Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Nanaimo, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanaimo, BC: $2,349 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Nanaimo, BC
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Nanaimo, BC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Nanaimo, BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,349 in Nanaimo, BC.

Austin, TX $2,704
Nanaimo, BC $2,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,389 in Nanaimo, BC.

Austin, TX $4,133
Nanaimo, BC $3,389

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,429 in Nanaimo, BC.

Austin, TX $5,562
Nanaimo, BC $4,429

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than in Nanaimo, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Nanaimo, BC 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.51 CA$24.96

15.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$76.6 CA$109

11.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$11.37 CA$16.21

8.62%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.81 CA$5.43

43.57%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.21 CA$3.14

72.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.61 CA$2.30

55.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.46 CA$7.78

47.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.53 CA$7.88

62.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.62 CA$2.31

-30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.36 CA$4.79

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.06 CA$4.36

6.21%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.15 CA$5.92

-0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.23 CA$16.00

16.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$13.10 CA$18.68

9.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$16.74 CA$23.86

-4.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.64 CA$6.62

-5.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.28 CA$1.82

13.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.16 CA$5.92

9.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.82 CA$8.30

-28.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.72 CA$3.87

-3.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.84 CA$4.05

-16.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.84 CA$4.05

-38.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.28 CA$3.26

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$12.15 CA$17.32

-19.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$14.15 CA$20.17

4.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.72 CA$3.87

2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.67 CA$3.80

30.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.84 CA$2.62

-19.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$44.74 CA$63.8

-9.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.75 CA$3.93

-2.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.12 CA$3.02

-25.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$28.48 CA$40.59

23.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.31 CA$1.87

-24.43%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.8K CA$39.6K

28.85%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$19.3K CA$27.6K

40.58%

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

$219 $219

$151 CA$216

44.85%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$40.28 CA$57.4

43.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$63.9 CA$91.1

7.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$27.48 CA$39.17

110.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$18.61 CA$26.53

-20.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.94 CA$15.60

29.16%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$515 CA$734

192.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.9K CA$18.4K

66.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$48.90 CA$69.7

5.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$33.57 CA$47.86

31.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$98.9 CA$141

-13.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$107 CA$153

-1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,371 CA$1,954

40.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,123 CA$1,601

13.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,121 CA$3,023

73.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,699 CA$2,421

48.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,831 CA$5,461

98.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,462 CA$4,935

-7.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$3,148 CA$4,487

62.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.72

43.86%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Nanaimo, BC

$1.1K 48.8% 11.7% $149

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Nanaimo, BC

$405 17.6% 0.4% $1.7

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Nanaimo, BC

$274 11.9% 21.4% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Nanaimo, BC

$256 11.1% 26.1% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Nanaimo, BC

$130 5.6% 0.8% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Nanaimo, BC

$49 2.1% 42.7% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Nanaimo, BC

$65 2.8% 14.8% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,371 in Nanaimo, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 62% 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 $77.0 in Nanaimo, BC. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

01:15 1:15 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

90,504

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Nanaimo, BC 3,050 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Nanaimo, BC

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 Nanaimo, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanaimo, BC wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nanaimo, BC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 62% 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 $1,371 in Nanaimo, BC. 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 $2,349 in Nanaimo, BC – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nanaimo, BC runs roughly 10% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,349 in Nanaimo, BC versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nanaimo, BC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nanaimo, BC 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 Nanaimo, BC 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 Nanaimo, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.