Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Hamilton, Canada

Name: Hamilton
Address: Hamilton, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,379 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hamilton outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
Learn more

Montreal Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
Learn more

Hamilton Living Index

Jump to prices

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,379

/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.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,379 in Hamilton.

Montreal $2,064
Hamilton $2,379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,409 in Hamilton.

Montreal $3,156
Hamilton $3,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $4,440 in Hamilton.

Montreal $4,247
Hamilton $4,440

Living in Montreal costs roughly 13% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Hamilton 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.52

$17.79 CA$24.86

6.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$68.9 CA$96.2

6.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.20

$12.21 CA$17.05

-10.89%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.33

$3.48 CA$4.87

9.48%

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

$1.94 CA$2.71

$2.18 CA$3.05

-11.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.66 CA$2.32

-4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.90

$5.06 CA$7.07

25.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.15

$6.21 CA$8.67

16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.99 CA$2.77

12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.43

$2.04 CA$2.85

55.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.62

$3.15 CA$4.41

5.08%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$3.39 CA$4.73

7.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.38

$7.90 CA$11.04

66.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.15

$11.46 CA$16.01

0.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.16

$14.97 CA$20.91

-8.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.60

$4.06 CA$5.67

-18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.31 CA$1.84

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.70

$4.04 CA$5.64

-16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.40

$3.76 CA$5.26

-16.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.64

$2.66 CA$3.71

-28.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$1.93 CA$2.70

-7.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.45

$1.97 CA$2.76

25.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.34 CA$1.87

17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.77

$12.64 CA$17.66

-10.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.66

$14.09 CA$19.68

-25.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.26

$2.66 CA$3.71

-12.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.07

$4.04 CA$5.64

-27.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$2.64 CA$3.69

-1.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$91.2 CA$127

-13.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.55

$3.57 CA$4.99

-8.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.01

$1.24 CA$1.74

16.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.71

$23.74 CA$33.16

40.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.86

$1.21 CA$1.70

9.92%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$26.1K CA$36.4K

9.82%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$22.4K CA$31.3K

-5.76%

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

$80.1 CA$112

$157 CA$219

-48.87%

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

$34.30 CA$47.92

$41.99 CA$58.7

-18.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$59.9

$50.6 CA$70.7

-15.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.51

$34.23 CA$47.83

-9.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.11

$17.97 CA$25.10

8.01%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.69

$10.44 CA$14.58

7.57%

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

$525 CA$734

$490 CA$684

7.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.8K

$16.8K CA$23.4K

-2.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.0

$49.37 CA$69.0

17.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.2

$31.10 CA$43.45

22.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$87.9 CA$123

6.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$154

$118 CA$164

-6.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,795

$1,288 CA$1,799

-0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,364

$1,220 CA$1,704

-19.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,173

$2,066 CA$2,887

9.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,326

$1,830 CA$2,556

-9.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,180

$3,105 CA$4,338

65.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,357

$2,705 CA$3,779

41.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,194

$3,039 CA$4,246

-1.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.6

-2.61%

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

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Hamilton

$1.2K 51.3% 24.9% $243

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Hamilton

$341 14.3% 2.9% $10

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Hamilton

$274 11.5% 5.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Hamilton

$249 10.5% 58.5% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Hamilton

$129 5.4% 4.6% $6.2

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Hamilton

$112 4.7% 11.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Hamilton

$55 2.3% 2.8% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,285 in Montreal and $1,288 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $69 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $341 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

Same time as Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

519,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montreal Hamilton 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 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

Montreal is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in utilities, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,096 in Montreal and $3,568 in Hamilton to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,288 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $525 in Montreal versus $490 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Hamilton pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.