Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Quebec City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quebec City: $1,893 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
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Quebec City Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Quebec City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,893 in Quebec City.

Austin, TX $2,704
Quebec City $1,893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,839 in Quebec City.

Austin, TX $4,133
Quebec City $2,839

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,785 in Quebec City.

Austin, TX $5,562
Quebec City $3,785

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 43% more expensive than in Quebec City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Quebec City 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$21.19 CA$30.14

-4.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$64.1 CA$91.1

32.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.97 CA$15.60

12.58%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.66 CA$5.21

49.45%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.07 CA$2.95

84.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.41 CA$2.01

77.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.58 CA$7.93

44.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.56 CA$7.91

61.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.12 CA$3.01

-46.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.85 CA$4.05

32.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.25 CA$6.04

-23.53%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.18 CA$4.52

30.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.87 CA$12.62

47.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.52 CA$14.96

36.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.39 CA$14.78

53.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.21 CA$5.99

4.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.59 CA$2.26

-8.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.70 CA$5.26

22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.91 CA$5.56

7.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.86 CA$4.06

-8.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.79 CA$3.97

-15.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.69 CA$3.83

-34.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.43 CA$2.03

51.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$14.87 CA$21.16

-34.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.16 CA$15.88

31.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.15 CA$4.48

-11.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.40 CA$4.84

2.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.77 CA$3.93

-46.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$69.6 CA$99.0

-41.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.90 CA$4.13

-7.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.48 CA$2.11

6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$34.24 CA$48.70

3.07%

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

$28.3K CA$40.2K

26.59%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$21.3K CA$30.3K

27.63%

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

$219 $219

$100 CA$143

118.77%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$31.82 CA$45.26

82.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$44.74 CA$63.6

52.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$34.56 CA$49.16

67.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$15.27 CA$21.72

-2.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.87 CA$15.46

29.99%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$685 CA$975

120.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,148 CA$13.0K

134.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$59.7 CA$84.9

-13.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$50.2 CA$71.4

-12.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$89.7 CA$128

-5.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$108 CA$153

-2.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,025 CA$1,458

88.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$774 CA$1,101

64.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,565 CA$2,226

134.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,278 CA$1,818

97.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$4,737 CA$6,737

60.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,731 CA$3,884

17.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$3,037 CA$4,320

68.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.44

52.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Quebec City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Quebec City

$774 41.2% 39.2% $499

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Quebec City

$342 18.2% 15.2% $61

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Quebec City

$299 16% 14% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Quebec City

$177 9.4% 48.9% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Quebec City

$138 7.4% 7.4% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Quebec City

$56 3% 34.7% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Quebec City

$91 4.9% 59.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,025 in Quebec City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 68% 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 $64.0 in Quebec City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $342 per month, with Quebec City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

530,168

💱 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 Quebec City 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Quebec City

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 Quebec City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quebec City wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quebec City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 68% 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 $1,025 in Quebec City. 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 $1,893 in Quebec City – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quebec City runs roughly 72% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,893 in Quebec City versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quebec City but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Quebec City 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 Quebec City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.