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: $3,020 in Richmond Hill versus $2,493 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,123 in Richmond Hill versus $3,584 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,226 in Richmond Hill versus $4,676 in Hamilton.

Living in Richmond Hill is roughly 21% more expensive than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Richmond Hill 126% above, Hamilton 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.67 CA$26.27

$18.13 CA$25.51

2.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.5 CA$113

$73.3 CA$103

9.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 CA$12.80

$10.98 CA$15.45

-17.12%

Cappuccino

$3.18 CA$4.48

$4.05 CA$5.70

-21.48%

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

$2.04 CA$2.87

$2.10 CA$2.95

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.15

$1.81 CA$2.54

-15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 CA$8.10

$5.83 CA$8.20

-1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 CA$10.32

$6.58 CA$9.27

11.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.28 CA$3.21

$2.23 CA$3.14

2.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.60

$2.12 CA$2.99

20.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 CA$3.06

$2.85 CA$4.01

-23.86%

Eggs

$3.72 CA$5.24

$3.14 CA$4.41

18.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 CA$19.46

$7.74 CA$10.88

78.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.37 CA$16.00

$11.56 CA$16.27

-1.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 CA$21.06

$14.39 CA$20.25

3.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 CA$6.47

$3.91 CA$5.50

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.73

$1.30 CA$1.83

-5.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.96

$3.55 CA$4.99

-20.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.78

$3.90 CA$5.49

-12.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.40

$2.62 CA$3.68

-7.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CA$3.05

$2.19 CA$3.08

-0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 CA$2.66

$2.21 CA$3.10

-14.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 CA$1.31

$1.99 CA$2.81

-53.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.08 CA$17.00

$13.47 CA$18.95

-10.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 CA$17.85

$12.63 CA$17.77

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 CA$2.78

$2.41 CA$3.39

-17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.37

$3.07 CA$4.32

-21.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 CA$3.92

$2.62 CA$3.69

6.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$87.4 CA$123

27.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.47

$3.54 CA$4.98

-10.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 CA$1.51

$1.22 CA$1.72

-12.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.83 CA$30.72

$23.62 CA$33.24

-7.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.14 CA$1.61

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

$25.2K CA$35.4K

$25.4K CA$35.7K

-0.76%

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

$19.9K CA$28.1K

$20.4K CA$28.7K

-2.30%

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

$177 CA$249

$155 CA$219

13.93%

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

$42.09 CA$59.2

$40.11 CA$56.4

4.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 CA$82.5

$51.2 CA$72.0

14.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.99 CA$61.9

$36.80 CA$51.8

19.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.40 CA$31.51

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 CA$18.18

$11.57 CA$16.28

11.67%

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

$425 CA$598

$643 CA$905

-33.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K CA$22.1K

$21.7K CA$30.5K

-27.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.95 CA$64.7

$56.0 CA$78.7

-17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.41 CA$62.5

$33.71 CA$47.43

31.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 CA$88.0

$96.7 CA$136

-35.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 CA$125

$121 CA$170

-26.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 CA$2,500

$1,352 CA$1,902

31.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 CA$2,569

$1,268 CA$1,785

43.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,014 CA$4,241

$1,987 CA$2,795

51.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,604 CA$3,665

$2,022 CA$2,845

28.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,367 CA$8,959

$2,710 CA$3,813

134.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,515 CA$7,761

$2,749 CA$3,868

100.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,985 CA$4,200

$2,871 CA$4,040

3.98%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,777 in Richmond Hill and $1,352 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: $81.0 in Richmond Hill vs $73.0 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.

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 21% 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: $1,777 in Richmond Hill versus $1,352 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Richmond Hill versus $643 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Richmond Hill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Hamilton is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 21% less than in Richmond Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.