Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Saanich

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Saanich: $2,663 and $2,548 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Saanich
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Saanich Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Saanich

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,548 in Saanich.

Austin, TX $2,663
Saanich $2,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,593 in Saanich.

Austin, TX $4,133
Saanich $3,593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,638 in Saanich.

Austin, TX $5,603
Saanich $4,638

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 5% more expensive than in Saanich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Saanich 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.52 CA$24.77

18.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$70.4 CA$99.6

20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.02 CA$15.58

11.80%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.38 CA$6.19

28.54%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.20 CA$3.11

69.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.77 CA$2.51

41.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.52 CA$7.80

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.82 CA$9.65

32.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.97 CA$2.79

-43.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.04 CA$4.30

23.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.97 CA$4.19

9.76%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.18 CA$5.90

-0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.35 CA$16.05

13.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.78 CA$18.07

10.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.94 CA$23.94

-4.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.53 CA$6.41

-4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.41 CA$2.00

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.18 CA$5.91

7.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.67 CA$8.02

-23.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.50 CA$4.95

-26.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.89 CA$4.08

-18.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.17 CA$4.48

-43.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.17 CA$3.06

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$13.81 CA$19.52

-28.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.12 CA$21.37

-0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.69 CA$3.80

8.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.48 CA$4.92

-0.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.31 CA$3.27

-35.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$78.5 CA$111

-46.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.78 CA$3.93

-1.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.54 CA$2.17

7.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$27.67 CA$39.12

27.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.38 CA$1.95

-31.16%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.4K CA$38.7K

31.57%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$19.2K CA$27.1K

41.15%

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

$229 $229

$120 CA$170

90.40%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$40.21 CA$56.9

47.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$65.8 CA$93.0

6.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$68.6 CA$96.9

-16.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.39 CA$16.10

25.37%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$905 CA$1,280

66.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.9K CA$18.2K

66.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.2 CA$73.8

1.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.03 CA$49.53

25.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$90.0 CA$127

-5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$107 CA$151

-3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,413 CA$1,998

34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,311 CA$1,854

-2.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,005 CA$2,834

82.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,844 CA$2,606

37.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,748 CA$5,298

-15.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,951 CA$4,173

73.50%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Saanich: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Saanich

$1.3K 51.5% 2.9% $37

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Saanich

$409 16.1% 1.2% $4.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Saanich

$226 8.9% 36.8% $132

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Saanich

$283 11.1% 20% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Saanich

$128 5% 0% $0

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Saanich

$91 3.6% 6.5% $5.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Saanich

$98 3.9% 67.4% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,413 in Saanich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 73% 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 $70.0 in Saanich. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $409, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Saanich

🕒 Local time

13:57 1:57 PM

11:57 11:57 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

117,735

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Saanich 2,960 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Saanich

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 Saanich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saanich wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saanich the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% 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 $1,413 in Saanich. 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 $2,548 in Saanich – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Saanich runs roughly 88% 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 $2,500. Saanich is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Saanich gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.