Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Quebec City: $1,893 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
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Quebec City Living Index
129

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

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Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,893

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,893 in Quebec City versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Quebec City $1,893
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,839 in Quebec City versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Quebec City $2,839
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,785 in Quebec City versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Quebec City $3,785
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Quebec City costs roughly 30% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Quebec City 41% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.19 CA$30.14

$20.22 $20.22

4.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 CA$91.1

$85.0 $85.0

-24.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 CA$15.60

$12.35 $12.35

-11.17%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.21

$5.47 $5.47

-33.09%

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

$2.07 CA$2.95

$3.82 $3.82

-45.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$2.01

$2.50 $2.50

-43.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 CA$7.93

$8.06 $8.06

-30.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.91

$8.99 $8.99

-38.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$3.01

$1.13 $1.13

87.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 CA$4.05

$3.78 $3.78

-24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 CA$6.04

$3.25 $3.25

30.77%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.52

$4.14 $4.14

-23.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 CA$12.62

$13.08 $13.08

-32.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 CA$14.96

$14.31 $14.31

-26.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 CA$14.78

$15.96 $15.96

-34.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.99

$4.38 $4.38

-3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.26

$1.45 $1.45

9.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.26

$4.54 $4.54

-18.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.56

$4.19 $4.19

-6.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.06

$2.63 $2.63

8.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.97

$2.36 $2.36

18.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$1.76 $1.76

52.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$2.03

$2.16 $2.16

-33.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.87 CA$21.16

$9.81 $9.81

51.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 CA$15.88

$14.72 $14.72

-24.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.48

$2.78 $2.78

13.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$3.48 $3.48

-2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 CA$3.93

$1.49 $1.49

85.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 CA$99.0

$40.51 $40.51

71.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$2.67 $2.67

8.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.58 $1.58

-6.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.24 CA$48.70

$35.29 $35.29

-2.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.78

$0.99 $0.99

26.26%

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

$28.3K CA$40.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

-21.00%

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

$21.3K CA$30.3K

$27.2K $27.2K

-21.65%

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

$100 CA$143

$219 $219

-54.29%

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

$31.82 CA$45.26

$58.0 $58.0

-45.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.74 CA$63.6

$68.4 $68.4

-34.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.56 CA$49.16

$57.9 $57.9

-40.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 CA$21.72

$14.82 $14.82

3.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 CA$15.46

$14.13 $14.13

-23.07%

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

$685 CA$975

$1,509 $1,509

-54.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,148 CA$13.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-57.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 CA$84.9

$51.7 $51.7

15.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 CA$71.4

$44.05 $44.05

13.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 CA$128

$85.1 $85.1

5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$153

$105 $105

2.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 CA$1,458

$1,932 $1,932

-46.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 CA$1,101

$1,272 $1,272

-39.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 CA$2,226

$3,670 $3,670

-57.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 CA$1,818

$2,525 $2,525

-49.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,737 CA$6,737

$7,617 $7,617

-37.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,731 CA$3,884

$3,199 $3,199

-14.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,037 CA$4,320

$5,105 $5,105

-40.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

6.79

-34.61%

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

Last update for Quebec City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quebec City

$774 41.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 64.4% $499

Groceries & Markets

Quebec City

$342 18.2%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 18% $61

Eating Out

Quebec City

$299 16%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 16.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quebec City

$177 9.4%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 95.5% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Quebec City

$138 7.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 6.9% $9.5

Getting Around

Quebec City

$91 4.9%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 37.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Quebec City

$56 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 53% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Quebec City and $1,932 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: $64.0 in Quebec City vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $403 per month, with Quebec City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

22:51 10:51 PM

1 h behind Quebec City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

530,168

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

Quebec City Austin, TX 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Quebec City
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

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

Quebec City wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quebec City 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: $1,025 in Quebec City 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 $1,893 per month in Quebec City versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quebec City runs roughly 72% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,893 in Quebec City versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quebec City but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Quebec City 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 Quebec City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.