Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ottawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ottawa: $2,388 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,388 in Ottawa.

Austin, TX $2,704
Ottawa $2,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,474 in Ottawa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ottawa $3,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,559 in Ottawa.

Austin, TX $5,562
Ottawa $4,559

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Ottawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Ottawa 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$18.59 CA$26.44

8.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$77.0 CA$110

10.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.60 CA$15.08

16.51%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.94 CA$5.60

38.83%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.01 CA$2.86

90.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.78 CA$2.53

40.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.57 CA$7.92

44.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$6.19 CA$8.80

45.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.29 CA$3.26

-50.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.10 CA$4.41

21.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.21 CA$4.56

1.25%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.47 CA$4.94

19.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.47 CA$14.90

24.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$11.17 CA$15.88

28.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$17.68 CA$25.14

-9.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.76 CA$5.35

16.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.38 CA$1.97

5.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.77 CA$5.36

20.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.54 CA$5.04

18.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.65 CA$3.77

-0.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.41 CA$3.43

-2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.63 CA$3.75

-33.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.59 CA$2.27

35.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$14.49 CA$20.61

-32.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.80 CA$16.78

24.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.61 CA$3.71

6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.29 CA$4.68

5.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.77 CA$3.94

-46.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$93.9 CA$134

-56.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.72 CA$3.87

-1.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.51 CA$2.15

4.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$19.16 CA$27.26

84.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.20 CA$1.71

-17.50%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.8K CA$39.6K

28.66%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$21.1K CA$30.0K

29.01%

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

$219 $219

$136 CA$194

61.09%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$36.63 CA$52.1

58.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$50.4 CA$71.7

35.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$45.79 CA$65.1

26.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$27.77 CA$39.51

-46.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$12.82 CA$18.24

10.22%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$913 CA$1,298

65.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.1K CA$22.9K

33.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$61.2 CA$87.1

-15.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$38.63 CA$55.0

14.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$106 CA$151

-19.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$97.6 CA$139

7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,490 CA$2,119

29.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,206 CA$1,715

5.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,204 CA$3,135

66.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,836 CA$2,612

37.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$4,287 CA$6,098

77.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,457 CA$6,339

-28.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$3,712 CA$5,280

37.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.14

64.01%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.2% 5.2% $67

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Ottawa

$366 15.3% 9% $36

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Ottawa

$283 11.8% 18.6% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Ottawa

$223 9.3% 35.4% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Ottawa

$137 5.7% 6.1% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Ottawa

$71 3% 17.1% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Ottawa

$115 4.8% 102% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,490 in Ottawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% 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 Ottawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $366 per month, with Ottawa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🕒 Local time

01:34 1:34 AM

02:34 2:34 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,000,000 Capital

💱 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 →

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

From you

Austin, TX
Ottawa

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 Ottawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ottawa wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ottawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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 $1,490 in Ottawa. 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 $2,388 in Ottawa – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ottawa runs roughly 132% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Ottawa is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ottawa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,388 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ottawa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Ottawa 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 Ottawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.