Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Hamilton, Canada

Name: Hamilton
Address: Hamilton, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,379 a month against $2,589 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,589

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,379

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,589 in Toronto versus $2,379 in Hamilton.

Toronto $2,589
Hamilton $2,379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,710 in Toronto versus $3,409 in Hamilton.

Toronto $3,710
Hamilton $3,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,831 in Toronto versus $4,440 in Hamilton.

Toronto $4,831
Hamilton $4,440

Living in Toronto is roughly 9% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toronto 90% above, Hamilton 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.60 CA$24.59

$17.79 CA$24.86

-1.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$109

$68.9 CA$96.2

13.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 CA$14.79

$12.21 CA$17.05

-13.27%

Cappuccino

$4.16 CA$5.81

$3.48 CA$4.87

19.54%

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

$2.04 CA$2.86

$2.18 CA$3.05

-6.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$1.66 CA$2.32

5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.58 CA$9.19

$5.06 CA$7.07

30.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 CA$9.94

$6.21 CA$8.67

14.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.53 CA$3.54

$1.99 CA$2.77

27.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.78

$2.04 CA$2.85

32.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.13

$3.15 CA$4.41

-28.89%

Eggs

$3.48 CA$4.87

$3.39 CA$4.73

2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 CA$13.10

$7.90 CA$11.04

18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 CA$16.21

$11.46 CA$16.01

1.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 CA$20.52

$14.97 CA$20.91

-1.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.23

$4.06 CA$5.67

-7.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.71

$1.31 CA$1.84

-6.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.86

$4.04 CA$5.64

-13.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 CA$6.04

$3.76 CA$5.26

14.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$2.66 CA$3.71

-30.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.36

$1.93 CA$2.70

-12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 CA$3.11

$1.97 CA$2.76

13.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.34 CA$1.87

-4.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.04 CA$19.62

$12.64 CA$17.66

11.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 CA$20.16

$14.09 CA$19.68

2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 CA$3.01

$2.66 CA$3.71

-18.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.53

$4.04 CA$5.64

-37.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 CA$3.31

$2.64 CA$3.69

-10.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 CA$157

$91.2 CA$127

23.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 CA$4.25

$3.57 CA$4.99

-14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CA$1.73

$1.24 CA$1.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.55 CA$31.51

$23.74 CA$33.17

-5.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.21 CA$1.70

2.48%

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

$26.9K CA$37.6K

$26.1K CA$36.4K

3.19%

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

$21.4K CA$29.9K

$22.4K CA$31.3K

-4.48%

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

$125 CA$174

$157 CA$219

-20.39%

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

$33.05 CA$46.19

$41.99 CA$58.7

-21.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.96 CA$67.0

$50.6 CA$70.7

-5.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.69 CA$51.3

$34.23 CA$47.83

7.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.67 CA$33.07

$17.97 CA$25.10

31.72%

Cinema Ticket

$13.08 CA$18.27

$10.44 CA$14.59

25.29%

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

$759 CA$1,060

$490 CA$684

54.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K CA$33.2K

$16.8K CA$23.4K

41.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 CA$74.8

$49.37 CA$69.0

8.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 CA$56.5

$31.10 CA$43.45

30.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 CA$140

$87.9 CA$123

14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 CA$175

$118 CA$164

6.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 CA$2,277

$1,288 CA$1,800

26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 CA$1,978

$1,220 CA$1,704

16.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 CA$3,765

$2,066 CA$2,887

30.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,101 CA$2,936

$1,830 CA$2,557

14.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,551 CA$10.6K

$3,105 CA$4,339

143.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,674 CA$9,325

$2,705 CA$3,779

146.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 CA$4,951

$3,039 CA$4,246

16.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.45

4.6

-3.26%

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

Last update for Toronto: 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

Toronto

$1.4K 54.7%

Hamilton

$1.2K 51.3% 13.8% $196

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$345 13.3%

Hamilton

$341 14.3% 1.2% $4.1

Eating Out

Toronto

$285 11%

Hamilton

$274 11.5% 3.8% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$206 7.9%

Hamilton

$249 10.5% 21.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$144 5.6%

Hamilton

$129 5.4% 10.5% $15

Getting Around

Toronto

$131 5.1%

Hamilton

$112 4.7% 14.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.4%

Hamilton

$55 2.3% 12.3% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,630 in Toronto and $1,288 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 17% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Toronto vs $69 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $341 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

Same time as Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

519,949

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Toronto vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Toronto, 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: $1,630 in Toronto 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 19% less than in Toronto. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,589 per month in Toronto versus $2,379 in Hamilton – Hamilton is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Toronto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.