Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Vancouver and in Austin, TX: $2,626 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
130

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

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Vancouver $2,626
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Vancouver $3,841
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Vancouver $5,056
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$20.77 $20.77

-17.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$84.6 $84.6

-18.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$12.32 $12.32

-13.88%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$5.63 $5.63

-31.97%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$3.72 $3.72

-45.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$2.50 $2.50

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$8.05 $8.05

-31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$9.01 $9.01

-31.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.12 $1.12

91.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$3.75 $3.75

-33.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$3.26 $3.26

37.73%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$4.17 $4.17

-1.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$12.90 $12.90

-9.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$14.16 $14.16

-7.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$16.22 $16.22

20.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$4.33 $4.33

-7.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.46 $1.46

-5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$4.51 $4.51

-13.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$4.34 $4.34

-8.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.58 $2.58

5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$2.35 $2.35

21.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.78 $1.78

38.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.22 $2.22

-29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$9.88 $9.88

56.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$15.08 $15.08

-8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.92 $2.92

-9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$3.46 $3.46

-16.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$1.49 $1.49

66.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$41.72 $41.72

98.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.73 $2.73

-0.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.66 $1.66

-4.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$35.30 $35.30

-12.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$0.95 $0.95

44.21%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-23.28%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-27.45%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$229 $229

-63.98%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$59.4 $59.4

-37.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$69.9 $69.9

-26.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$57.2 $57.2

-25.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

$16.33 $16.33

-24.07%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$14.28 $14.28

-15.06%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$1,506 $1,506

-26.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-7.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$52.8 $52.8

6.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$43.82 $43.82

-23.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$84.8 $84.8

10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$103 $103

-8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,907 $1,907

-6.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$1,274 $1,274

17.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$3,664 $3,664

-15.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$2,538 $2,538

-4.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$7,614 $7,614

5.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$3,157 $3,157

104.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$5,121 $5,121

-26.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.79

-36.97%

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

Last update for Vancouver: 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

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 14.9% $222

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 3.1% $12

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 31% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 109% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 2.5% $3.1

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 43.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 27.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 36% 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $405 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:54 1:54 PM

15:54 3:54 PM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Vancouver Austin, TX 3,000 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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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

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

Vancouver wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vancouver the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 36% 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: $1,775 in Vancouver 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 $2,626 per month in Vancouver versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Vancouver runs roughly 99% 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. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.