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Austin vs Montreal 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 Montreal
At a glance
- Where Montreal is clearly cheaper: Coffee (33%โ), Street food (32%โ), Haircut (29%โ)
- Where Austin is clearly cheaper: Transit (55%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Austin 2 vs Montreal 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Austin | Montreal | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | C$ 22$16.2 | Montreal โ19% |
| Street food1 item | $ 13$13 | C$ 12$8.82 | Montreal โ32% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | C$ 45$33.1 | Montreal โ26% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Montreal โ33% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7$7 | C$ 9$6.62 | Montreal โ5% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | C$ 20$14.7 | similar |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | C$ 2.3$1.69 | Montreal โ15% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.5$2.5 | C$ 2.8$2.06 | Montreal โ18% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | C$ 17$12.5 | Montreal โ17% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 9$9 | C$ 10$7.35 | Montreal โ18% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.25$1.25 | C$ 3.75$2.76 | Austin โ55% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | C$ 40$29.4 | Montreal โ16% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 150$150 | C$ 190$140 | Montreal โ7% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,300$1,300 | C$ 1,680$1,235 | similar |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | C$ 6$4.41 | Montreal โ12% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | C$ 35$25.7 | Montreal โ14% |
| Haircutcut | $ 33$33 | C$ 32$23.5 | Montreal โ29% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 90$90 | C$ 95$69.9 | Montreal โ22% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 65$65 | C$ 100$73.5 | Austin โ12% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 18$18 | C$ 24$17.6 | 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 Montreal?
Montreal is 13% cheaper than Austin. Daily budget $310 vs $266; a month $5,431 vs $4,773.
Which is easier to travel, Austin or Montreal?
About the same: Austin 1.8/5, Montreal 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Austin and Montreal?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Austin is about $5,431 and Montreal about $4,773 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.