Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, MN and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,462 in Austin, MN, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Austin, MN
Learn more

Austin, MN Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,462

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, MN and in Sao Paulo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, MN and in Sao Paulo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,462 per month in Austin, MN vs $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Austin, MN $2,462
Sao Paulo $1,235

A couple spends around $3,691 per month in Austin, MN vs $2,073 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Austin, MN $3,691
Sao Paulo $2,073

A family of three spends $4,921 per month in Austin, MN vs $2,911 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Austin, MN $4,921
Sao Paulo $2,911

Austin, MN costs about 99% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Austin, MN sits 82% above the global median, while Sao Paulo is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$8.81 R$44.68

127.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.6 $99.6

$49.37 R$250

101.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$8.80 R$44.63

38.86%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$2.49 R$12.63

102.41%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$1.42 R$7.19

107.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.85 R$4.31

134.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.98 R$15.11

71.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.34 R$22.02

33.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.24 R$6.28

-33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.91 R$9.66

50.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.43 R$7.25

33.57%

Eggs

$2.66 $2.66

$2.81 R$14.23

-5.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$12.74 R$64.6

-24.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$5.41 R$27.44

19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 $19.15

$10.64 R$54.0

79.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.75 R$13.95

88.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.81 R$9.19

-31.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.63 R$8.27

120.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.00 R$10.16

-13.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.40 R$7.10

82.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.27 R$6.43

75.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.28 R$6.47

17.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.95 R$4.83

108.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.71 $8.71

$2.99 R$15.15

191.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$9.96 R$50.5

-69.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.85 R$9.37

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.54 R$12.90

18.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.09 R$5.50

79.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.85 R$9.39

9.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.99 R$4.99

28.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.06 $20.06

$10.29 R$52.2

94.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.34 R$6.78

-29.10%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$24.4K R$123.8K

45.19%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-27.91%

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

$187 $187

$104 R$529

78.67%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$16.71 R$84.7

212.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.3 $79.3

$22.18 R$112

257.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.93 $35.93

$35.82 R$182

0.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$15.30 $15.30

$10.06 R$51.0

52.09%

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

$1,361 $1,361

$579 R$2,936

135.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K $11.6K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-31.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.5 $77.5

$65.7 R$333

17.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 $54.0

$61.0 R$309

-11.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$100 R$509

1.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$92.1 R$467

78.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 $1,433

$659 R$3,341

117.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$428 R$2,170

197.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,528 $2,528

$1,515 R$7,678

66.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,157 $2,157

$1,026 R$5,201

110.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,481 $2,481

$2,773 R$14.1K

-10.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,593 $2,593

$2,007 R$10.2K

29.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.68

-43.75%

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

Last update for Austin, MN: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, MN

$1.3K 51.8%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 66.4% $846

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, MN

$318 12.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 54.9% $175

Eating Out

Austin, MN

$314 12.8%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 49.3% $155

Groceries & Markets

Austin, MN

$293 11.9%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 16.8% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, MN

$179 7.3%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 19.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, MN

$67 2.7%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 15.9% $11

Getting Around

Austin, MN

$16 * 0.7%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 270% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,433 in Austin, MN versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Austin, MN versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $244 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, MN

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

15:24 3:24 PM

17:24 5:24 PM

2 h ahead of Austin, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

11,451,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, MN Sao Paulo 8,840 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, MN
Sao Paulo

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

Austin, MN vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, MN is pricier by about 99%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,692 per month in Austin, MN and $1,852 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Paulo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,462 in Austin, MN and $1,235 in Sao Paulo. That's a gap of about 99%.

Kindergarten costs $1,361 per month in Austin, MN and $579 in Sao Paulo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Austin, MN at $2,462. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, MN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Paulo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.