Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Williams Lake, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Williams Lake, BC: $2,019 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Williams Lake, BC
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Williams Lake, BC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Williams Lake, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,019

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,019 in Williams Lake, BC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Williams Lake, BC $2,019

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,916 in Williams Lake, BC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Williams Lake, BC $2,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,814 in Williams Lake, BC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Williams Lake, BC $3,814

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 34% more expensive than in Williams Lake, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Williams Lake, BC 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.93 CA$25.35

15.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$65.2 CA$92.1

29.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.44 CA$14.76

15.61%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.67 CA$5.20

49.32%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.05 CA$2.90

85.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.66 CA$2.35

48.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.59 CA$6.48

75.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.55 CA$7.84

60.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.36 CA$3.34

-52.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.50 CA$3.54

48.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.24 CA$4.58

4.01%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.44 CA$4.87

25.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.27 CA$14.52

27.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.37 CA$16.07

24.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.27 CA$21.59

6.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.80 CA$5.37

19.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.29 CA$1.82

13.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.61 CA$5.11

30.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.85 CA$5.44

7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.47 CA$3.49

4.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.27 CA$3.21

3.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.35 CA$3.32

-24.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.43 CA$2.02

49.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$13.95 CA$19.72

-27.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.48 CA$17.65

21.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.68 CA$3.79

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.51 CA$4.96

-1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.33 CA$3.29

-33.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$61.3 CA$86.7

-33.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.32 CA$4.70

-15.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.54 CA$2.18

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$23.03 CA$32.56

49.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.22 CA$1.72

-22.95%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.7K CA$37.8K

27.17%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$21.0K CA$29.7K

27.54%

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

$223 $223

$135 CA$190

65.43%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$32.15 CA$45.44

83.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$83.4 CA$118

-15.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.37 CA$58.5

39.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$19.29 CA$27.28

-14.31%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$10.78 CA$15.24

32.28%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$614 CA$868

146.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$14.5K CA$20.6K

43.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$52.9 CA$74.8

-3.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.15 CA$55.3

12.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$95.9 CA$136

-9.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$93.6 CA$132

11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$935 CA$1,322

107.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$876 CA$1,239

50.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,340 CA$1,895

173.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,257 CA$1,777

104.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,904 CA$5,520

88.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$3,349 CA$4,734

-6.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,103 CA$4,387

70.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.67

45.40%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Williams Lake, BC: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Williams Lake, BC

$876 43.4% 33.4% $440

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Williams Lake, BC

$353 17.5% 13% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Williams Lake, BC

$250 12.4% 29% $102

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Williams Lake, BC

$268 13.3% 23.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Williams Lake, BC

$127 6.3% 1.8% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Williams Lake, BC

$63 3.1% 27% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Williams Lake, BC

$82 4.1% 41% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $935 in Williams Lake, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 70% 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 $65.0 in Williams Lake, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $353 per month, with Williams Lake, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇦 Williams Lake, BC

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,753

💱 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 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 Williams Lake, BC 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Williams Lake, BC wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Williams Lake, BC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 70% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $935 in Williams Lake, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,019 in Williams Lake, BC – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Williams Lake, BC runs roughly 50% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,019 in Williams Lake, BC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Williams Lake, BC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Williams Lake, BC 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 Williams Lake, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.