Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Smithers

For one person, living is cheaper in Smithers: $2,340 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Smithers
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Smithers Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Smithers

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,340 in Smithers.

Austin, TX $2,663
Smithers $2,340

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,213 in Smithers.

Austin, TX $4,133
Smithers $3,213

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,086 in Smithers.

Austin, TX $5,603
Smithers $4,086

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 14% more expensive than in Smithers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Smithers 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.65 CA$24.95

17.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$64.1 CA$90.7

31.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.80 CA$15.27

14.07%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.57 CA$5.05

57.70%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.97 CA$2.79

88.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.56 CA$2.21

60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.40 CA$7.63

49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.31 CA$7.51

69.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.06 CA$2.91

-45.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.52 CA$3.57

48.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.34 CA$4.72

-2.40%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.36 CA$4.75

24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.57 CA$13.54

34.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.02 CA$15.58

28.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.76 CA$20.87

9.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.77 CA$5.33

14.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.26 CA$1.78

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.56 CA$5.03

26.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.73 CA$5.27

16.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.41 CA$3.41

7.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.20 CA$3.11

6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.46 CA$3.47

-27.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.55 CA$2.20

43.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$12.79 CA$18.08

-22.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.64 CA$17.86

19.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.65 CA$3.75

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.66 CA$3.77

30.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.30 CA$3.26

-35.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$65.1 CA$92.0

-35.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.93 CA$4.15

-6.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.23 CA$1.73

34.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.08 CA$28.38

75.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.14 CA$1.61

-16.67%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$30.4K CA$43.0K

18.64%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$20.1K CA$28.4K

34.58%

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

$229 $229

$119 CA$168

92.83%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$36.58 CA$51.7

62.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$45.68 CA$64.6

53.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.18 CA$52.6

53.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.51 CA$26.17

-11.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.81 CA$15.28

32.10%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$642 CA$908

134.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.6K CA$16.4K

84.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$53.8 CA$76.0

-1.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.56 CA$54.5

13.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$85.7 CA$121

-1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$94.8 CA$134

8.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,240 CA$1,753

53.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,262 CA$1,784

0.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,967 CA$2,781

86.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,619 CA$2,288

56.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,672 CA$5,192

107.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,113 CA$4,400

1.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.66

45.71%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Smithers: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Smithers

$1.3K 53.9% 1% $12

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Smithers

$344 14.7% 15% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Smithers

$201 8.6% 43.9% $157

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Smithers

$268 11.5% 24.2% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Smithers

$123 5.3% 4.1% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Smithers

$59 2.5% 31.5% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Smithers

$83 3.6% 42% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,240 in Smithers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $64.0 in Smithers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $344 per month, with Smithers cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Smithers

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,400

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Smithers 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Smithers

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 Smithers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smithers wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Smithers the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,510 in Smithers to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,240 in Smithers. 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 $2,340 in Smithers – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Smithers runs roughly 56% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,340 in Smithers versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Smithers but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Smithers 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 Smithers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.