Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Ottawa: $2,388 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index
129

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

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Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,388

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Ottawa versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Ottawa $2,388
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,474 in Ottawa versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Ottawa $3,474
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,559 in Ottawa versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Ottawa $4,559
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Ottawa costs roughly 12% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ottawa 78% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.59 CA$26.44

$20.22 $20.22

-8.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 CA$110

$85.0 $85.0

-9.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 CA$15.08

$12.35 $12.35

-14.17%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.60

$5.47 $5.47

-27.97%

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

$2.01 CA$2.86

$3.82 $3.82

-47.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.53

$2.50 $2.50

-28.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.92

$8.06 $8.06

-30.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 CA$8.80

$8.99 $8.99

-31.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.26

$1.13 $1.13

102.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CA$4.41

$3.78 $3.78

-17.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.56

$3.25 $3.25

-1.23%

Eggs

$3.47 CA$4.94

$4.14 $4.14

-16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 CA$14.90

$13.08 $13.08

-19.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.17 CA$15.88

$14.31 $14.31

-21.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 CA$25.14

$15.96 $15.96

10.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.35

$4.38 $4.38

-14.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.45 $1.45

-4.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.36

$4.54 $4.54

-16.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 CA$5.04

$4.19 $4.19

-15.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.77

$2.63 $2.63

0.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.43

$2.36 $2.36

2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.75

$1.76 $1.76

49.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.27

$2.16 $2.16

-26.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.49 CA$20.61

$9.81 $9.81

47.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 CA$16.78

$14.72 $14.72

-19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.71

$2.78 $2.78

-6.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 CA$4.68

$3.48 $3.48

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 CA$3.94

$1.49 $1.49

85.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 CA$134

$40.51 $40.51

131.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.87

$2.67 $2.67

1.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 CA$2.15

$1.58 $1.58

-4.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.16 CA$27.26

$35.29 $35.29

-45.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.71

$0.99 $0.99

21.21%

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

$27.8K CA$39.6K

$35.8K $35.8K

-22.28%

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

$21.1K CA$30.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

-22.49%

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

$136 CA$194

$219 $219

-37.92%

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

$36.63 CA$52.1

$58.0 $58.0

-36.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 CA$71.7

$68.4 $68.4

-26.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 CA$65.1

$57.9 $57.9

-20.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.77 CA$39.51

$14.82 $14.82

87.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 CA$18.24

$14.13 $14.13

-9.27%

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

$913 CA$1,298

$1,509 $1,509

-39.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$22.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

-24.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 CA$87.1

$51.7 $51.7

18.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.63 CA$55.0

$44.05 $44.05

-12.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 CA$151

$85.1 $85.1

24.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.6 CA$139

$105 $105

-7.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 CA$2,119

$1,932 $1,932

-22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 CA$1,715

$1,272 $1,272

-5.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,204 CA$3,135

$3,670 $3,670

-39.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 CA$2,612

$2,525 $2,525

-27.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,287 CA$6,098

$7,617 $7,617

-43.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,457 CA$6,339

$3,199 $3,199

39.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,712 CA$5,280

$5,105 $5,105

-27.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

6.79

-39.03%

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

Last update for Ottawa: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 5.5% $67

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa

$366 15.3%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 9.9% $36

Eating Out

Ottawa

$283 11.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 22.9% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa

$223 9.3%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 54.9% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa

$137 5.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 5.7% $7.8

Getting Around

Ottawa

$115 4.8%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 50.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa

$71 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 20.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,490 in Ottawa and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% 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: $77.0 in Ottawa vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $403 per month, with Ottawa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:17 3:17 AM

02:17 2:17 AM

1 h behind Ottawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,000,000 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Ottawa Austin, TX 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ottawa
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

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

Ottawa wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ottawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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: $1,490 in Ottawa versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,388 per month in Ottawa versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ottawa runs roughly 132% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Ottawa is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ottawa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,388 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ottawa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ottawa 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.

Expats usually find Ottawa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.