Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Burlington

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Burlington: $2,663 and $2,634 a month, rent and utilities included.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Burlington
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,634
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Burlington

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Burlington actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,634 in Burlington.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Burlington $2,634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,790 in Burlington.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Burlington $3,790

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,946 in Burlington.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Burlington $4,946

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 1% more expensive than in Burlington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Burlington 95% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Burlington
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$21.10 CA$29.82
-1.56%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$71.3 CA$101
18.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$10.70 CA$15.13
15.14%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$3.40 CA$4.81
65.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.98 CA$2.80
87.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.53 CA$2.16
63.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$5.52 CA$7.81
45.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$6.16 CA$8.71
46.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Burlington
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$2.63 CA$3.72
-57.41%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$2.78 CA$3.93
34.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$3.71 CA$5.24
-12.13%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.51 CA$4.97
18.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$9.94 CA$14.05
29.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$10.43 CA$14.75
35.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$14.22 CA$20.10
14.06%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.56 CA$5.03
21.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.51 CA$2.13
-3.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.72 CA$3.84
65.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.53 CA$4.99
22.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.92 CA$2.71
34.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.84 CA$2.61
27.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.05 CA$2.89
-13.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.47 CA$2.08
51.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$13.04 CA$18.44
-24.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$10.57 CA$14.94
42.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.61 CA$3.69
11.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.85 CA$4.02
21.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Burlington
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.55 CA$3.61
-41.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$97.3 CA$138
-57.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$4.96 CA$7.01
-44.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.39 CA$3.38
-30.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$42.21 CA$59.7
-16.37%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.15 CA$1.63
-17.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$27.2K CA$38.5K
32.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$20.2K CA$28.5K
34.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Burlington
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$143 CA$202
60.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$44.20 CA$62.5
34.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$66.7 CA$94.3
4.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Burlington
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$51.3 CA$72.5
11.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$29.46 CA$41.65
-44.57%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$15.93 CA$22.51
-10.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Burlington
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$1,151 CA$1,628
30.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$19.2K CA$27.1K
12.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Burlington
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$68.0 CA$96.1
-22.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$63.8 CA$90.1
-31.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$97.1 CA$137
-12.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$97.0 CA$137
6.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Burlington
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$1,617 CA$2,286
17.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$1,393 CA$1,969
-8.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$2,558 CA$3,616
43.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$2,136 CA$3,019
18.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$5,013 CA$7,087
51.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$4,029 CA$5,696
-21.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Burlington
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$3,161 CA$4,468
62.01%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
4.52
50.22%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Burlington: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Burlington
$1.4K 9.3% $119
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Burlington
$338 16.4% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Burlington
$254 29.2% $105
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Burlington
$296 16.5% $58
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Burlington
$147 14.6% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Burlington
$83 3.1% $2.7
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Burlington
$124 112% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,617 in Burlington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 62% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $71.0 in Burlington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $338 per month, with Burlington cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇨🇦 Burlington
🕒 Local time
17:30 5:30 PM
18:30 6:30 PM
1 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
183,314
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Burlington 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Burlington

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
Austin, TX vs Burlington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Burlington?
Burlington wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Burlington the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Burlington?
Average pay runs 62% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Burlington?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,617 in Burlington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Burlington?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,634 in Burlington – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Burlington?
A monthly transit pass in Burlington runs roughly 133% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Austin, TX or in Burlington?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Burlington is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Burlington?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Burlington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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