67

-28.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 NZ$130

$73.4 €65.3

0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 NZ$14.98

$11.32 €10.07

-25.18%

Cappuccino

$3.32 NZ$5.86

$2.74 €2.44

21.17%

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

$2.26 NZ$3.99

$4.10 €3.65

-44.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 NZ$4.20

$2.87 €2.55

-17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 NZ$11.04

$4.63 €4.12

34.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 NZ$9.63

$5.15 €4.58

5.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NZ$2.59

$1.27 €1.13

14.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 NZ$2.20

$2.13 €1.89

-41.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 NZ$3.46

$3.59 €3.19

-45.40%

Eggs

$5.25 NZ$9.29

$4.15 €3.70

26.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.56 NZ$9.84

$13.87 €12.34

-59.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.32 NZ$12.95

$9.59 €8.53

-23.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.83 NZ$20.92

$13.18 €11.72

-10.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 NZ$4.68

$2.13 €1.90

23.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 NZ$4.05

$1.84 €1.64

24.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 NZ$5.70

$1.89 €1.68

70.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 NZ$11.14

$2.86 €2.54

120.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NZ$3.48

$1.59 €1.42

23.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 NZ$2.46

$1.15 €1.02

20.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NZ$4.52

$1.30 €1.15

96.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 NZ$1.70

$1.25 €1.11

-23.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.97 NZ$44.16

$5.72 €5.09

336.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 NZ$18.95

$9.09 €8.08

17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.88 NZ$6.87

$1.74 €1.55

122.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$2.31 €2.05

70.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 NZ$2.52

$1.65 €1.47

-13.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 NZ$71.3

$39.56 €35.18

1.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 NZ$6.22

$3.59 €3.20

-1.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 €1.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.27 €26.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 NZ$3.01

$1.85 €1.64

-8.11%

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

$26.4K NZ$46.6K

$28.2K €25.1K

-6.46%

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

$23.1K NZ$40.9K

$24.9K €22.1K

-7.14%

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

$56.1 NZ$99.2

$207 €184

-72.86%

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

$35.89 NZ$63.5

$19.93 €17.72

80.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.2 NZ$95.8

$41.20 €36.64

31.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.00 NZ$44.21

$62.2 €55.3

-59.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.03 NZ$49.58

$12.92 €11.50

116.95%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 NZ$24.52

$9.15 €8.14

51.48%

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

$666 NZ$1,178

$604 €537

10.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K NZ$39.6K

$11.9K €10.5K

88.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.8 NZ$108

$92.3 €82.1

-34.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 NZ$65.9

$40.17 €35.73

-7.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 NZ$163

$112 €99.7

-17.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 NZ$183

$96.1 €85.5

7.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 NZ$1,913

$1,024 €911

5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 NZ$1,327

$704 €626

6.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 NZ$2,632

$1,942 €1,727

-23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,309 NZ$2,314

$1,275 €1,134

2.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,890 NZ$6,880

$7,185 €6,391

-45.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,506 NZ$7,969

$5,032 €4,476

-10.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,634 NZ$4,658

$1,576 €1,402

67.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

3.44

98.55%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Last update for Split: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$751 45.6%

Split

$704 38.6% 6.2% $47

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$295 17.9%

Split

$296 16.3% 0.4% $1.2

Eating Out

Hamilton

$220 13.4%

Split

$260 14.3% 18.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$146 8.9%

Split

$268 14.7% 83.2% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$132 8%

Split

$153 8.4% 15.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$53 3.2%

Split

$80 4.4% 52.6% $28

Getting Around

Hamilton

$50 * 3%

Split

$60 3.3% 21.6% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,082 in Hamilton and $1,024 in Split. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Hamilton vs $73.0 in Split. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $296, with Hamilton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Hamilton

🇭🇷 Split

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

13:56 1:56 PM

11 h behind Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,500

149,830

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hamilton Split 18,130 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
Split

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Split: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 67% 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: $1,082 in Hamilton versus $1,024 in Split. 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 $74.0 versus $73.0 in Split. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,647 per month in Hamilton versus $1,822 in Split – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,647 in Hamilton versus $1,822 in Split, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Split. 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 Split, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hamilton and Split 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 11% less than in Split. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.