Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lowell, MA and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,306 a month against $2,689 in Lowell, MA, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Lowell, MA
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Lowell, MA Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Lowell, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,306

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lowell, MA 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 Lowell, MA and in Hamilton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Lowell, MA versus $2,306 in Hamilton.

Lowell, MA $2,689
Hamilton $2,306

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,243 in Lowell, MA versus $3,384 in Hamilton.

Lowell, MA $4,243
Hamilton $3,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,797 in Lowell, MA versus $4,461 in Hamilton.

Lowell, MA $5,797
Hamilton $4,461

Living in Lowell, MA is roughly 17% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lowell, MA 98% above, Hamilton 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$17.71 CA$25.03

2.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 $69.0

$66.7 CA$94.3

3.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 $9.24

$12.15 CA$17.18

-23.95%

Cappuccino

$4.90 $4.90

$3.39 CA$4.79

44.54%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$2.15 CA$3.04

-6.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.70 CA$2.40

-2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$5.02 CA$7.09

-1.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 $8.21

$6.18 CA$8.74

32.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.94 CA$2.74

-58.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.04 CA$2.88

4.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$3.10 CA$4.38

70.32%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$3.34 CA$4.72

23.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$7.91 CA$11.18

40.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 $8.94

$11.17 CA$15.79

-19.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.47 $17.47

$14.60 CA$20.65

19.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.08 CA$5.77

-33.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.30 CA$1.84

-6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.82 $6.82

$3.87 CA$5.47

76.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$3.69 CA$5.22

49.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.65 CA$3.75

-36.98%

Onion (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.00 CA$2.82

121.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.99 CA$2.81

51.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.29 CA$1.83

70.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 $13.78

$12.49 CA$17.66

10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.42 $13.42

$14.40 CA$20.36

-6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.65 CA$3.74

-34.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.97 CA$5.61

5.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.52 CA$3.56

-28.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 $55.2

$87.0 CA$123

-36.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.54 CA$5.00

14.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.26 CA$1.78

38.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.46 $29.46

$23.47 CA$33.18

25.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.17 CA$1.65

-28.21%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$26.4K CA$37.3K

4.96%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$22.0K CA$31.1K

20.82%

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

$186 $186

$154 CA$217

20.87%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$42.63 CA$60.3

21.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$51.1 CA$72.2

31.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.07 $40.07

$37.84 CA$53.5

5.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.45 $12.45

$17.39 CA$24.59

-28.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.05 $14.05

$10.32 CA$14.59

36.14%

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

$1,410 $1,410

$610 CA$862

131.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K $29.5K

$16.3K CA$23.0K

81.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 $57.8

$48.77 CA$68.9

18.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.86 $37.86

$31.28 CA$44.22

21.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$86.6 CA$122

-8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.2 $70.2

$119 CA$169

-41.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 $1,620

$1,239 CA$1,752

30.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 $1,474

$1,157 CA$1,635

27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,728 $3,728

$2,032 CA$2,873

83.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,116 $3,116

$1,882 CA$2,660

65.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,460 $3,460

$2,708 CA$3,828

27.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,536 $3,536

$2,733 CA$3,863

29.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,963 $3,963

$2,989 CA$4,225

32.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

4.6

32.61%

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

Last update for Lowell, MA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lowell, MA

$1.5K 54.8%

Hamilton

$1.2K 50.2% 21.5% $317

Groceries & Markets

Lowell, MA

$370 13.8%

Hamilton

$336 14.6% 9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lowell, MA

$304 11.3%

Hamilton

$248 10.7% 18.7% $57

Eating Out

Lowell, MA

$287 10.7%

Hamilton

$272 11.8% 5.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Lowell, MA

$110 4.1%

Hamilton

$129 5.6% 16.7% $18

Getting Around

Lowell, MA

$75 2.8%

Hamilton

$107 4.6% 42.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Lowell, MA

$68 2.5%

Hamilton

$58 2.5% 14.2% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,620 in Lowell, MA and $1,239 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lowell, MA pays 33% 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: $69.0 in Lowell, MA vs $67.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $370 vs $336 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lowell, MA

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

Same time as Lowell, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

106,519

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Lowell, MA Hamilton 700 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lowell, MA
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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

Lowell, MA vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 33% higher in Lowell, MA, 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: $1,620 in Lowell, MA versus $1,239 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,410 in Lowell, MA versus $610 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lowell, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,306 in Hamilton versus $2,689 in Lowell, MA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Lowell, MA. 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 Lowell, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lowell, MA and Hamilton 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 17% less than in Lowell, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.