Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cabo Frio

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $678 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
Learn more

Cabo Frio Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $678 in Cabo Frio.

Austin, TX $2,663
Cabo Frio $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,113 in Cabo Frio.

Austin, TX $4,133
Cabo Frio $1,113

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,548 in Cabo Frio.

Austin, TX $5,603
Cabo Frio $1,548

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 293% more expensive than in Cabo Frio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Cabo Frio is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.87 R$29.77

253.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$29.90 R$152

182.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.86 R$34.79

79.59%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.74 R$8.81

223.56%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.38 R$6.98

169.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.51 R$2.60

390.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.22 R$6.19

559.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.95 R$9.87

362.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.77 R$3.90

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.50 R$7.61

150.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.76 R$3.87

328.95%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.62 R$8.20

157.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.21 R$41.59

57.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.41 R$17.30

315.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.61 R$48.74

68.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.92 R$9.71

125.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.19 R$6.05

22.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.96 R$4.89

369.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.22 R$6.19

255.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.67 R$3.38

285.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.85 R$4.32

176.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.57 R$2.87

212.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.58 R$2.95

282.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.63 R$8.24

506.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.03 R$30.58

150.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.99 R$5.00

194.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.37 R$6.95

152.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.37 R$6.97

8.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$82.1 R$416

-49.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.28 R$6.51

113.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.80 R$4.07

107.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.23 R$41.74

328.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.23 R$6.22

-22.76%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.1K R$106.7K

71.22%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$31.0K R$157.2K

-12.67%

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

$229 $229

$58.6 R$297

290.50%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.84 R$39.76

657.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$13.82 R$70.0

405.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$21.66 R$110

164.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.92 R$24.95

190.24%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$148 R$748

920.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,691 R$13.6K

697.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$46.04 R$233

14.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$40.39 R$205

8.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$55.0 R$279

54.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$48.67 R$247

111.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$444 R$2,251

329.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$119 R$604

969.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$677 R$3,429

441.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$280 R$1,420

806.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$278 R$1,411

1739.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.67

-36.36%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cabo Frio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Cabo Frio

$119 17.6% 90.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Cabo Frio

$162 23.9% 59.9% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Cabo Frio

$80 11.9% 77.6% $278

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Cabo Frio

$106 15.6% 70.1% $248

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Cabo Frio

$86 12.6% 33.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Cabo Frio

$32 4.7% 63.3% $54

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Cabo Frio

$93 13.7% 58.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $444 in Cabo Frio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1739% 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 $30.00 in Cabo Frio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $162 per month, with Cabo Frio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🕒 Local time

03:40 3:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

222,161

💱 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, TX Cabo Frio 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cabo Frio wins on cost – living expenses run 293% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabo Frio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1739% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $444 in Cabo Frio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $678 in Cabo Frio – a 293% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cabo Frio runs roughly 97% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $678 in Cabo Frio versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cabo Frio but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cabo Frio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Cabo Frio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 293% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.