Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $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 Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Montreal 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 Montreal.

Austin, TX $2,704
Montreal $2,003

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

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,092 in Montreal.

Austin, TX $5,562
Montreal $4,092

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$19.31 CA$27.46

4.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$75.5 CA$107

12.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.63 CA$15.11

16.18%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.93 CA$5.58

39.19%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.92 CA$2.73

98.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.48 CA$2.11

68.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$6.30 CA$8.96

27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$7.19 CA$10.22

25.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.22 CA$3.16

-49.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.06 CA$4.35

23.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.94 CA$4.18

10.54%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.53 CA$5.02

17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$13.19 CA$18.76

-0.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$11.24 CA$15.98

27.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.81 CA$19.65

15.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.40 CA$4.84

28.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.44 CA$2.05

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.26 CA$4.64

39.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.88 CA$4.09

45.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.86 CA$2.64

41.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.82 CA$2.60

29.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.43 CA$3.45

-27.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.52 CA$2.17

42.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$11.45 CA$16.29

-14.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.36 CA$14.73

42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.22 CA$3.15

25.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.82 CA$4.01

23.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.58 CA$3.66

-42.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$76.9 CA$109

-47.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.25 CA$4.63

-17.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.48 CA$2.11

6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$33.04 CA$46.99

6.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.36 CA$1.93

-27.21%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.4K CA$39.0K

30.54%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$20.0K CA$28.4K

36.04%

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

$219 $219

$76.1 CA$108

188.06%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$34.68 CA$49.32

67.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$42.69 CA$60.7

60.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$28.94 CA$41.17

100.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$20.33 CA$28.91

-27.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$11.21 CA$15.94

26.05%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$505 CA$718

198.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.0K CA$22.8K

34.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$58.5 CA$83.2

-11.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$38.00 CA$54.1

15.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$92.7 CA$132

-8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$106 CA$150

-0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,240 CA$1,764

55.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$986 CA$1,402

29.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,102 CA$2,990

74.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,615 CA$2,297

56.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,043 CA$7,173

51.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,830 CA$5,447

-16.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,920 CA$4,154

74.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.46

52.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 22.5% $286

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 14.7% $59

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 15.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 55.6% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 3.1% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 40.4% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 71.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,240 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 75% 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 $75.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $344 per month, with Montreal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,762,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Montreal 2,700 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Montreal

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 Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montreal 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 Montreal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 75% 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 $1,240 in Montreal. 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 Montreal – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Montreal runs roughly 90% 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 Montreal versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Montreal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Montreal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Montreal 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 Montreal 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.