Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Creston

For one person, living is cheaper in Creston: $2,094 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Creston
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Creston Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Creston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,094

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,094 in Creston.

Austin, TX $2,663
Creston $2,094

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,206 in Creston.

Austin, TX $4,133
Creston $3,206

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,318 in Creston.

Austin, TX $5,603
Creston $4,318

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 27% more expensive than in Creston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Creston 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.22 CA$24.34

20.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$65.8 CA$93.0

28.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.38 CA$16.08

8.26%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.05 CA$5.73

39.01%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.96 CA$2.76

89.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.56 CA$2.21

60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.09 CA$7.20

58.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.80 CA$6.78

87.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.01 CA$2.84

-44.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.88 CA$4.06

30.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.16 CA$4.47

3.16%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.25 CA$6.00

-1.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.81 CA$13.87

31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.10 CA$14.28

40.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.57 CA$20.59

11.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.76 CA$5.32

15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.31 CA$1.85

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.35 CA$4.73

34.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.97 CA$5.61

9.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.16 CA$3.05

19.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.33 CA$3.29

0.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.50 CA$3.53

-28.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.39 CA$1.96

59.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$12.86 CA$18.18

-23.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.25 CA$20.15

5.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.22 CA$3.14

31.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.02 CA$4.27

14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.08 CA$2.95

-28.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$53.4 CA$75.5

-21.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.90 CA$4.11

-5.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.41 CA$1.99

17.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$22.72 CA$32.11

55.37%

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

$24.2K CA$34.2K

49.06%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.7K CA$26.5K

44.50%

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

$229 $229

$132 CA$186

73.64%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$37.43 CA$52.9

58.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$53.4 CA$75.5

30.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.37 CA$52.8

53.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.25 CA$27.22

-15.17%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.10 CA$15.69

28.65%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$705 CA$996

113.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$13.1K CA$18.5K

63.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$53.4 CA$75.5

-1.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$43.30 CA$61.2

1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$92.9 CA$131

-8.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$105 CA$149

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,141 CA$1,613

67.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$993 CA$1,403

28.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,934 CA$2,734

89.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,812 CA$2,561

40.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,677 CA$5,198

107.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,646 CA$5,155

-13.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.66

45.71%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Creston: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Creston

$993 47.4% 22.1% $281

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Creston

$345 16.5% 14.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Creston

$223 10.6% 37.8% $136

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Creston

$270 12.9% 23.8% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Creston

$133 6.3% 3.6% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Creston

$60 2.8% 30.6% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Creston

$72 3.4% 22.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,141 in Creston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $66.0 in Creston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $345 per month, with Creston cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Creston

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

11:41 11:41 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,583

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

From you

Austin, TX
Creston

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 Creston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Creston wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Creston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,141 in Creston to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,141 in Creston. 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 $2,094 in Creston – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Creston runs roughly 28% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,094 in Creston versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Creston but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Creston 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 Creston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.