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Austin vs Ottawa 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 Ottawa
At a glance
- Where Ottawa is clearly cheaper: Haircut (33%โ), Coffee (33%โ), Half-day tour (32%โ)
- Where Austin is clearly cheaper: Transit (59%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Ottawa is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.8). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Austin 2 vs Ottawa 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Austin | Ottawa | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | C$ 20$14.7 | Ottawa โ26% |
| Street food1 item | $ 13$13 | C$ 13$9.56 | Ottawa โ26% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | C$ 45$33.1 | Ottawa โ26% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Ottawa โ33% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7$7 | C$ 8.5$6.25 | Ottawa โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | C$ 17$12.5 | Ottawa โ17% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Ottawa โ8% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.5$2.5 | C$ 3$2.21 | Ottawa โ12% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | C$ 16$11.8 | Ottawa โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 9$9 | C$ 10$7.35 | Ottawa โ18% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.25$1.25 | C$ 4.1$3.01 | Austin โ59% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | C$ 50$36.8 | Austin โ5% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 150$150 | C$ 210$154 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,300$1,300 | C$ 1,960$1,441 | Austin โ10% |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | C$ 5$3.68 | Ottawa โ26% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | C$ 35$25.7 | Ottawa โ14% |
| Haircutcut | $ 33$33 | C$ 30$22.1 | Ottawa โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 90$90 | C$ 105$77.2 | Ottawa โ14% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 65$65 | C$ 60$44.1 | Ottawa โ32% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 18$18 | C$ 23$16.9 | Ottawa โ6% |
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 Ottawa?
Ottawa is 8% cheaper than Austin. Daily budget $310 vs $275; a month $5,431 vs $5,131.
Which is easier to travel, Austin or Ottawa?
Ottawa is easier: Ottawa 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 Ottawa?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Austin is about $5,431 and Ottawa about $5,131 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.