Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Courtenay and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Courtenay: $2,133 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
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Courtenay Living Index
130

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

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Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,133

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,133 in Courtenay versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Courtenay $2,133
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,026 in Courtenay versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Courtenay $3,026
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,919 in Courtenay versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Courtenay $3,919
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Courtenay costs roughly 20% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Courtenay 58% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.75 CA$19.44

$20.77 $20.77

-33.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.6 CA$80.0

$84.6 $84.6

-33.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 CA$14.20

$12.32 $12.32

-18.43%

Cappuccino

$3.46 CA$4.89

$5.63 $5.63

-38.54%

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

$2.02 CA$2.86

$3.72 $3.72

-45.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.32

$2.50 $2.50

-34.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 CA$8.06

$8.05 $8.05

-29.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 CA$8.43

$9.01 $9.01

-33.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 CA$3.21

$1.12 $1.12

102.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$3.75 $3.75

-45.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 CA$2.89

$3.26 $3.26

-37.42%

Eggs

$3.21 CA$4.54

$4.17 $4.17

-23.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 CA$13.94

$12.90 $12.90

-23.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 CA$12.80

$14.16 $14.16

-36.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.19 CA$27.12

$16.22 $16.22

18.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$4.33 $4.33

-27.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.87

$1.46 $1.46

-9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.29 CA$3.24

$4.51 $4.51

-49.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.26

$4.34 $4.34

-30.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 CA$3.58

$2.58 $2.58

-1.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 CA$2.96

$2.35 $2.35

-11.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 CA$2.77

$1.78 $1.78

10.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 CA$2.36

$2.22 $2.22

-24.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.19 CA$20.06

$9.88 $9.88

43.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 CA$14.78

$15.08 $15.08

-30.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.40

$2.92 $2.92

-17.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$3.46 $3.46

-27.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.49 $1.49

32.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.72 CA$60.4

$41.72 $41.72

2.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.78

$2.73 $2.73

-2.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 CA$1.96

$1.66 $1.66

-16.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.48 CA$24.72

$35.30 $35.30

-50.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.83

$0.95 $0.95

36.84%

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

$20.3K CA$28.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-43.72%

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

$17.9K CA$25.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-33.84%

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

$135 CA$190

$229 $229

-41.16%

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

$37.14 CA$52.5

$59.4 $59.4

-37.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 CA$90.0

$69.9 $69.9

-8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 CA$58.7

$57.2 $57.2

-27.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.86 CA$54.9

$16.33 $16.33

137.97%

Cinema Ticket

$10.57 CA$14.94

$14.28 $14.28

-25.98%

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

$1,761 CA$2,490

$1,506 $1,506

16.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K CA$16.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-44.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 CA$78.9

$52.8 $52.8

5.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.80 CA$61.9

$43.82 $43.82

-0.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 CA$107

$84.8 $84.8

-10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 CA$83.8

$103 $103

-42.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 CA$1,751

$1,907 $1,907

-35.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 CA$1,568

$1,274 $1,274

-12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 CA$2,841

$3,664 $3,664

-45.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,622 CA$2,293

$2,538 $2,538

-36.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,337 CA$7,545

$7,614 $7,614

-29.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,170 CA$4,482

$5,121 $5,121

-38.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

6.79

-28.28%

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

Last update for Courtenay: 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

Courtenay

$1.1K 52%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 14.9% $165

Groceries & Markets

Courtenay

$322 15.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 25.5% $82

Eating Out

Courtenay

$237 11.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 49.5% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Courtenay

$236 11.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 52.1% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Courtenay

$106 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 21.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Courtenay

$63 2.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 36.8% $23

Getting Around

Courtenay

$60 2.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 2.6% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,238 in Courtenay and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 62% 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 Courtenay vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $405 per month, with Courtenay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

12:06 12:06 PM

2 h ahead of Courtenay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,599

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 19, 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 19, 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

Courtenay Austin, TX 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Courtenay
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

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

Courtenay wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Courtenay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 62% 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: $1,238 in Courtenay versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,133 per month in Courtenay versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Courtenay runs roughly 2% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,133 in Courtenay versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Courtenay but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Courtenay 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 Courtenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.