Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cold Lake and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cold Lake: $1,912 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Cold Lake
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Cold Lake Living Index
130

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

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Cold Lake

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,912

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cold Lake and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cold Lake and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,912 in Cold Lake versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Cold Lake $1,912
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,791 in Cold Lake versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cold Lake $2,791
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,670 in Cold Lake versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Cold Lake $3,670
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cold Lake costs roughly 28% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cold Lake 42% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 CA$28.21

$20.77 $20.77

-3.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 CA$81.2

$84.6 $84.6

-32.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.67 CA$13.68

$12.32 $12.32

-21.51%

Cappuccino

$3.82 CA$5.40

$5.63 $5.63

-32.15%

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

$2.26 CA$3.19

$3.72 $3.72

-39.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$2.50 $2.50

-43.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.87

$8.05 $8.05

-30.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 CA$8.68

$9.01 $9.01

-31.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.12 $1.12

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 CA$3.09

$3.75 $3.75

-41.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.06

$3.26 $3.26

-11.96%

Eggs

$3.07 CA$4.35

$4.17 $4.17

-26.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 CA$14.99

$12.90 $12.90

-17.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.16 CA$15.77

$14.16 $14.16

-21.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.77 CA$26.53

$16.22 $16.22

15.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 CA$4.94

$4.33 $4.33

-19.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.64

$1.46 $1.46

-20.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.97

$4.51 $4.51

-37.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.50

$4.34 $4.34

-42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.58 $2.58

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$2.35 $2.35

-54.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 CA$3.30

$1.78 $1.78

30.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.22 $2.22

-21.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 CA$16.88

$9.88 $9.88

20.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.41 CA$16.14

$15.08 $15.08

-24.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$2.92 $2.92

22.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 CA$4.03

$3.46 $3.46

-17.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 CA$4.13

$2.73 $2.73

6.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.66 $1.66

-16.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.67 CA$29.22

$35.30 $35.30

-41.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 CA$1.45

$0.95 $0.95

8.42%

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

$28.3K CA$40.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-21.60%

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

$19.4K CA$27.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-28.40%

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

$225 CA$318

$229 $229

-1.74%

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

$43.04 CA$60.8

$59.4 $59.4

-27.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 CA$76.7

$69.9 $69.9

-22.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$12.61 CA$17.82

$14.28 $14.28

-11.69%

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

$761 CA$1,075

$1,506 $1,506

-49.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,434 CA$13.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-56.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.35 CA$40.08

$52.8 $52.8

-46.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 CA$49.55

$43.82 $43.82

-20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.5 CA$72.8

$84.8 $84.8

-39.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.9 CA$121

$103 $103

-16.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 CA$1,216

$1,907 $1,907

-54.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$840 CA$1,188

$1,274 $1,274

-34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,544 CA$2,183

$3,664 $3,664

-57.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 CA$1,975

$2,538 $2,538

-44.95%

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)

$3,084 CA$4,359

$5,121 $5,121

-39.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.32

6.79

-36.38%

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

Last update for Cold Lake: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cold Lake

$840 44%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 51.6% $434

Groceries & Markets

Cold Lake

$335 17.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 21% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cold Lake

$322 16.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 11.2% $36

Eating Out

Cold Lake

$289 15.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 22.3% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Cold Lake

$90 4.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 41.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Cold Lake

$25 * 1.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 240% $61

Getting Around

Cold Lake

$9.8 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 497% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $860 in Cold Lake and $1,907 in Austin, TX. 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: $57.0 in Cold Lake vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $405 per month, with Cold Lake cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Cold Lake

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

16:59 4:59 PM

1 h ahead of Cold Lake

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,595

974,447

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cold Lake Austin, TX 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cold Lake
Austin, TX

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

Cold Lake vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cold Lake wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cold Lake the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $860 in Cold Lake versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $761 in Cold Lake versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cold Lake – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,912 in Cold Lake versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cold Lake but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cold Lake 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 Cold Lake gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.