Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stratford, ON and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Stratford, ON: $1,958 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Stratford, ON
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Stratford, ON Living Index
130

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

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Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,958

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,958 in Stratford, ON versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Stratford, ON $1,958
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,116 in Stratford, ON versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Stratford, ON $3,116
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,273 in Stratford, ON versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Stratford, ON $4,273
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Stratford, ON costs roughly 26% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stratford, ON 45% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 CA$25.24

$20.77 $20.77

-14.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.34 CA$70.1

$84.6 $84.6

-41.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 CA$15.75

$12.32 $12.32

-10.06%

Cappuccino

$3.41 CA$4.85

$5.63 $5.63

-39.43%

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

$1.47 CA$2.08

$3.72 $3.72

-60.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$2.50 $2.50

-46.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 CA$5.80

$8.05 $8.05

-49.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 CA$6.38

$9.01 $9.01

-50.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 CA$2.96

$1.12 $1.12

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 CA$3.91

$3.75 $3.75

-26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 CA$5.32

$3.26 $3.26

14.72%

Eggs

$2.96 CA$4.20

$4.17 $4.17

-29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 CA$14.02

$12.90 $12.90

-23.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.08 CA$15.75

$14.16 $14.16

-21.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.37 CA$30.37

$16.22 $16.22

31.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.91

$4.33 $4.33

-20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CA$1.43

$1.46 $1.46

-30.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 CA$6.06

$4.51 $4.51

-5.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 CA$6.55

$4.34 $4.34

6.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.85

$2.58 $2.58

32.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CA$3.34

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 CA$3.48

$1.78 $1.78

37.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.11

$2.22 $2.22

-32.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.75 CA$15.27

$9.88 $9.88

8.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 CA$15.46

$15.08 $15.08

-27.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 CA$4.75

$2.92 $2.92

14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CA$4.31

$3.46 $3.46

-12.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 CA$3.07

$1.49 $1.49

44.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.18 CA$69.9

$41.72 $41.72

17.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 CA$3.43

$2.73 $2.73

-11.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 CA$2.55

$1.66 $1.66

7.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.03 CA$34.16

$35.30 $35.30

-31.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CA$1.51

$0.95 $0.95

12.63%

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

$27.9K CA$39.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

-22.72%

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

$19.9K CA$28.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-26.39%

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

$122 CA$174

$229 $229

-46.56%

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

$38.27 CA$54.4

$59.4 $59.4

-35.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 CA$45.13

$69.9 $69.9

-54.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.78 CA$60.8

$57.2 $57.2

-25.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.28 CA$27.41

$16.33 $16.33

18.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.33 CA$14.69

$14.28 $14.28

-27.66%

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

$795 CA$1,130

$1,506 $1,506

-47.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K CA$24.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-20.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 CA$87.8

$52.8 $52.8

17.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.21 CA$51.5

$43.82 $43.82

-17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 CA$121

$84.8 $84.8

0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$172

$103 $103

17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 CA$1,643

$1,907 $1,907

-39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$864 CA$1,229

$1,274 $1,274

-32.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 CA$2,958

$3,664 $3,664

-43.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,817 CA$2,583

$2,538 $2,538

-28.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,735 CA$5,309

$7,614 $7,614

-50.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,655 CA$3,773

$5,121 $5,121

-48.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

6.79

-26.51%

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

Last update for Stratford, ON: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stratford, ON

$864 44.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 47.4% $410

Groceries & Markets

Stratford, ON

$375 19.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 8% $30

Eating Out

Stratford, ON

$257 13.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 37.8% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stratford, ON

$192 9.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 86.2% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Stratford, ON

$137 7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 6.7% $9.1

Getting Around

Stratford, ON

$69 3.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 15.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Stratford, ON

$63 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 35.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,156 in Stratford, ON and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 93% 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: $49.00 in Stratford, ON vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $405 per month, with Stratford, ON cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Stratford, ON

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

23:18 11:18 PM

1 h behind Stratford, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,465

974,447

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Stratford, ON Austin, TX 2,080 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Stratford, ON
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

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

Stratford, ON wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Stratford, ON the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 93% 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: $1,156 in Stratford, ON 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 $1,958 per month in Stratford, ON versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Stratford, ON 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 $1,958 in Stratford, ON versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Stratford, ON but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Stratford, ON 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 Stratford, ON gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.