Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Stratford, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Stratford, ON: $1,958 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Stratford, ON
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Stratford, ON Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Stratford, ON

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,958 in Stratford, ON.

Austin, TX $2,663
Stratford, ON $1,958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,116 in Stratford, ON.

Austin, TX $4,133
Stratford, ON $3,116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,273 in Stratford, ON.

Austin, TX $5,603
Stratford, ON $4,273

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 36% more expensive than in Stratford, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Stratford, ON 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.76 CA$25.24

16.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$49.34 CA$70.1

71.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.08 CA$15.75

11.19%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.41 CA$4.85

65.10%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.47 CA$2.08

153.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.33 CA$1.90

87.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.08 CA$5.80

97.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.49 CA$6.38

100.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.08 CA$2.96

-46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.75 CA$3.91

36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.74 CA$5.32

-12.83%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.96 CA$4.20

40.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.86 CA$14.02

30.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.08 CA$15.75

27.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$21.37 CA$30.37

-24.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.46 CA$4.91

25.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.01 CA$1.43

44.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.27 CA$6.06

5.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.61 CA$6.55

-5.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.41 CA$4.85

-24.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.35 CA$3.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.45 CA$3.48

-27.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.49 CA$2.11

48.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.75 CA$15.27

-8.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.88 CA$15.46

38.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.34 CA$4.75

-12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.03 CA$4.31

14.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.16 CA$3.07

-31.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$49.18 CA$69.9

-15.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.41 CA$3.43

13.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.79 CA$2.55

-7.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$24.03 CA$34.16

46.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.07 CA$1.51

-11.21%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.9K CA$39.6K

29.40%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$19.9K CA$28.3K

35.85%

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

$229 $229

$122 CA$174

87.13%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$38.27 CA$54.4

55.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$31.75 CA$45.13

120.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$42.78 CA$60.8

33.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.28 CA$27.41

-15.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.33 CA$14.69

38.24%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$795 CA$1,130

89.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$17.1K CA$24.3K

25.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$61.8 CA$87.8

-14.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$36.21 CA$51.5

21.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$85.4 CA$121

-0.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$121 CA$172

-15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,156 CA$1,643

65.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$864 CA$1,229

47.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,081 CA$2,958

76.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,817 CA$2,583

39.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,735 CA$5,309

103.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,655 CA$3,773

92.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.99

36.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Stratford, ON: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Stratford, ON

$864 44.1% 32.2% $410

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Stratford, ON

$375 19.1% 7.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Stratford, ON

$192 9.8% 46.3% $166

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Stratford, ON

$257 13.1% 27.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Stratford, ON

$137 7% 7.1% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Stratford, ON

$63 3.2% 26% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Stratford, ON

$69 3.5% 17.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,156 in Stratford, ON. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 93% 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 Stratford, ON for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $375 per month, with Stratford, ON cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Stratford, ON

🕒 Local time

22:19 10:19 PM

23:19 11:19 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

31,465

💱 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 Stratford, ON 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Stratford, ON

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 Stratford, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stratford, ON wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Stratford, ON the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 93% 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 $1,156 in Stratford, ON. 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 $1,958 in Stratford, ON – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Stratford, ON runs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,958 in Stratford, ON versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Stratford, ON but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Stratford, ON 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 Stratford, ON gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.