Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Thunder Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Thunder Bay: $2,179 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Thunder Bay
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Thunder Bay Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Thunder Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Thunder Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,179 in Thunder Bay.

Austin, TX $2,663
Thunder Bay $2,179

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,301 in Thunder Bay.

Austin, TX $4,133
Thunder Bay $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,423 in Thunder Bay.

Austin, TX $5,603
Thunder Bay $4,423

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 22% more expensive than in Thunder Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Thunder Bay 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.59 CA$24.87

18.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$60.1 CA$84.9

40.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.43 CA$17.57

-0.88%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.31 CA$4.68

70.09%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.86 CA$2.63

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.56 CA$2.20

60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.33 CA$7.53

51.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.98 CA$7.04

80.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.28 CA$3.23

-50.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.59 CA$3.67

44.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.33 CA$4.71

-2.10%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.58 CA$5.06

16.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$16.32 CA$23.08

-20.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$15.86 CA$22.42

-10.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.23 CA$22.94

-0.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.31 CA$4.68

30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.16 CA$1.64

25.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.91 CA$5.53

15.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.48 CA$4.92

24.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.48 CA$3.51

4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.12 CA$3.00

10.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.85 CA$4.03

-37.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.27 CA$3.22

-2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.55 CA$14.92

-6.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.93 CA$12.62

68.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.01 CA$2.85

45.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.01 CA$4.26

14.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.24 CA$3.17

-33.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$63.5 CA$89.7

-34.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.00 CA$7.07

-45.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.05 CA$2.90

-19.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$34.37 CA$48.58

2.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.18 CA$1.66

-19.49%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.3K CA$38.6K

31.96%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

43.21%

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

$229 $229

$160 CA$226

43.52%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$56.8 CA$80.3

4.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$80.8 CA$114

-13.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$28.63 CA$40.48

99.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.26 CA$24.41

-5.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.28 CA$24.43

-17.36%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$663 CA$937

127.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$77.0 CA$109

-31.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$34.56 CA$48.86

26.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$76.5 CA$108

10.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$131 CA$185

-21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,040 CA$1,471

83.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$925 CA$1,308

37.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,837 CA$2,597

99.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,675 CA$2,368

51.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,601 CA$3,677

96.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.58

48.25%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Thunder Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Thunder Bay

$925 42.5% 27.4% $349

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Thunder Bay

$394 18.1% 2.6% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Thunder Bay

$297 13.6% 17.1% $61

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Thunder Bay

$268 12.3% 24.3% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Thunder Bay

$143 6.6% 12% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Thunder Bay

$63 2.9% 26.3% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Thunder Bay

$88 4% 49.4% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,040 in Thunder Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 97% 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $394 per month, with Thunder Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Thunder Bay

🕒 Local time

11:48 11:48 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

107,909

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Thunder Bay 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Thunder Bay

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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thunder Bay wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Thunder Bay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 97% 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 $1,040 in Thunder Bay. 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 $2,179 in Thunder Bay – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Thunder Bay runs roughly 52% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,179 in Thunder Bay versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thunder Bay but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.