Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fort McMurray

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort McMurray: $2,242 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Fort McMurray
Learn more

Fort McMurray Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Fort McMurray

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fort McMurray

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,242 in Fort McMurray.

Austin, TX $2,663
Fort McMurray $2,242

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,323 in Fort McMurray.

Austin, TX $4,133
Fort McMurray $3,323

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,404 in Fort McMurray.

Austin, TX $5,603
Fort McMurray $4,404

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 19% more expensive than in Fort McMurray, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Fort McMurray 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$20.90 CA$29.54

-0.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$55.8 CA$78.9

51.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.79 CA$19.50

-10.66%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.88 CA$5.49

45.10%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.37 CA$3.35

56.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.52 CA$2.14

64.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.73 CA$8.10

40.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.33 CA$7.53

69.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.41 CA$2.00

-20.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.70 CA$3.82

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.02 CA$4.27

7.95%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.98 CA$4.21

39.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.00 CA$18.38

-0.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$13.01 CA$18.39

8.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.80 CA$27.99

-18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.44 CA$6.28

-2.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.26 CA$1.78

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.19 CA$7.33

-13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.60 CA$9.34

-34.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.66 CA$5.17

-29.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.95 CA$5.58

-40.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.99 CA$4.22

-40.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.36 CA$1.93

63.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$15.66 CA$22.13

-36.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.09 CA$19.92

7.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.24 CA$5.99

-31.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.49 CA$4.93

-0.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.38 CA$1.94

7.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$49.42 CA$69.9

-15.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.57 CA$5.05

-23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.11 CA$1.57

49.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$32.27 CA$45.62

9.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 CA$1.50

-10.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.3K CA$38.6K

32.10%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.2K CA$29.9K

27.99%

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

$229 $229

$190 CA$269

20.26%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$48.41 CA$68.4

22.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$61.1 CA$86.4

14.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$43.19 CA$61.1

32.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$8.77 CA$12.40

86.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.46 CA$17.62

14.61%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$559 CA$790

169.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$66.3 CA$93.8

-20.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.33 CA$49.95

24.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$77.3 CA$109

9.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$85.2 CA$120

20.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$906 CA$1,281

110.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$965 CA$1,364

32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,591 CA$2,250

130.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,656 CA$2,340

53.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,598 CA$3,673

193.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,865 CA$2,636

69.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,042 CA$4,300

68.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.77

42.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Fort McMurray: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Fort McMurray

$965 43% 24.3% $309

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Fort McMurray

$416 18.6% 2.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Fort McMurray

$300 13.4% 16.3% $58

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Fort McMurray

$310 13.8% 12.4% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Fort McMurray

$119 5.3% 7.1% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Fort McMurray

$68 3% 20.6% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Fort McMurray

$64 2.9% 9.1% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $906 in Fort McMurray. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 68% 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 $56.0 in Fort McMurray. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $416, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Fort McMurray

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

20:42 8:42 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

66,573

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fort McMurray 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fort McMurray

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 Fort McMurray: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort McMurray wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fort McMurray the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 68% 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 $906 in Fort McMurray. 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 $2,242 in Fort McMurray – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Fort McMurray runs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,242 in Fort McMurray versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Fort McMurray but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Fort McMurray 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 Fort McMurray gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.