Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cranbrook

For one person, living is cheaper in Cranbrook: $2,161 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Cranbrook
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Cranbrook Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Cranbrook

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,161

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,161 in Cranbrook.

Austin, TX $2,663
Cranbrook $2,161

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,965 in Cranbrook.

Austin, TX $4,133
Cranbrook $2,965

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,769 in Cranbrook.

Austin, TX $5,603
Cranbrook $3,769

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 23% more expensive than in Cranbrook, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Cranbrook 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.85 CA$19.58

49.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$66.7 CA$94.3

26.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.92 CA$14.02

24.19%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.79 CA$5.36

48.55%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.78 CA$2.52

108.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.77 CA$2.50

41.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.84 CA$6.84

66.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.61 CA$7.93

60.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.81 CA$2.55

-38.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.39 CA$3.37

56.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.40 CA$6.22

-25.91%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.34 CA$4.73

24.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.07 CA$14.23

28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.07 CA$17.06

17.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.59 CA$17.80

28.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.39 CA$4.80

27.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.31 CA$1.86

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.67 CA$3.78

68.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.51 CA$6.38

-3.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.58 CA$5.06

-27.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.07 CA$4.33

-23.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.09 CA$4.36

-42.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.76 CA$2.49

26.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.43 CA$16.16

-13.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.28 CA$20.19

5.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.10 CA$4.39

-5.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.66 CA$5.17

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.39 CA$1.96

7.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.57 CA$5.05

-23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.81 CA$3.98

-40.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$41.57 CA$58.8

-15.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.12 CA$1.59

-15.18%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.5K CA$38.9K

31.10%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$22.3K CA$31.6K

21.18%

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

$229 $229

$177 CA$251

29.13%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$17.81 CA$25.17

233.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$60.2 CA$85.1

16.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$28.30 CA$40.01

102.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.08 CA$19.90

1.42%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$860 CA$1,216

75.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,436 CA$4,857

524.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$41.37 CA$58.5

27.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$50.3 CA$71.1

-12.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$75.2 CA$106

12.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$115 CA$162

-10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,043 CA$1,475

82.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,102 CA$1,558

15.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,601 CA$2,263

128.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,433 CA$2,026

77.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,832 CA$4,004

80.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.85

40.00%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cranbrook: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Cranbrook

$1.1K 51% 13.5% $172

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Cranbrook

$361 16.7% 10.8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Cranbrook

$255 11.8% 28.7% $103

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Cranbrook

$236 10.9% 33.4% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Cranbrook

$127 5.9% 0.9% $1.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Cranbrook

$56 2.6% 34.2% $29

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Cranbrook

$23 * 1.1% 60.5% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,043 in Cranbrook. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 81% 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 $67.0 in Cranbrook for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $361 per month, with Cranbrook cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Cranbrook

🕒 Local time

10:53 10:53 AM

09:53 9:53 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

20,047

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cranbrook 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cranbrook

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 Cranbrook: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cranbrook wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cranbrook the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 81% 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 $1,043 in Cranbrook. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $860 in Cranbrook. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cranbrook – a meal for two runs $67.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,161 in Cranbrook versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cranbrook but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cranbrook 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 Cranbrook gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.