Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Waterloo

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterloo: $2,248 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo
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Waterloo Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Waterloo

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,248

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,248 in Waterloo.

Austin, TX $2,704
Waterloo $2,248

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,262 in Waterloo.

Austin, TX $4,133
Waterloo $3,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,276 in Waterloo.

Austin, TX $5,562
Waterloo $4,276

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 20% more expensive than in Waterloo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Waterloo 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.76 CA$25.31

13.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$55.7 CA$79.3

52.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.93 CA$14.15

24.37%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.96 CA$4.21

84.80%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.92 CA$2.74

98.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.30 CA$1.86

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.11 CA$7.28

57.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.74 CA$8.18

56.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.00 CA$2.84

-43.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.31 CA$3.29

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.40 CA$3.42

35.42%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.82 CA$4.02

46.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.18 CA$15.94

16.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$15.25 CA$21.73

-6.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$16.01 CA$22.83

-0.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.53 CA$5.03

24.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.17 CA$1.67

23.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.47 CA$4.95

30.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.47 CA$4.95

20.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.36 CA$1.93

93.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.87 CA$2.66

26.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.65 CA$2.36

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.19 CA$1.70

81.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$12.75 CA$18.17

-23.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$9.81 CA$13.98

50.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.33 CA$3.33

19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.75 CA$3.92

26.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.57 CA$3.67

-42.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$69.5 CA$99.0

-41.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.39 CA$3.41

11.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.78 CA$2.54

-11.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$28.53 CA$40.67

23.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.20 CA$1.71

-17.50%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.6K CA$39.3K

29.76%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$18.8K CA$26.8K

44.50%

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

$219 $219

$140 CA$200

56.12%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$28.89 CA$41.18

100.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$45.13 CA$64.3

51.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$36.75 CA$52.4

57.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$19.38 CA$27.62

-23.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$11.56 CA$16.48

22.23%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$523 CA$746

188.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.2K CA$23.1K

32.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$54.4 CA$77.6

-5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$30.22 CA$43.07

45.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$73.7 CA$105

15.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$71.2 CA$102

47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,377 CA$1,963

40.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,152 CA$1,643

10.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,135 CA$3,043

71.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,846 CA$2,631

36.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,254 CA$7,489

44.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,789 CA$6,826

-33.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,904 CA$4,139

75.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.09

33.40%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Waterloo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Waterloo

$1.2K 51.9% 9.4% $120

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Waterloo

$343 15.5% 14.8% $60

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Waterloo

$257 11.6% 26.1% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Waterloo

$214 9.7% 37.9% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Waterloo

$103 4.7% 19.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Waterloo

$60 2.7% 30.5% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Waterloo

$91 4.1% 59.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,377 in Waterloo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 76% 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 $56.0 in Waterloo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $343 per month, with Waterloo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Waterloo

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

121,436

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Waterloo 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Waterloo

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 Waterloo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterloo wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Waterloo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 76% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,377 in Waterloo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,248 in Waterloo – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Waterloo runs roughly 71% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,248 in Waterloo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Waterloo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Waterloo 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 Waterloo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.