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Austin vs Calgary cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Austin
๐จ๐ฆ Calgary
At a glance
- Where Calgary is clearly cheaper: Street food (32%โ), Coffee (26%โ), Cocktail & wine (26%โ)
- Where Austin is clearly cheaper: Transit (57%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Calgary is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Austin 2 vs Calgary 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Austin | Calgary | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | C$ 25$18.4 | Calgary โ8% |
| Street food1 item | $ 13$13 | C$ 12$8.82 | Calgary โ32% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | C$ 55$40.4 | Calgary โ10% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | C$ 6$4.41 | Calgary โ26% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7$7 | C$ 9$6.62 | Calgary โ5% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | C$ 15$11 | Calgary โ26% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Calgary โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.5$2.5 | C$ 3$2.21 | Calgary โ12% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | C$ 17$12.5 | Calgary โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 9$9 | C$ 10$7.35 | Calgary โ18% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.25$1.25 | C$ 4$2.94 | Austin โ57% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | C$ 40$29.4 | Calgary โ16% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 150$150 | C$ 180$132 | Calgary โ12% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,300$1,300 | C$ 1,600$1,176 | Calgary โ10% |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | C$ 5.1$3.75 | Calgary โ25% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | C$ 35$25.7 | Calgary โ14% |
| Haircutcut | $ 33$33 | C$ 33$24.3 | Calgary โ26% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 90$90 | C$ 100$73.5 | Calgary โ18% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 65$65 | C$ 100$73.5 | Austin โ12% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 18$18 | C$ 25$18.4 | similar |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Austin or Calgary?
Calgary is 11% cheaper than Austin. Daily budget $310 vs $274; a month $5,431 vs $4,857.
Which is easier to travel, Austin or Calgary?
Calgary is easier: Calgary 1.4/5 vs Austin 1.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Austin and Calgary?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Austin is about $5,431 and Calgary about $4,857 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.