Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,735 in Vancouver versus $2,380 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,984 in Vancouver versus $3,404 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,234 in Vancouver versus $4,429 in Hamilton.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 15% more expensive than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Hamilton 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 CA$24.93

$18.04 CA$25.23

-1.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$65.8 CA$92.0

10.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 CA$15.30

$11.30 CA$15.81

-3.27%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.86

$3.58 CA$5.00

17.04%

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

$2.22 CA$3.11

$2.22 CA$3.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.69 CA$2.37

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 CA$8.23

$5.10 CA$7.14

15.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 CA$9.11

$6.17 CA$8.63

5.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.96

$2.34 CA$3.27

-9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.30 CA$3.22

14.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.21

$2.74 CA$3.84

62.04%

Eggs

$4.21 CA$5.89

$3.32 CA$4.65

26.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 CA$16.85

$7.91 CA$11.07

52.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.91 CA$19.46

$10.84 CA$15.16

28.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.62 CA$28.85

$13.94 CA$19.51

47.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 CA$6.00

$3.87 CA$5.42

10.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$1.23 CA$1.72

8.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.43

$4.31 CA$6.03

-9.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.70

$3.84 CA$5.37

6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.03

$2.32 CA$3.25

24.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$1.65 CA$2.30

77.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$2.18 CA$3.05

20.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.38

$1.39 CA$1.95

22.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.66 CA$21.91

$12.79 CA$17.89

22.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 CA$19.91

$13.60 CA$19.03

4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.89

$2.49 CA$3.49

11.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.27

$3.44 CA$4.81

-11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 CA$3.54

$2.63 CA$3.68

-3.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 CA$120

$86.8 CA$121

-1.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.61 CA$5.06

-26.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 CA$2.25

$1.32 CA$1.85

21.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.34 CA$45.24

$23.89 CA$33.42

35.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 CA$1.96

$1.15 CA$1.61

21.74%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

$29.0K CA$40.6K

-1.61%

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

$19.8K CA$27.7K

$20.0K CA$28.0K

-1.08%

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

$78.8 CA$110

$157 CA$219

-49.71%

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

$35.70 CA$49.94

$43.23 CA$60.5

-17.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 CA$71.5

$51.5 CA$72.0

-0.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.37 CA$59.3

$37.74 CA$52.8

12.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.04 CA$18.24

$21.50 CA$30.07

-39.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.68 CA$16.34

$10.46 CA$14.63

11.66%

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

$1,108 CA$1,549

$615 CA$861

80.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$27.8K

$16.9K CA$23.6K

17.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$79.7

$49.21 CA$68.8

15.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.01 CA$48.98

$30.79 CA$43.07

13.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 CA$123

$87.6 CA$123

0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 CA$128

$123 CA$172

-25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,843 CA$2,579

$1,297 CA$1,815

42.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 CA$2,140

$1,212 CA$1,696

26.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 CA$4,415

$2,106 CA$2,947

49.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,464

$1,931 CA$2,701

28.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,675 CA$12.1K

$2,726 CA$3,813

218.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,528 CA$9,132

$2,722 CA$3,808

139.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,726 CA$5,213

$2,906 CA$4,065

28.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

4.6

-8.48%

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

Last update for Vancouver: September 13, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,843 in Vancouver and $1,297 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 28% 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: $72.0 in Vancouver vs $66.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $336 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

Vancouver vs Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hamilton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $1,843 in Vancouver versus $1,297 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,108 in Vancouver versus $615 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,380 in Hamilton versus $2,735 in Vancouver, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Hamilton but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. 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 Vancouver, 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 15% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.