Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Hamilton, Canada

Name: Hamilton
Address: Hamilton, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton: $2,379 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,379

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,379 in Hamilton.

Vancouver $2,725
Hamilton $2,379

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,409 in Hamilton.

Vancouver $4,039
Hamilton $3,409

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,440 in Hamilton.

Vancouver $5,352
Hamilton $4,440

Living in Vancouver is roughly 15% more expensive than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Hamilton 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$17.79 CA$24.86

-0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$68.9 CA$96.2

5.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

$12.21 CA$17.05

-11.22%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.48 CA$4.87

12.36%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.18 CA$3.05

-3.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.66 CA$2.32

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$5.06 CA$7.07

13.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$6.21 CA$8.67

2.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.99 CA$2.77

11.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.04 CA$2.85

29.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$3.15 CA$4.41

48.57%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.39 CA$4.73

25.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

$7.90 CA$11.04

50.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.34

$11.46 CA$16.01

14.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.51

$14.97 CA$20.91

36.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$4.06 CA$5.67

0.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.31 CA$1.84

5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$4.04 CA$5.64

-5.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

$3.76 CA$5.26

4.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.66 CA$3.71

4.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$1.93 CA$2.70

47.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$1.97 CA$2.76

31.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.34 CA$1.87

18.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$12.64 CA$17.66

25.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$14.09 CA$19.68

-0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.66 CA$3.71

-3.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$4.04 CA$5.64

-25.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.64 CA$3.69

-3.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$91.2 CA$127

-7.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.57 CA$4.99

-25.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.24 CA$1.74

27.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.98

$23.74 CA$33.17

35.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.21 CA$1.70

19.83%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$26.1K CA$36.4K

5.43%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$22.4K CA$31.3K

-4.76%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$157 CA$219

-47.33%

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

$41.99 CA$58.7

-10.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$50.6 CA$70.7

2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$34.23 CA$47.83

18.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

$17.97 CA$25.10

-29.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

$10.44 CA$14.59

21.26%

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

$1,080 CA$1,509

$490 CA$684

120.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

$16.8K CA$23.4K

20.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$49.37 CA$69.0

18.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.65

$31.10 CA$43.45

9.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$87.9 CA$123

10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$118 CA$164

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,534

$1,288 CA$1,800

40.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,202

$1,220 CA$1,704

29.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

$2,066 CA$2,887

55.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,705

$1,830 CA$2,557

44.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$3,105 CA$4,339

176.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,291

$2,705 CA$3,779

145.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,216

$3,039 CA$4,246

22.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.6

-6.96%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Hamilton

$1.2K 51.3% 22.6% $356

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Hamilton

$341 14.3% 15% $60

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Hamilton

$274 11.5% 1.2% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Hamilton

$249 10.5% 45.2% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Hamilton

$129 5.4% 0.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Hamilton

$112 4.7% 6.3% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Hamilton

$55 2.3% 16.3% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,288 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 23% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $69 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $341 per month, with Hamilton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

17:55 5:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

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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Vancouver Hamilton 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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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

Vancouver vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% higher in Vancouver, 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: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,288 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,080 in Vancouver versus $490 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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