Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chapeco

For one person, living is cheaper in Chapeco: $980 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Chapeco
🇧🇷 Brazil
$980
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $980 in Chapeco.

  • Austin, TX $2,698
  • Chapeco $980

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,454 in Chapeco.

  • Austin, TX $4,160
  • Chapeco $1,454

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,927 in Chapeco.

  • Austin, TX $5,622
  • Chapeco $1,927

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 175% more expensive than in Chapeco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Chapeco is 28% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Chapeco
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.63 $20.63
$5.53 R$28.05
273.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$35.46 R$180
138.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$8.92 R$45.20
35.31%
Cappuccino
$5.48 $5.48
$1.92 R$9.76
185.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 $3.80
$0.75 R$3.80
406.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.59 R$2.98
318.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$1.45 R$7.33
455.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.88 $8.88
$2.31 R$11.73
284.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Chapeco
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$0.90 R$4.56
23.33%
White Bread (500g)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.14 R$5.78
226.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.37 $3.37
$2.14 R$10.85
57.48%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$1.86 R$9.44
132.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$8.24 R$41.75
59.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.15 $14.15
$7.53 R$38.20
87.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$10.95 R$55.5
49.13%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$2.34 R$11.88
94.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$0.99 R$5.02
47.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$0.53 R$2.68
788.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$0.70 R$3.54
492.86%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.53 R$2.70
386.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.53 R$2.70
343.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$0.95 R$4.83
86.32%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$0.70 R$3.53
205.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.10 $10.10
$2.32 R$11.75
335.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$9.31 R$47.19
63.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$0.88 R$4.48
220.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$1.48 R$7.49
132.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Chapeco
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 $1.54
$0.97 R$4.94
58.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.99 $40.99
$36.44 R$185
12.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.28 R$6.50
118.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.34 $34.34
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.17 R$5.93
-19.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K $34.0K
$22.9K R$116.0K
48.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$30.5K R$154.6K
-12.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Chapeco
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$172 R$873
29.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$10.47 R$53.1
462.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$18.84 R$95.5
274.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Chapeco
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 $57.7
$26.24 R$133
119.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.53 $16.53
$33.45 R$170
-50.58%
Cinema Ticket
$14.26 $14.26
$6.68 R$33.86
113.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Chapeco
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,511 $1,511
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K $20.9K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Chapeco
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$26.98 R$137
90.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.17 $44.17
$18.26 R$92.6
141.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$36.87 R$187
135.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$53.6 R$272
94.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Chapeco
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,940 $1,940
$415 R$2,103
367.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 $1,316
$329 R$1,668
300.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$851 R$4,313
330.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,565 $2,565
$536 R$2,718
378.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,354 $7,354
$1,509 R$7,649
387.42%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,129 $3,129
$987 R$5,005
216.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Chapeco
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,286 $5,286
$414 R$2,097
1177.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
0
-

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Chapeco
$329 75% $987
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$406
Chapeco
$196 51.8% $210
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$352
Chapeco
$201 42.8% $151
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$350
Chapeco
$111 68.2% $239
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Chapeco
$61 52.7% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Chapeco
$40 54.1% $47
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$58
Chapeco
$42 * 28.1% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $415 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1178% 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 $35.00 in Chapeco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $196 per month, with Chapeco cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇧🇷 Chapeco
🕒 Local time
19:07 7:07 PM
21:07 9:07 PM
2 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
243,477
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Chapeco 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Chapeco

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 Chapeco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Chapeco?
Chapeco wins on cost – living expenses run 175% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapeco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Chapeco?
Average pay runs 1178% 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 Chapeco?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $415 in Chapeco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Chapeco?
Dining out is cheaper in Chapeco – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Chapeco?
A monthly transit pass in Chapeco runs roughly 12% 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 $1,000/month in Austin, TX or in Chapeco?
At $980 in Chapeco versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chapeco but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chapeco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Chapeco?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Chapeco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% 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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