Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lethbridge, AB

For one person, living is cheaper in Lethbridge, AB: $2,118 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Lethbridge, AB
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Lethbridge, AB Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Lethbridge, AB

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lethbridge, AB

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,118 in Lethbridge, AB.

Austin, TX $2,663
Lethbridge, AB $2,118

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,113 in Lethbridge, AB.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lethbridge, AB $3,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,108 in Lethbridge, AB.

Austin, TX $5,603
Lethbridge, AB $4,108

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 26% more expensive than in Lethbridge, AB, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Lethbridge, AB 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$20.73 CA$29.31

0.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$67.8 CA$95.9

24.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.71 CA$16.56

5.21%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.15 CA$5.87

35.66%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.77 CA$2.50

110.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.05 CA$2.90

21.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.89 CA$6.91

64.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.68 CA$8.03

58.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.20 CA$3.11

-49.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.39 CA$3.39

56.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.32 CA$6.11

-24.54%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.32 CA$4.69

25.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.03 CA$14.18

28.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.16 CA$17.20

16.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.68 CA$17.93

27.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.37 CA$4.77

28.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.27 CA$1.79

14.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.71 CA$3.83

66.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.55 CA$6.44

-4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.55 CA$5.02

-27.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.09 CA$4.37

-23.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.12 CA$4.42

-42.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.73 CA$2.44

28.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.77 CA$16.64

-16.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.10 CA$19.94

6.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.07 CA$4.34

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.84 CA$5.43

-9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.14 CA$3.02

-30.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$68.6 CA$96.9

-39.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.47 CA$4.90

-21.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.82 CA$3.98

-41.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$42.23 CA$59.7

-16.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.12 CA$1.58

-15.18%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.4K CA$38.7K

31.72%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.9K CA$30.9K

23.91%

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

$229 $229

$275 CA$389

-16.79%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$50.4 CA$71.3

17.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$67.8 CA$95.9

3.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$43.76 CA$61.9

30.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.02 CA$19.82

16.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.74 CA$19.42

3.93%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$856 CA$1,211

75.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,569 CA$5,045

501.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$46.21 CA$65.3

14.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$50.6 CA$71.6

-13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$74.8 CA$106

13.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$114 CA$161

-9.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$972 CA$1,374

96.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$763 CA$1,079

66.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,415 CA$2,000

158.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,249 CA$1,766

103.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,489 CA$7,760

38.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,059 CA$2,911

53.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,907 CA$4,110

76.15%

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 Lethbridge, AB: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Lethbridge, AB

$763 36% 40.1% $511

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Lethbridge, AB

$365 17.2% 9.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Lethbridge, AB

$393 18.6% 9.8% $35

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Lethbridge, AB

$302 14.3% 14.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Lethbridge, AB

$129 6.1% 0.4% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lethbridge, AB

$71 3.4% 17% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Lethbridge, AB

$95 4.5% 61.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $972 in Lethbridge, AB. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 76% 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 $68.0 in Lethbridge, AB for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $365 per month, with Lethbridge, AB cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Lethbridge, AB

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

11:33 11:33 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

83,517

💱 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 Lethbridge, AB 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lethbridge, AB

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 Lethbridge, AB: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lethbridge, AB wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lethbridge, AB the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 76% 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 $972 in Lethbridge, AB. 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 $2,118 in Lethbridge, AB – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lethbridge, AB runs roughly 64% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,118 in Lethbridge, AB versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lethbridge, AB but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lethbridge, AB 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Lethbridge, AB are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lethbridge, AB gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.