What is the estimated monthly cost of living in Hamilton?

The latest single-person Market Basket Measure is about CAD 2,479.33 per month. Advertised rent is shown separately when published.

What salary is typically needed in Hamilton?

A balanced planning estimate is around CAD 46,500 gross per year.

Are these exact prices?

No. These are planning baselines and should be adjusted to your neighborhood and lifestyle.

City snapshot

Cost of living in Hamilton

Hamilton offers affordable housing near Toronto with growing arts and food scenes.

Planning baseline refreshed: May 2026Hamilton CMA

3-category planning baseline

$1,927

Total annual: $23,124

Balanced salary needed

$46,500

Balanced

Population

871,143

2025 · Hamilton (CMA), Ontario · Statistics Canada

Crime Severity Index

58.3

Hamilton CMA

Official Basic-Needs Budgets

1 person$2,479

2 people$3,506

Family of 4$4,959

Market Basket Measure totals and advertised rent answer different questions. Rent is not added to the budget total because the MBM already includes a shelter component.

Data coverage: 100% (A) · 2025

Advertised Rent

Bachelor apartment$1,450

2026-01 · Hamilton, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

1-bedroom apartment$1,760

2026-01 · Hamilton, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

2-bedroom apartment$2,190

2026-01 · Hamilton, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3+ bedroom apartment$2,580

2026-01 · Hamilton, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Full-time centre-based childcare$545

2025 · Ontario

Local Indicators

Employed people442,200

Median after-tax income$79,500

Crime Severity Index58.3

Hamilton, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

3-category planning baseline

Planning rent estimate (1bd)$1,402

Groceries$405

Transport$120

Total monthly$1,927

Compact estimated baseline for cross-city planning. The observed advertised rent above is the canonical market-rent value.

Move-in costs

First month of rent$1,760

Generic deposit assumption (1x rent)$1,760

Furniture for a 1-bedroom$2,500

Basic household setup$600

Estimated setup total$6,620

Generic planning assumption only. Provincial rules and your lease may permit a different deposit.

Plan the next step

Run income calculator See salary needed Rent affordability Mortgage affordability Compare cities Car costs Province tax calculator After-tax income guide

City profile

GeographyHamilton CMA

Common languagesEnglish, Arabic, Punjabi

Community contextSouth Asian, Black, Arab

Housing and rent

Often cheaper than Toronto, but demand from the GTA has lifted rents and prices.

Planning rent estimate (1bd): $1,402 · Total monthly: $1,927

Commute and daily life

GO Transit, HSR buses, highway access and GTA-linked commuting

Safety context

Hamilton's safety snapshot uses the Crime Severity Index for Hamilton CMA. CSI compares police-reported crime volume and seriousness; it is not a neighbourhood-level risk score.

Crime Severity Index: 58.3
Violent CSI: 72.3
Non-violent CSI: 53.2

How this city compares

Hamilton ranks #32 of 47 tracked cities by the 3-category planning baseline and is -$237 versus the cross-city average.

Average city baseline$2,164

Largest cost driverPlanning rent estimate (1bd)

Salary guide for this city

Use these gross salary ranges as planning targets before running a detailed after-tax scenario for Hamilton.

Essentials$35,800

Balanced$46,500

Comfortable$58,000

Best for

Hamilton is strongest for affordable toronto alternative and a lower baseline than the tracked-city average.

Watch out for

Planning rent estimate (1bd) is the largest cost driver in the baseline. Plan around $1,927 per month before discretionary spending, plus about $6,620 for a basic move-in setup.

Local reality check

Rent represents about 73% of the baseline essentials shown here. Compared with the tracked-city average, this city is -$237.

Living in Hamilton: what to budget for

Use this page as a starting point for Hamilton: monthly essentials, move-in cash, salary targets, local population context, housing notes and safety data are shown together so you can move from research to a concrete budget.

Hamilton is experiencing a renaissance as an affordable alternative to Toronto living.

The city combines industrial heritage with new investment in healthcare and education.

Housing costs remain significantly lower than Toronto while maintaining GO Transit access.

The Niagara Escarpment provides unique natural beauty within the urban landscape.

Highlights

Affordable Toronto alternative
GO Transit accessible
Waterfall capital
Growing food scene
Healthcare hub

Common questions

What is included in Hamilton's monthly baseline?: The baseline includes a 1-bedroom rent estimate, groceries and transport for one adult. It is a planning baseline, not a quote.
Why do some metrics use a CMA or province?: National public datasets often publish city data by census metropolitan area, census agglomeration, province or territory. The geography is shown beside each metric.
How should I use the Hamilton salary estimate?: Use it as a gross-income target, then run the income calculator with your province, city and real costs.

Sources and methodology

Population: Statistics Canada table 17-10-0148-01, latest annual estimate; Census Profile fallback when noted.
Crime Severity Index: Statistics Canada table 35-10-0026-01, latest published year.
Basic-needs budgets: MBM tables 11-10-0066-01 and 11-10-0104-01. Advertised rent: Quarterly Rent Statistics table 46-10-0092-01.

Sources and methodology

Cost transparency

Data used on this page

Advertised rent, basic-needs budgets, and local indicators each retain their own period, geography, and method.

Advertised rent

January 2026 · Hamilton, Census metropolitan area (CMA)

Planning baseline

Estimated rent + groceries + local transport

Not used

Tax rules and mortgage rates do not determine these costs

Advertised rent and the MBM answer different questions and are not added together.

Sources and methodology