Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Caruaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Caruaru: $665 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Caruaru
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Caruaru Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Caruaru

🇧🇷 Brazil

$665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $665 in Caruaru.

Austin, TX $2,704
Caruaru $665

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,106 in Caruaru.

Austin, TX $4,133
Caruaru $1,106

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,547 in Caruaru.

Austin, TX $5,562
Caruaru $1,547

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 306% more expensive than in Caruaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Caruaru is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.95 R$29.70

239.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$29.63 R$148

186.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$8.08 R$40.35

52.85%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.53 R$7.62

257.52%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.06 R$5.27

260.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.70 R$3.50

257.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.74 R$8.71

363.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.33 R$11.63

285.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.23 R$6.13

-8.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.12 R$5.62

237.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.38 R$6.88

135.51%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.09 R$10.43

98.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$4.54 R$22.65

188.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.07 R$25.31

182.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$7.68 R$38.34

107.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.38 R$6.89

217.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.02 R$5.07

42.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$0.86 R$4.27

427.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.13 R$5.63

270.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.64 R$8.20

60.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.24 R$6.19

90.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.76 R$3.78

131.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.89 R$4.45

142.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.05 R$15.23

221.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.83 R$39.10

87.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.53 R$7.66

81.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.44 R$12.18

42.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.93 R$4.62

60.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$26.88 R$134

50.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.22 R$6.09

118.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.94 R$9.69

-18.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.11 R$15.51

1034.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.29 R$6.46

-23.26%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$23.6K R$118.0K

51.45%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.1K R$165.1K

-17.82%

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

$219 $219

$56.4 R$282

288.64%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$8.13 R$40.58

613.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$9.96 R$49.73

586.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$14.85 R$74.1

289.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$30.39 R$152

-51.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.14 R$35.65

97.90%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$109 R$545

1281.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,766 R$33.8K

217.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$40.41 R$202

27.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$50.7 R$253

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$89.4 R$446

-4.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$66.1 R$330

59.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$164 R$820

1076.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$132 R$657

867.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$349 R$1,740

952.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$263 R$1,314

859.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$263 R$1,312

1842.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-38.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Caruaru: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Caruaru

$132 19.7% 89.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Caruaru

$171 25.5% 57.6% $232

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Caruaru

$111 16.5% 68.2% $237

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Caruaru

$75 11.1% 78.4% $271

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Caruaru

$111 16.6% 13.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Caruaru

$29 4.4% 66.2% $57

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Caruaru

$42 6.2% 27.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $164 in Caruaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1842% 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 Caruaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $171 per month, with Caruaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Caruaru

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

06:38 6:38 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

377,911

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Caruaru 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Caruaru

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 Caruaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caruaru wins on cost – living expenses run 306% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Caruaru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1842% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $164 in Caruaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $665 in Caruaru – a 306% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Caruaru runs roughly 51% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $665 in Caruaru versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Caruaru but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Caruaru 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 Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 306% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.