Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Gatineau

For one person, living is cheaper in Gatineau: $2,003 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Gatineau
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Gatineau Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Gatineau

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,003 in Gatineau.

Austin, TX $2,704
Gatineau $2,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,048 in Gatineau.

Austin, TX $4,133
Gatineau $3,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,093 in Gatineau.

Austin, TX $5,562
Gatineau $4,093

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 35% more expensive than in Gatineau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Gatineau 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$12.79 CA$18.24

58.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$83.7 CA$119

1.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.56 CA$15.06

16.95%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.18 CA$4.53

72.01%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.34 CA$1.91

185.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.30 CA$1.85

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.29 CA$6.12

87.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$6.28 CA$8.95

43.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.89 CA$2.70

-40.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.97 CA$4.23

27.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$5.25 CA$7.49

-38.10%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.18 CA$4.53

30.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.46 CA$16.33

14.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.63 CA$13.73

48.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.85 CA$15.47

47.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.99 CA$5.69

9.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.84 CA$2.63

-21.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.67 CA$6.66

-2.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.57 CA$6.51

-8.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.17 CA$3.09

21.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.48 CA$3.53

-4.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.11 CA$3.01

-16.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.71 CA$3.87

-20.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$11.99 CA$17.09

-18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.36 CA$17.61

19.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.84 CA$4.05

-2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.30 CA$4.70

5.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.15 CA$4.49

-52.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$78.1 CA$111

-48.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.82 CA$6.87

-44.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.24 CA$3.19

-29.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$31.68 CA$45.16

11.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.25 CA$1.78

-20.80%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.3K CA$38.9K

31.25%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$18.3K CA$26.1K

48.35%

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

$219 $219

$113 CA$161

94.49%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$36.42 CA$51.9

59.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$48.35 CA$68.9

41.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$45.79 CA$65.3

26.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$28.95 CA$41.26

-48.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.72 CA$15.28

31.81%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$538 CA$767

180.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$135.9K CA$193.7K

-84.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$69.2 CA$98.7

-25.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$42.94 CA$61.2

2.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$86.4 CA$123

-1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$116 CA$166

-9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,090 CA$1,554

77.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$949 CA$1,352

34.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,789 CA$2,550

105.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,476 CA$2,103

71.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,125 CA$7,306

48.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$6,057 CA$8,634

-47.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,559 CA$3,648

99.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.64

46.34%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Gatineau: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Gatineau

$949 46.4% 25.4% $324

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Gatineau

$368 18% 8.7% $35

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Gatineau

$217 10.6% 37.7% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Gatineau

$198 9.7% 42.9% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Gatineau

$142 6.9% 10.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Gatineau

$67 3.3% 22% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Gatineau

$107 5.2% 87.2% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,090 in Gatineau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 99% 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 $84.0 in Gatineau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $368 per month, with Gatineau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Gatineau

🕒 Local time

07:12 7:12 AM

08:12 8:12 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

291,041

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Gatineau 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Gatineau

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 Gatineau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gatineau wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gatineau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 99% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,090 in Gatineau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,003 in Gatineau – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gatineau runs roughly 93% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,003 in Gatineau versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gatineau but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gatineau 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 Gatineau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.