Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Markham: $2,416 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. The total is higher in Austin, TX despite lower rent and utilities.

Markham
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,416
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,416 in Markham versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Markham $2,416
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Markham versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Markham $3,465
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,514 in Markham versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Markham $4,514
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Markham costs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Markham 79% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Markham
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.37 CA$24.70
$20.77 $20.77
-16.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.4 CA$76.0
$84.6 $84.6
-36.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.47 CA$14.89
$12.32 $12.32
-15.02%
Cappuccino
$3.81 CA$5.42
$5.63 $5.63
-32.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 CA$2.42
$3.72 $3.72
-54.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17 CA$1.67
$2.50 $2.50
-53.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.59 CA$5.10
$8.05 $8.05
-55.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.62 CA$7.99
$9.01 $9.01
-37.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Markham
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.94 CA$2.76
$1.12 $1.12
73.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.22 CA$3.16
$3.75 $3.75
-40.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.90 CA$2.70
$3.26 $3.26
-41.72%
Eggs
$2.99 CA$4.25
$4.17 $4.17
-28.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$12.90 $12.90
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.70 CA$16.64
$14.16 $14.16
-17.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.81 CA$9.68
$16.22 $16.22
-58.01%
Apples (1kg)
$3.69 CA$5.25
$4.33 $4.33
-14.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 CA$1.80
$1.46 $1.46
-13.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.33 CA$3.31
$4.51 $4.51
-48.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 CA$4.63
$4.34 $4.34
-24.88%
Potato (1kg)
$2.05 CA$2.92
$2.58 $2.58
-20.54%
Onion (1kg)
$1.96 CA$2.79
$2.35 $2.35
-16.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.87 CA$4.08
$1.78 $1.78
61.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 CA$2.11
$2.22 $2.22
-33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.44 CA$19.11
$9.88 $9.88
36.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.53 CA$20.66
$15.08 $15.08
-3.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 CA$3.41
$2.92 $2.92
-17.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.19 CA$4.54
$3.46 $3.46
-7.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Markham
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.04 CA$4.32
$1.49 $1.49
104.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.3 CA$127
$41.72 $41.72
114.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 CA$4.71
$2.73 $2.73
21.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.66 $1.66
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.60 CA$26.44
$35.30 $35.30
-47.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 CA$1.61
$0.95 $0.95
18.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.1K CA$40.0K
$36.0K $36.0K
-22.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.1K CA$25.8K
$27.1K $27.1K
-33.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Markham
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 CA$178
$229 $229
-45.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.20 CA$37.26
$59.4 $59.4
-55.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.69 CA$65.0
$69.9 $69.9
-34.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Markham
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.62 CA$60.6
$57.2 $57.2
-25.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.28 CA$30.26
$16.33 $16.33
30.31%
Cinema Ticket
$10.19 CA$14.49
$14.28 $14.28
-28.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Markham
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$870 CA$1,237
$1,506 $1,506
-42.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.5K CA$39.0K
$21.5K $21.5K
27.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Markham
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.21 CA$61.4
$52.8 $52.8
-18.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.22 CA$52.9
$43.82 $43.82
-15.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.1 CA$130
$84.8 $84.8
7.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 CA$149
$103 $103
1.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Markham
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,554 CA$2,210
$1,907 $1,907
-18.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,391 CA$1,978
$1,274 $1,274
9.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,699 CA$3,838
$3,664 $3,664
-26.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,236 CA$3,179
$2,538 $2,538
-11.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,896 CA$8,382
$7,614 $7,614
-22.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,309 CA$7,549
$3,157 $3,157
68.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Markham
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,132 CA$4,453
$5,121 $5,121
-38.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.56
6.79
-32.84%

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

Last update for Markham: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Markham
$1.4K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 8.4% $117
Groceries & Markets
Markham
$279 *
Austin, TX
$405 45.2% $126
Eating Out
Markham
$257
Austin, TX
$354 37.8% $97
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Markham
$197
Austin, TX
$358 81.6% $161
Clothing & Footwear
Markham
$124
Austin, TX
$128 2.9% $3.6
Getting Around
Markham
$105 *
Austin, TX
$59 44% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Markham
$63
Austin, TX
$86 36.2% $23

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 $1,554 in Markham and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 63% 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: $53.0 in Markham vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $405 per month, with Markham cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Markham
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
18:22 6:22 PM
17:22 5:22 PM
1 h behind Markham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
338,503
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Markham Austin, TX 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Markham
  • 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
Markham vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Markham or Austin, TX?
Markham wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Markham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Markham or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 63% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Markham compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,554 in Markham versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Markham compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $2,416 per month in Markham versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Markham compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Markham runs roughly 114% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Markham or in Austin, TX?
At $2,416 in Markham versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Markham but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Markham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Markham or Austin, TX?
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.
How safe is Markham compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Markham and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Markham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Markham vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?