Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Courtenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Courtenay: $2,133 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
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Courtenay Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Courtenay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,133 in Courtenay.

Austin, TX $2,663
Courtenay $2,133

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,026 in Courtenay.

Austin, TX $4,133
Courtenay $3,026

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,919 in Courtenay.

Austin, TX $5,603
Courtenay $3,919

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 25% more expensive than in Courtenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Courtenay 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.75 CA$19.44

51.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$56.6 CA$80.0

49.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.05 CA$14.20

22.59%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.46 CA$4.89

62.72%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.02 CA$2.86

84.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.64 CA$2.32

52.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.70 CA$8.06

41.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.97 CA$8.43

50.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.27 CA$3.21

-50.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.06 CA$2.91

82.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.04 CA$2.89

59.80%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.21 CA$4.54

29.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.86 CA$13.94

30.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.06 CA$12.80

56.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.19 CA$27.12

-15.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.16 CA$4.47

37.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.32 CA$1.87

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.29 CA$3.24

96.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.02 CA$4.26

43.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.53 CA$3.58

1.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.09 CA$2.96

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.96 CA$2.77

-9.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.67 CA$2.36

32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$14.19 CA$20.06

-30.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.45 CA$14.78

44.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.40 CA$3.40

21.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.51 CA$3.54

37.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.98 CA$2.80

-24.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$42.72 CA$60.4

-2.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.67 CA$3.78

2.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.39 CA$1.96

19.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$17.48 CA$24.72

101.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.30 CA$1.83

-26.92%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.3K CA$28.7K

77.67%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.9K CA$25.3K

51.16%

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

$229 $229

$135 CA$190

69.95%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$37.14 CA$52.5

59.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$63.7 CA$90.0

9.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.55 CA$58.7

37.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$38.86 CA$54.9

-57.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.57 CA$14.94

35.10%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,761 CA$2,490

-14.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.8K CA$16.7K

81.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$55.8 CA$78.9

-5.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$43.80 CA$61.9

0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$76.0 CA$107

11.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$59.3 CA$83.8

73.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,238 CA$1,751

54.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,109 CA$1,568

14.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,010 CA$2,841

82.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,622 CA$2,293

56.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,337 CA$7,545

42.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,170 CA$4,482

61.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.87

39.43%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Courtenay

$1.1K 52% 12.9% $165

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Courtenay

$322 15.1% 20.3% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Courtenay

$236 11.1% 34.3% $123

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Courtenay

$237 11.1% 33.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Courtenay

$106 5% 17.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Courtenay

$63 2.9% 26.9% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Courtenay

$60 2.8% 2.7% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,238 in Courtenay. 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 $57.0 in Courtenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $322 per month, with Courtenay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🕒 Local time

12:34 12:34 PM

10:34 10:34 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

25,599

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Courtenay 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Courtenay

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 Courtenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Courtenay wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Courtenay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,238 in Courtenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,133 in Courtenay – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Courtenay runs roughly 2% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,133 in Courtenay versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Courtenay but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Courtenay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Courtenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.