Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond Hill and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond Hill and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,100 in Richmond Hill versus $2,507 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,206 in Richmond Hill versus $3,577 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,311 in Richmond Hill versus $4,647 in Hamilton.

Living in Richmond Hill is roughly 24% more expensive than Hamilton, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Richmond Hill 131% above, Hamilton 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.78 CA$26.11

$18.39 CA$25.58

2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.8 CA$114

$74.6 CA$104

9.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 CA$12.42

$10.84 CA$15.08

-17.62%

Cappuccino

$3.23 CA$4.49

$4.03 CA$5.60

-19.85%

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

$2.02 CA$2.81

$2.10 CA$2.92

-3.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.05

$1.73 CA$2.40

-15.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 CA$8.10

$5.73 CA$7.97

1.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 CA$10.01

$6.49 CA$9.03

10.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.21

$2.23 CA$3.10

3.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 CA$3.57

$2.11 CA$2.93

21.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 CA$3.16

$3.00 CA$4.18

-24.33%

Eggs

$3.74 CA$5.20

$3.20 CA$4.45

16.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.07

$7.76 CA$10.79

76.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.21 CA$15.59

$11.64 CA$16.18

-3.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 CA$20.71

$14.37 CA$19.98

3.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.12

$3.86 CA$5.36

13.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 CA$1.73

$1.31 CA$1.82

-4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$3.58 CA$4.98

-20.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.70

$3.73 CA$5.19

-9.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$2.64 CA$3.67

-6.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 CA$3.05

$2.20 CA$3.05

-0.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$2.22 CA$3.09

-14.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 CA$1.32

$2.00 CA$2.78

-52.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.02 CA$16.71

$13.59 CA$18.90

-11.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 CA$17.99

$13.08 CA$18.19

-1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CA$2.71

$2.47 CA$3.44

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$3.01 CA$4.18

-20.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 CA$3.84

$2.56 CA$3.56

7.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 CA$157

$86.2 CA$120

30.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 CA$4.25

$3.58 CA$4.98

-14.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 CA$1.48

$1.21 CA$1.69

-12.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.17 CA$30.83

$24.51 CA$34.09

-9.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 CA$1.52

$1.15 CA$1.60

-5.22%

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

$25.4K CA$35.3K

$25.0K CA$34.7K

1.61%

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

$20.1K CA$28.0K

$20.9K CA$29.1K

-3.92%

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

$179 CA$248

$150 CA$209

19.05%

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

$42.79 CA$59.5

$38.86 CA$54.1

10.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.8 CA$80.4

$53.0 CA$73.7

9.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.32 CA$61.6

$36.45 CA$50.7

21.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 CA$30.42

Cinema Ticket

$12.65 CA$17.59

$11.73 CA$16.32

7.84%

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

$419 CA$582

$644 CA$896

-35.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K CA$21.5K

$22.4K CA$31.1K

-31.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.25 CA$65.7

$56.6 CA$78.7

-16.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 CA$60.1

$34.04 CA$47.34

27.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 CA$86.9

$97.3 CA$135

-35.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 CA$124

$120 CA$168

-26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 CA$2,509

$1,346 CA$1,872

34.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 CA$2,588

$1,306 CA$1,816

42.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,057 CA$4,251

$2,056 CA$2,859

48.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,544 CA$3,538

$1,970 CA$2,740

29.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,687 CA$9,299

$2,754 CA$3,830

142.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,570 CA$7,747

$2,768 CA$3,850

101.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,000 CA$4,172

$2,916 CA$4,055

2.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.62

-0.45%

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

Last update for Richmond Hill: June 2, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,804 in Richmond Hill and $1,346 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richmond Hill pays 3% 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: $82.0 in Richmond Hill vs $75.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $343 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

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

Richmond Hill vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Richmond Hill pays 3% more on average, 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: $1,804 in Richmond Hill versus $1,346 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $419 in Richmond Hill versus $644 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Richmond Hill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,507 in Hamilton versus $3,100 in Richmond Hill, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Richmond Hill. 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 Richmond Hill, 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 24% less than in Richmond Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.