Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort McMurray and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort McMurray: $2,242 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Fort McMurray
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Fort McMurray Living Index
130

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

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Fort McMurray

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,242

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,242 in Fort McMurray versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Fort McMurray $2,242
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,323 in Fort McMurray versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Fort McMurray $3,323
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,404 in Fort McMurray versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Fort McMurray $4,404
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Fort McMurray costs roughly 16% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort McMurray 66% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.90 CA$29.54

$20.77 $20.77

0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 CA$78.9

$84.6 $84.6

-34.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 CA$19.50

$12.32 $12.32

11.93%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.49

$5.63 $5.63

-31.08%

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

$2.37 CA$3.35

$3.72 $3.72

-36.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$2.50 $2.50

-39.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$8.05 $8.05

-28.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CA$7.53

$9.01 $9.01

-40.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$1.12 $1.12

25.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$3.75 $3.75

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.27

$3.26 $3.26

-7.36%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.21

$4.17 $4.17

-28.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 CA$18.38

$12.90 $12.90

0.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 CA$18.39

$14.16 $14.16

-8.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 CA$27.99

$16.22 $16.22

22.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.28

$4.33 $4.33

2.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.46 $1.46

-13.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 CA$7.33

$4.51 $4.51

15.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 CA$9.34

$4.34 $4.34

52.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.17

$2.58 $2.58

41.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$2.35 $2.35

68.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 CA$4.22

$1.78 $1.78

67.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$2.22 $2.22

-38.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.66 CA$22.13

$9.88 $9.88

58.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CA$19.92

$15.08 $15.08

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.24 CA$5.99

$2.92 $2.92

45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 CA$4.93

$3.46 $3.46

0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.49 $1.49

-7.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.42 CA$69.9

$41.72 $41.72

18.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$2.73 $2.73

30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CA$1.57

$1.66 $1.66

-33.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.27 CA$45.62

$35.30 $35.30

-8.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$0.95 $0.95

11.58%

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

$27.3K CA$38.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

-24.30%

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

$21.2K CA$29.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-21.87%

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

$190 CA$269

$229 $229

-16.84%

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

$48.41 CA$68.4

$59.4 $59.4

-18.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$86.4

$69.9 $69.9

-12.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.19 CA$61.1

$57.2 $57.2

-24.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 CA$12.40

$16.33 $16.33

-46.30%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 CA$17.62

$14.28 $14.28

-12.75%

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

$559 CA$790

$1,506 $1,506

-62.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 CA$93.8

$52.8 $52.8

25.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 CA$49.95

$43.82 $43.82

-19.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 CA$109

$84.8 $84.8

-8.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.2 CA$120

$103 $103

-17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 CA$1,281

$1,907 $1,907

-52.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 CA$1,364

$1,274 $1,274

-24.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 CA$2,250

$3,664 $3,664

-56.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 CA$2,340

$2,538 $2,538

-34.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 CA$3,673

$7,614 $7,614

-65.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 CA$2,636

$3,157 $3,157

-40.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,042 CA$4,300

$5,121 $5,121

-40.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

6.79

-29.75%

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

Last update for Fort McMurray: 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

Fort McMurray

$965 43%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 32.1% $309

Groceries & Markets

Fort McMurray

$416 18.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 2.7% $11

Eating Out

Fort McMurray

$310 13.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 14.2% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort McMurray

$300 13.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 19.5% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Fort McMurray

$119 5.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 7.7% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Fort McMurray

$68 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 25.9% $18

Getting Around

Fort McMurray

$64 2.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 8.4% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Fort McMurray and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 68% 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: $56.0 in Fort McMurray vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $416 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Fort McMurray

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

17:21 5:21 PM

1 h ahead of Fort McMurray

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,573

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

Fort McMurray Austin, TX 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Fort McMurray
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

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

Fort McMurray wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fort McMurray the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 68% 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: $906 in Fort McMurray 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 $2,242 per month in Fort McMurray versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Fort McMurray runs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,242 in Fort McMurray versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Fort McMurray but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Fort McMurray 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 Fort McMurray gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.