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: $3,028 in Richmond Hill versus $2,423 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,193 in Richmond Hill versus $3,571 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,358 in Richmond Hill versus $4,718 in Hamilton.

Living in Richmond Hill is roughly 25% more expensive than Hamilton, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Richmond Hill 125% above, Hamilton 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 CA$25.11

$18.44 CA$25.26

-0.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 CA$113

$73.7 CA$101

11.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CA$12.25

$10.99 CA$15.05

-18.65%

Cappuccino

$3.25 CA$4.45

$3.97 CA$5.44

-18.14%

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

$2.08 CA$2.85

$2.11 CA$2.89

-1.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.02

$1.76 CA$2.41

-16.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 CA$7.87

$5.72 CA$7.84

0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 CA$10.05

$6.51 CA$8.92

12.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.16

$2.29 CA$3.14

0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.53

$2.20 CA$3.02

17.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 CA$2.99

$2.95 CA$4.04

-25.76%

Eggs

$3.79 CA$5.19

$3.15 CA$4.32

20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 CA$18.86

$7.53 CA$10.31

82.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.31 CA$15.49

$11.66 CA$15.98

-3.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.75 CA$20.20

$14.32 CA$19.62

3.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.25

$3.81 CA$5.22

19.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.75

$1.30 CA$1.77

-2.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.07

$3.60 CA$4.94

-17.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 CA$4.88

$3.84 CA$5.26

-7.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 CA$3.41

$2.72 CA$3.73

-8.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CA$2.96

$2.14 CA$2.93

0.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.89 CA$2.59

$2.16 CA$2.96

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 CA$1.20

$2.04 CA$2.80

-56.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 CA$16.41

$13.65 CA$18.70

-12.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.12 CA$17.97

$13.00 CA$17.81

0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.72

$2.37 CA$3.24

-16.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CA$3.27

$3.12 CA$4.27

-23.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.75 CA$3.76

$2.65 CA$3.64

3.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 CA$156

$87.4 CA$120

30.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 CA$4.39

$3.52 CA$4.82

-8.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CA$1.52

$1.22 CA$1.67

-9.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.79 CA$29.85

$23.80 CA$32.61

-8.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.58

$1.11 CA$1.52

3.60%

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

$24.6K CA$33.7K

$25.5K CA$34.9K

-3.56%

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

$20.1K CA$27.5K

$20.4K CA$27.9K

-1.38%

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

$179 CA$245

$152 CA$208

17.62%

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

$42.14 CA$57.7

$39.72 CA$54.4

6.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 CA$79.9

$51.9 CA$71.1

12.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.99 CA$60.3

$36.10 CA$49.45

21.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.42 CA$30.72

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 CA$17.37

$11.81 CA$16.18

7.37%

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

$422 CA$577

$632 CA$866

-33.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.4K CA$21.1K

$21.9K CA$30.0K

-29.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.67 CA$63.9

$56.3 CA$77.1

-17.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.89 CA$58.8

$34.08 CA$46.68

25.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.7 CA$84.6

$96.3 CA$132

-35.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 CA$123

$120 CA$164

-25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,786 CA$2,447

$1,365 CA$1,870

30.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 CA$2,501

$1,264 CA$1,732

44.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,072 CA$4,208

$2,015 CA$2,760

52.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,553 CA$3,498

$1,996 CA$2,734

27.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,681 CA$9,153

$2,764 CA$3,787

141.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,493 CA$7,525

$2,740 CA$3,753

100.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,052 CA$4,181

$2,845 CA$3,898

7.27%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,786 in Richmond Hill and $1,365 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richmond Hill pays 7% 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 in Richmond Hill vs $74 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 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 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Richmond Hill pays 7% 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: $1,786 in Richmond Hill versus $1,365 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Richmond Hill versus $632 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.

At $2,423 in Hamilton versus $3,028 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 25% less than in Richmond Hill. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.