Hamilton (Ontario) vs Kingston (Ontario)
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Kingston (Ontario) edges it, 69 to 69, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Hamilton (Ontario) is stronger on nothing outright; Kingston (Ontario) on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Steel city turned arts town an hour from Toronto
Full Hamilton (Ontario) profile →Where to stay in Hamilton (Ontario) →Limestone university town between Toronto and Montréal
Full Kingston (Ontario) profile →Where to stay in Kingston (Ontario) →Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Hamilton (Ontario) | Kingston (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 19 | 19 |
| Safety | 76 | 76 |
| Healthcare | 91 | 91 |
| Internet | 82 | 84 ✓ |
| Visa ease | 58 | 58 |
| Getting there & around | 72 | 73 ✓ |
| Climate | 33 | 33 |
| Air quality | 89 | 93 ✓ |
| Quality of life | 95 | 95 |
Cost
| Metric | Hamilton (Ontario) | Kingston (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $2,850 | $2,850 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Hamilton (Ontario) | Kingston (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 1.98 | 1.98 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 79.8 | 79.8 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 92 | 92 |
| Life expectancy | 81.6 yrs | 81.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Hamilton (Ontario) | Kingston (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 76 Mbps | 82 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 23.7 Mbps | 28.7 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Hamilton (Ontario) | Kingston (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 180 days | 180 days |
| Entry, EU passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
| Entry, UK passport | eTA required (online, before travel) | eTA required (online, before travel) |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Hamilton (Ontario) | Kingston (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 195 | 201 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 | 4 ✓ |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Hamilton (Ontario) | Kingston (Ontario) |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 4 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 10 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ ✓ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Hamilton (Ontario) or Kingston (Ontario)?
- Kingston (Ontario) is cheaper: about $2,850 per month versus $2,850 for one person.
- Is Hamilton (Ontario) or Kingston (Ontario) safer?
- Hamilton (Ontario) scores higher on safety (76 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Hamilton (Ontario) or Kingston (Ontario)?
- Kingston (Ontario): a measured median of 82 Mbps versus 76 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
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Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.10.7. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.