Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Barcelos

For one person, living is cheaper in Barcelos: $1,190 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Barcelos
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,190
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Barcelos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,190 in Barcelos.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Barcelos $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,885 in Barcelos.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Barcelos $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,579 in Barcelos.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Barcelos $2,579

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 124% more expensive than in Barcelos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Barcelos is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Barcelos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$11.09 €9.86
87.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$48.16 €42.84
75.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$8.85 €7.87
39.21%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$1.84 €1.63
205.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.93 €1.72
92.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.32 €1.18
89.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$3.37 €3.00
138.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.84 €2.52
217.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Barcelos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.11 €0.99
0.90%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.85 €1.65
102.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.79 €1.59
82.12%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.30 €2.94
26.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$11.93 €10.61
8.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$8.04 €7.15
76.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$14.83 €13.19
9.37%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.98 €1.76
118.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.37 €1.22
6.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.86 €1.65
142.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.52 €2.25
72.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.72 €1.53
50.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.84 €1.63
27.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.54 €1.37
15.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.97 €0.87
128.87%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$6.56 €5.84
50.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$4.58 €4.08
229.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.19 €1.05
145.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.20 €1.95
57.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Barcelos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.29 €2.03
-34.93%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$22.15 €19.70
88.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$4.27 €3.80
-36.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.43 €1.27
16.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$16.25 €14.46
117.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$2.15 €1.91
-55.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$33.2K €29.5K
8.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$37.8K €33.7K
-28.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Barcelos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$111 €98.8
106.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$17.73 €15.77
234.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$44.28 €39.39
57.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Barcelos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$38.52 €34.27
48.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$6.57 €5.84
148.55%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$9.12 €8.11
56.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Barcelos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$339 €302
343.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,374 €5,670
236.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Barcelos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$72.5 €64.5
-27.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$37.75 €33.58
16.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$78.7 €70.0
7.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$105 €93.4
-1.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Barcelos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$494 €439
286.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$357 €318
256.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$895 €796
309.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$696 €619
264.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$2,651 €2,358
187.16%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,510 €1,343
109.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Barcelos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$1,072 €954
377.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
3.7
83.51%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barcelos: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Barcelos
$357 72% $917
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Barcelos
$255 37% $150
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Barcelos
$173 51.7% $185
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Barcelos
$173 51.2% $181
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Barcelos
$132 3.4% $4.3
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Barcelos
$57 33.8% $29
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Barcelos
$43 27.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $494 in Barcelos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 378% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $48.00 in Barcelos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $255 per month, with Barcelos cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇵🇹 Barcelos
🕒 Local time
14:49 2:49 PM
20:49 8:49 PM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
116,766
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Barcelos 7,770 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Barcelos

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, TX vs Barcelos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Barcelos?
Barcelos wins on cost – living expenses run 124% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barcelos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Barcelos?
Average pay runs 378% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Barcelos?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $494 in Barcelos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Barcelos?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,190 in Barcelos – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Barcelos?
A monthly transit pass in Barcelos runs roughly 88% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Barcelos?
At $1,190 in Barcelos versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barcelos but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Barcelos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Barcelos?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Barcelos?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Barcelos are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Barcelos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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