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Edmonton vs Houston cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ฆ Edmonton
๐บ๐ธ Houston
At a glance
- Where Houston is clearly cheaper: Transit (55%โ), Laundry (36%โ), Street food (18%โ)
- Where Edmonton is clearly cheaper: Cocktail & wine (26%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (26%โ), Entry ticket (23%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Edmonton | Houston | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | C$ 23$16.9 | $ 14$14 | Houston โ17% |
| Street food1 item | C$ 15$11 | $ 9$9 | Houston โ18% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | C$ 50$36.8 | $ 36$36 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | C$ 5.6$4.12 | $ 5.2$5.2 | Edmonton โ21% |
| Beerone bottle | C$ 8$5.88 | $ 6.2$6.2 | Edmonton โ5% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | C$ 13$9.56 | $ 13$13 | Edmonton โ26% |
| Bottled water | C$ 2.3$1.69 | $ 2$2 | Edmonton โ15% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | C$ 3.1$2.28 | $ 2.7$2.7 | Edmonton โ16% |
| Taxi5 km in town | C$ 15$11 | $ 11$11 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | C$ 9$6.62 | $ 9$9 | Edmonton โ26% |
| Transitone ride | C$ 3.75$2.76 | $ 1.25$1.25 | Houston โ55% |
| Scooter rentalper day | C$ 45$33.1 | $ 35$35 | Edmonton โ5% |
| Hotel night3-star | C$ 160$118 | $ 150$150 | Edmonton โ22% |
| Studio rent (month) | C$ 1,400$1,029 | $ 1,200$1,200 | Edmonton โ14% |
| Laundry | C$ 7$5.15 | $ 3.3$3.3 | Houston โ36% |
| SIM card1 week data | C$ 35$25.7 | $ 22$22 | Houston โ15% |
| Haircutcut | C$ 27$19.9 | $ 25$25 | Edmonton โ21% |
| Massage1 hour | C$ 110$80.9 | $ 80$80 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | C$ 90$66.2 | $ 70$70 | Edmonton โ5% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | C$ 25$18.4 | $ 24$24 | Edmonton โ23% |
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, Edmonton or Houston?
Edmonton is 7% cheaper than Houston. Daily budget $246 vs $272; a month $4,342 vs $4,578.
Which is easier to travel, Edmonton or Houston?
About the same: Edmonton 1.6/5, Houston 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Edmonton and Houston?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Edmonton is about $4,342 and Houston about $4,578 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.