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: $2,975 in Richmond Hill versus $2,398 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,082 in Richmond Hill versus $3,483 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,189 in Richmond Hill versus $4,568 in Hamilton.

Living in Richmond Hill is roughly 24% more expensive than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Richmond Hill 116% above, Hamilton 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 CA$25.19

$18.42 CA$25.54

-1.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 CA$98.9

$68.6 CA$95.1

4.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.77 CA$14.93

$12.07 CA$16.74

-10.77%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.06

$3.46 CA$4.80

5.49%

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

$1.80 CA$2.50

$2.23 CA$3.09

-19.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 CA$2.01

$1.78 CA$2.46

-18.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.13

$5.21 CA$7.22

12.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 CA$10.00

$6.28 CA$8.70

14.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$2.03 CA$2.82

36.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.67

$2.31 CA$3.20

14.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 CA$2.98

$2.93 CA$4.06

-26.62%

Eggs

$4.46 CA$6.19

$3.48 CA$4.82

28.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.54 CA$16.01

$7.40 CA$10.27

55.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.59 CA$16.07

$10.74 CA$14.90

7.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 CA$18.90

$14.23 CA$19.73

-4.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.27

$3.82 CA$5.30

-0.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.87

$1.30 CA$1.80

3.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.47 CA$4.81

$4.16 CA$5.76

-16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.76

$4.06 CA$5.64

2.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 CA$2.95

$2.67 CA$3.70

-20.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 CA$2.93

$1.78 CA$2.47

19.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.31

$2.25 CA$3.11

6.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.17

$1.46 CA$2.02

6.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.84 CA$19.19

$14.48 CA$20.08

-4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.91 CA$17.91

$12.96 CA$17.98

-0.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.61

$2.34 CA$3.25

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.29

$4.14 CA$5.74

-42.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 CA$3.73

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$156

$86.3 CA$120

30.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.12 CA$4.32

$3.59 CA$4.98

-13.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 CA$1.58

$1.29 CA$1.79

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.98 CA$26.32

$24.16 CA$33.51

-21.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.66

$1.21 CA$1.68

-0.83%

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

$28.6K CA$39.6K

$28.5K CA$39.6K

0.14%

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

$19.6K CA$27.2K

$19.9K CA$27.6K

-1.50%

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

$143 CA$199

$151 CA$210

-5.29%

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

$36.17 CA$50.2

$39.74 CA$55.1

-8.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.00 CA$65.2

$51.4 CA$71.3

-8.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.02 CA$59.7

$38.31 CA$53.1

12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.36 CA$25.46

$21.29 CA$29.53

-13.76%

Cinema Ticket

$11.31 CA$15.69

$10.37 CA$14.39

9.06%

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

$360 CA$499

$633 CA$878

-43.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K CA$15.1K

$17.0K CA$23.6K

-36.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.78 CA$62.1

$48.71 CA$67.6

-8.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.57 CA$54.9

$34.89 CA$48.39

13.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 CA$122

$92.1 CA$128

-4.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 CA$139

$124 CA$172

-19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 CA$2,431

$1,302 CA$1,806

34.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 CA$2,504

$1,196 CA$1,659

50.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,029 CA$4,201

$2,138 CA$2,965

41.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 CA$3,422

$1,923 CA$2,667

28.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,536 CA$9,065

$2,835 CA$3,932

130.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,624 CA$7,800

$2,766 CA$3,836

103.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,051 CA$4,232

$2,964 CA$4,111

2.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

4.6

-1.96%

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

Last update for Richmond Hill: September 6, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,753 in Richmond Hill and $1,302 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: $71.0 in Richmond Hill vs $69.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $355 vs $335 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 3% 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: $1,753 in Richmond Hill versus $1,302 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $360 in Richmond Hill versus $633 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Richmond Hill. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,398 in Hamilton versus $2,975 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.