Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Squamish, BC: $2,663 and $2,634 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
Learn more

Squamish, BC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Squamish, 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 Squamish, BC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,634 in Squamish, BC.

Austin, TX $2,663
Squamish, BC $2,634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,904 in Squamish, BC.

Austin, TX $4,133
Squamish, BC $3,904

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,175 in Squamish, BC.

Austin, TX $5,603
Squamish, BC $5,175

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 1% more expensive than in Squamish, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Squamish, BC 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.19 CA$23.01

28.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$48.77 CA$69.3

73.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.01 CA$14.22

23.08%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.94 CA$5.60

42.89%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.79 CA$2.54

107.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.47 CA$2.09

70.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.57 CA$7.91

44.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.63 CA$8.00

60.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.76 CA$2.49

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.10 CA$2.99

78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.46 CA$4.92

-5.78%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.08 CA$4.38

35.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.38 CA$17.60

4.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$14.93 CA$21.22

-5.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.16 CA$27.23

-15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.31 CA$7.54

-18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.16 CA$1.65

25.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.90 CA$6.97

-7.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.47 CA$4.93

25.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.16 CA$5.91

-37.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.47 CA$3.50

-4.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.46 CA$3.49

-27.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.86 CA$2.65

19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$14.86 CA$21.11

-33.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.58 CA$15.04

42.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.83 CA$4.03

3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.52 CA$5.00

-1.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.43 CA$2.03

4.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$29.87 CA$42.45

39.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.60 CA$5.12

-24.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.38 CA$1.96

20.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$24.89 CA$35.37

41.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.13 CA$1.61

-15.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$26.2K CA$37.2K

37.82%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.6K CA$26.4K

45.62%

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

$229 $229

$116 CA$166

96.63%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$42.93 CA$61.0

38.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$62.6 CA$88.9

11.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.0 CA$72.5

12.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.42 CA$16.23

25.04%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,084 CA$1,541

38.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,273 CA$11.8K

159.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$51.5 CA$73.1

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$40.42 CA$57.4

8.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$79.3 CA$113

6.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$94.9 CA$135

8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,565 CA$2,224

21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,517 CA$2,156

-16.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,188 CA$4,530

14.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,719 CA$3,864

-6.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,931 CA$8,429

28.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,077 CA$4,374

66.40%

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 Squamish, BC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 57.6% 19.1% $243

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Squamish, BC

$396 15.1% 2% $8.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Squamish, BC

$222 8.4% 38.1% $136

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Squamish, BC

$259 9.8% 26.8% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Squamish, BC

$120 4.5% 6.5% $8.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8% 13.9% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Squamish, BC

$46 1.8% 21.5% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,565 in Squamish, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 66% 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 $49.00 in Squamish, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $396 per month, with Squamish, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

17:34 5:34 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

19,512

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Squamish, BC 3,030 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Squamish, 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 Squamish, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Squamish, BC wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Squamish, BC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 66% 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 $1,565 in Squamish, BC. 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 $2,634 in Squamish, BC – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Squamish, BC runs roughly 40% 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 $2,000. Squamish, BC 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 Squamish, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.