Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Richmond Hill and Hamilton, Canada

Name: Hamilton
Address: Hamilton, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,379 a month against $2,769 in Richmond Hill, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Richmond Hill
Learn more

Richmond Hill Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
Learn more

Hamilton Living Index

Jump to prices

Richmond Hill

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,769

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,379

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,769 in Richmond Hill versus $2,379 in Hamilton.

Richmond Hill $2,769
Hamilton $2,379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,844 in Richmond Hill versus $3,409 in Hamilton.

Richmond Hill $3,844
Hamilton $3,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,920 in Richmond Hill versus $4,440 in Hamilton.

Richmond Hill $4,920
Hamilton $4,440

Living in Richmond Hill is roughly 16% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Richmond Hill 103% above, Hamilton 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.43

$17.79 CA$25.00

1.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 CA$98.5

$68.9 CA$96.7

1.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$14.84

$12.21 CA$17.15

-13.51%

Cappuccino

$3.69 CA$5.19

$3.48 CA$4.89

6.03%

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

$1.79 CA$2.51

$2.18 CA$3.06

-17.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.06

$1.66 CA$2.33

-11.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.25

$5.06 CA$7.11

16.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 CA$7.85

$6.21 CA$8.72

-10.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$1.99 CA$2.79

37.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.80

$2.04 CA$2.86

32.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.03

$3.15 CA$4.43

-31.43%

Eggs

$4.46 CA$6.27

$3.39 CA$4.76

31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 CA$15.38

$7.90 CA$11.10

38.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 CA$15.59

$11.46 CA$16.10

-3.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.85 CA$18.06

$14.97 CA$21.03

-14.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.63 CA$5.10

$4.06 CA$5.70

-10.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$1.31 CA$1.85

2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 CA$4.80

$4.04 CA$5.67

-15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.62

$3.76 CA$5.29

6.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 CA$2.87

$2.66 CA$3.74

-23.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 CA$2.85

$1.93 CA$2.72

5.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$1.97 CA$2.77

18.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.07

$1.34 CA$1.89

9.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.36 CA$18.77

$12.64 CA$17.76

5.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.80 CA$17.98

$14.09 CA$19.79

-9.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.57

$2.66 CA$3.73

-31.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 CA$3.14

$4.04 CA$5.67

-44.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 CA$4.75

$2.64 CA$3.71

28.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$157 CA$221

$91.2 CA$128

72.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 CA$4.17

$3.57 CA$5.02

-16.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 CA$1.52

$1.24 CA$1.74

-12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.89 CA$26.54

$23.74 CA$33.35

-20.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CA$1.72

$1.21 CA$1.71

1.65%

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

$27.5K CA$38.6K

$26.1K CA$36.6K

5.32%

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

$21.4K CA$30.1K

$22.4K CA$31.5K

-4.44%

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

$137 CA$192

$157 CA$220

-12.60%

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

$34.31 CA$48.21

$41.99 CA$59.0

-18.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.63 CA$65.5

$50.6 CA$71.1

-7.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.55 CA$64.0

$34.23 CA$48.10

33.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.78 CA$24.99

$17.97 CA$25.24

-1.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.78 CA$15.14

$10.44 CA$14.67

3.26%

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

$342 CA$480

$490 CA$688

-30.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.1K

$16.8K CA$23.5K

-35.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.38 CA$62.4

$49.37 CA$69.4

-10.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 CA$54.5

$31.10 CA$43.69

24.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$131

$87.9 CA$124

6.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$145

$118 CA$165

-12.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 CA$2,486

$1,288 CA$1,809

37.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 CA$2,192

$1,220 CA$1,714

27.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,550 CA$3,583

$2,066 CA$2,903

23.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 CA$3,048

$1,830 CA$2,571

18.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,499 CA$9,131

$3,105 CA$4,363

109.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,341 CA$7,505

$2,705 CA$3,800

97.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,159 CA$4,438

$3,039 CA$4,270

3.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

4.6

-1.09%

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

Last update for Richmond Hill: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Richmond Hill

$1.6K 56.4%

Hamilton

$1.2K 51.3% 21.8% $341

Groceries & Markets

Richmond Hill

$344 12.4%

Hamilton

$341 14.3% 1% $3.3

Eating Out

Richmond Hill

$274 9.9%

Hamilton

$274 11.5% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Richmond Hill

$218 7.9%

Hamilton

$249 10.5% 14.4% $31

Getting Around

Richmond Hill

$179 6.5%

Hamilton

$112 4.7% 37.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Richmond Hill

$126 4.6%

Hamilton

$129 5.4% 2.2% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Richmond Hill

$67 2.4%

Hamilton

$55 2.3% 17.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,769 in Richmond Hill and $1,288 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richmond Hill pays 4% 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: $70 in Richmond Hill vs $69 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $341 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Richmond Hill

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

Same time as Richmond Hill

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,022

519,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.712 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Richmond Hill Hamilton 78 km

From you

Richmond Hill
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

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

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in transport and leisure. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Richmond Hill, 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: $1,769 in Richmond Hill versus $1,288 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hamilton runs roughly 42% less than in Richmond Hill. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $342 in Richmond Hill versus $490 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Hamilton wins on affordability, Richmond Hill on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.