Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,003 a month against $5,131 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $37,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
249

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇧🇲 Bermuda

$5,131

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Montreal vs $5,131 in Hamilton, rent included.

Montreal $2,003
Hamilton $5,131

A couple spends around $3,048 per month in Montreal vs $9,033 in Hamilton, rent included.

Montreal $3,048
Hamilton $9,033

A family of three spends $4,092 per month in Montreal vs $12.9K in Hamilton, rent included.

Montreal $4,092
Hamilton $12.9K

Montreal is about 61% cheaper than Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Montreal and Hamilton sit above the global median – Montreal by 49%, Hamilton by 283%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.31 CA$27.52

$49.07 BMD 49.07

-60.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 CA$108

$153 BMD 153

-50.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 CA$15.15

$17.07 BMD 17.07

-37.73%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.60

$6.34 BMD 6.34

-38.01%

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

$1.92 CA$2.73

$2.98 BMD 2.98

-35.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$3.17 BMD 3.17

-53.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.30 CA$8.98

$7.43 BMD 7.43

-15.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 CA$10.24

$9.07 BMD 9.07

-20.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CA$3.17

$4.79 BMD 4.79

-53.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 CA$4.36

$8.18 BMD 8.18

-62.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.94 CA$4.19

$5.45 BMD 5.45

-46.06%

Eggs

$3.53 CA$5.03

$7.23 BMD 7.23

-51.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 CA$18.79

$23.76 BMD 23.76

-44.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$16.02

$21.05 BMD 21.05

-46.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.69

$19.59 BMD 19.59

-29.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$8.86 BMD 8.86

-61.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.06

$6.75 BMD 6.75

-78.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 CA$4.65

$7.34 BMD 7.34

-55.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$8.53 BMD 8.53

-66.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 CA$2.65

$5.57 BMD 5.57

-66.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 CA$2.60

$4.11 BMD 4.11

-55.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$6.33 BMD 6.33

-61.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.17

$3.43 BMD 3.43

-55.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.45 CA$16.32

$17.91 BMD 17.91

-36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 CA$14.76

$24.06 BMD 24.06

-56.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 CA$3.16

$5.18 BMD 5.18

-57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 CA$4.02

$4.31 BMD 4.31

-34.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 CA$3.67

$5.14 BMD 5.14

-49.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.9 CA$110

$69.1 BMD 69.1

11.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 CA$4.64

$6.39 BMD 6.39

-49.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$2.91 BMD 2.91

-49.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.04 CA$47.09

$70.7 BMD 70.7

-53.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 CA$1.94

$2.36 BMD 2.36

-42.37%

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

$27.4K CA$39.1K

$38.2K BMD 38.2K

-28.20%

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

$20.0K CA$28.5K

$43.3K BMD 43.3K

-53.85%

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

$76.1 CA$109

$293 BMD 293

-74.01%

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

$34.68 CA$49.43

$151 BMD 151

-77.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.69 CA$60.9

$163 BMD 163

-73.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 CA$41.26

$189 BMD 189

-84.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.33 CA$28.97

$14.76 BMD 14.76

37.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.98

$13.58 BMD 13.58

-17.45%

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

$505 CA$720

$1,307 BMD 1,307

-61.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

$25.3K BMD 25.3K

-36.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$83.4

$90.1 BMD 90.1

-35.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.00 CA$54.2

$70.1 BMD 70.1

-45.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 CA$132

$140 BMD 140

-33.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$151

$130 BMD 130

-18.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,240 CA$1,768

$3,943 BMD 3,943

-68.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$986 CA$1,405

$2,641 BMD 2,641

-62.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 CA$2,996

$8,560 BMD 8,560

-75.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,615 CA$2,302

$7,447 BMD 7,447

-78.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,043 CA$7,188

$15.1K BMD 15.1K

-66.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,830 CA$5,459

$8,947 BMD 8,947

-57.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,920 CA$4,163

$6,487 BMD 6,487

-54.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.46

8.63

-48.32%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$986 47.9%

Hamilton

$2.6K 51.6% 168% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$344 16.7%

Hamilton

$747 14.6% 117% $403

Eating Out

Montreal

$293 14.2%

Hamilton

$600 11.7% 105% $307

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$154 7.5%

Hamilton

$607 11.9% 295% $453

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$133 6.5%

Hamilton

$194 3.8% 45.9% $61

Getting Around

Montreal

$98 4.8%

Hamilton

$111 2.2% 13.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$51 2.5%

Hamilton

$216 4.2% 321% $165

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,240 in Montreal versus $3,943 in Hamilton. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 122% higher in Hamilton, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal versus $153 in Hamilton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $344 vs $747 – making Montreal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇧🇲 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

06:45 6:45 AM

07:45 7:45 AM

1 h ahead of Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

10,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Bermudian Dollar BMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 BMD = 1 USD

1 BMD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BMD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Bermudian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1 BMD (1 BMD = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 BMD (1 BMD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Montreal Hamilton 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Montreal
Hamilton

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

Montreal vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,003 in Montreal, $5,131 in Hamilton – roughly 156% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,005 per month in Montreal and $7,696 in Hamilton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Montreal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Montreal and $153 in Hamilton. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,003 in Montreal and $5,131 in Hamilton. That's a gap of about 156%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Montreal, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Hamilton at $5,131. In Montreal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hamilton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Hamilton has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,003 in Montreal to $5,131 in Hamilton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Montreal. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hamilton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.