Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harrisonburg, VA and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,253 a month against $2,427 in Harrisonburg, VA, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Harrisonburg, VA
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Harrisonburg, VA Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Harrisonburg, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,427

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,253

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Harrisonburg, VA and in Hamilton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Harrisonburg, VA and in Hamilton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,427 in Harrisonburg, VA versus $2,253 in Hamilton.

Harrisonburg, VA $2,427
Hamilton $2,253

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,287 in Harrisonburg, VA versus $3,331 in Hamilton.

Harrisonburg, VA $3,287
Hamilton $3,331

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,148 in Harrisonburg, VA versus $4,408 in Hamilton.

Harrisonburg, VA $4,148
Hamilton $4,408

Living in Harrisonburg, VA is roughly 8% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harrisonburg, VA 80% above, Hamilton 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.70 $23.70

$17.21 CA$24.33

37.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 $68.4

$65.7 CA$92.8

4.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.26 $9.26

$11.87 CA$16.77

-21.99%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$3.37 CA$4.77

49.26%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.22 CA$3.14

19.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.69 CA$2.39

21.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$4.99 CA$7.05

38.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$6.03 CA$8.52

33.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.89 CA$2.67

-49.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.12 CA$2.99

47.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.13 CA$4.43

24.28%

Eggs

$5.28 $5.28

$3.33 CA$4.70

58.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 $10.02

$7.88 CA$11.13

27.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$11.30 CA$15.98

-32.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 $18.61

$14.24 CA$20.13

30.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.81 CA$5.38

-1.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.27 CA$1.79

13.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.98 CA$5.63

1.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.82 CA$5.40

-6.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.71 CA$3.83

-7.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.91 CA$2.69

15.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.95 CA$2.75

24.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.33 CA$1.88

49.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.51 $6.51

$12.49 CA$17.65

-47.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 $11.43

$13.95 CA$19.72

-18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.65 CA$3.74

-22.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.77 CA$5.33

-27.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.56 CA$3.62

-20.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.05 $25.05

$84.1 CA$119

-70.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.36 CA$4.76

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.28 CA$1.82

17.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.27 $22.27

$23.24 CA$32.85

-4.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.21 CA$1.71

-19.83%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.6K CA$39.1K

29.51%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$19.6K CA$27.7K

28.69%

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

$135 $135

$152 CA$214

-10.76%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$41.21 CA$58.3

48.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 $71.8

$50.2 CA$70.9

43.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.66 $45.66

$36.85 CA$52.1

23.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.91

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$10.23 CA$14.46

44.97%

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

$806 $806

$600 CA$848

34.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.7K $30.7K

$16.6K CA$23.4K

85.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 $70.2

$47.93 CA$67.8

46.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.35 $46.35

$30.45 CA$43.05

52.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 $88.6

$83.8 CA$118

5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$114 CA$161

-3.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 $1,266

$1,251 CA$1,769

1.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 $1,204

$1,123 CA$1,588

7.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,811 $1,811

$2,042 CA$2,887

-11.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,412 $1,412

$1,873 CA$2,647

-24.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,128 $2,128

$2,695 CA$3,810

-21.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,153 $2,153

$2,668 CA$3,771

-19.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,152 $4,152

$2,860 CA$4,044

45.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

4.6

41.09%

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

Last update for Harrisonburg, VA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Harrisonburg, VA

$1.2K 49.6%

Hamilton

$1.1K 49.9% 6.7% $81

Eating Out

Harrisonburg, VA

$347 14.3%

Hamilton

$266 11.8% 23.3% $81

Groceries & Markets

Harrisonburg, VA

$347 14.3%

Hamilton

$335 14.9% 3.5% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harrisonburg, VA

$268 11.1%

Hamilton

$243 10.8% 9.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Harrisonburg, VA

$142 5.8%

Hamilton

$124 5.5% 12.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Harrisonburg, VA

$75 3.1%

Hamilton

$57 2.5% 23.9% $18

Getting Around

Harrisonburg, VA

$43 1.8%

Hamilton

$104 4.6% 141% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,266 in Harrisonburg, VA and $1,251 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harrisonburg, VA pays 45% 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: $68.0 in Harrisonburg, VA vs $66.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $347 vs $335 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Harrisonburg, VA

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

Same time as Harrisonburg, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,215

519,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Harrisonburg, VA Hamilton 540 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Harrisonburg, VA
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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

Harrisonburg, VA vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Harrisonburg, VA, 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: $1,266 in Harrisonburg, VA versus $1,251 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $806 in Harrisonburg, VA versus $600 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Harrisonburg, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,253 in Hamilton versus $2,427 in Harrisonburg, VA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Harrisonburg, VA. 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 Harrisonburg, VA, 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 8% less than in Harrisonburg, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.