Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Poughkeepsie, NY and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,306 a month against $2,964 in Poughkeepsie, NY, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Poughkeepsie, NY
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Poughkeepsie, NY Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Poughkeepsie, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,964

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,306

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,964 in Poughkeepsie, NY versus $2,306 in Hamilton.

Poughkeepsie, NY $2,964
Hamilton $2,306

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,152 in Poughkeepsie, NY versus $3,384 in Hamilton.

Poughkeepsie, NY $4,152
Hamilton $3,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,339 in Poughkeepsie, NY versus $4,461 in Hamilton.

Poughkeepsie, NY $5,339
Hamilton $4,461

Living in Poughkeepsie, NY is roughly 29% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Poughkeepsie, NY 119% above, Hamilton 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.28 $23.28

$17.71 CA$25.03

31.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$66.7 CA$94.3

51.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.28 $12.28

$12.15 CA$17.18

1.07%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$3.39 CA$4.79

35.99%

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

$1.94 $1.94

$2.15 CA$3.04

-9.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.70 CA$2.40

-28.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.02 CA$7.09

20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 $7.99

$6.18 CA$8.74

29.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.94 CA$2.74

-45.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.04 CA$2.88

63.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$3.10 CA$4.38

124.19%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$3.34 CA$4.72

52.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.91 CA$11.18

65.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$11.17 CA$15.79

40.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$14.60 CA$20.65

18.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.08 CA$5.77

15.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.30 CA$1.84

-22.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.87 CA$5.47

40.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.69 CA$5.22

30.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.65 CA$3.75

21.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.00 CA$2.82

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.99 CA$2.81

-0.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.29 CA$1.83

53.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.56 $14.56

$12.49 CA$17.66

16.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.20 $10.20

$14.40 CA$20.36

-29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.65 CA$3.74

-21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.97 CA$5.61

0.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.52 CA$3.56

13.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.0 CA$123

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.54 CA$5.00

41.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.26 CA$1.78

7.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.14 $30.14

$23.47 CA$33.18

28.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.17 CA$1.65

-18.80%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.4K CA$37.3K

2.85%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$22.0K CA$31.1K

18.05%

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

$208 $208

$154 CA$217

35.15%

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

$70.5 $70.5

$42.63 CA$60.3

65.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$51.1 CA$72.2

35.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.39 $20.39

$37.84 CA$53.5

-46.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.23 $40.23

$17.39 CA$24.59

131.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$10.32 CA$14.59

44.57%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$610 CA$862

147.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K $17.1K

$16.3K CA$23.0K

5.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 $54.6

$48.77 CA$68.9

11.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.09 $40.09

$31.28 CA$44.22

28.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 $113

$86.6 CA$122

30.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$119 CA$169

-10.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 $1,708

$1,239 CA$1,752

37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,640 $1,640

$1,157 CA$1,635

41.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 $1,920

$2,032 CA$2,873

-5.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,237 $2,237

$1,882 CA$2,660

18.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,567 $1,567

$2,708 CA$3,828

-42.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,321 $2,321

$2,733 CA$3,863

-15.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,545 $4,545

$2,989 CA$4,225

52.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

4.6

44.78%

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

Last update for Poughkeepsie, NY: October 20, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Poughkeepsie, NY

$1.6K 55.3%

Hamilton

$1.2K 50.2% 29.5% $483

Groceries & Markets

Poughkeepsie, NY

$425 14.3%

Hamilton

$336 14.6% 20.8% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Poughkeepsie, NY

$348 11.7%

Hamilton

$248 10.7% 28.8% $100

Eating Out

Poughkeepsie, NY

$337 11.4%

Hamilton

$272 11.8% 19.5% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Poughkeepsie, NY

$141 4.8%

Hamilton

$129 5.6% 8.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Poughkeepsie, NY

$50 1.7%

Hamilton

$58 2.5% 16.4% $8.3

Getting Around

Poughkeepsie, NY

$23 * 0.8%

Hamilton

$107 4.6% 360% $84

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 $1,708 in Poughkeepsie, NY and $1,239 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Poughkeepsie, NY pays 52% 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: $101 in Poughkeepsie, NY vs $67.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $425 vs $336 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Poughkeepsie, NY

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

Same time as Poughkeepsie, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,577

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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Between locations

Poughkeepsie, NY Hamilton 520 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Poughkeepsie, NY
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

Poughkeepsie, NY vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Poughkeepsie, NY, 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: $1,708 in Poughkeepsie, NY versus $1,239 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Poughkeepsie, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,964 per month in Poughkeepsie, NY versus $2,306 in Hamilton – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,306 in Hamilton versus $2,964 in Poughkeepsie, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Poughkeepsie, NY. 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 Poughkeepsie, NY, 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 29% less than in Poughkeepsie, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.