Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chaves

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaves: $1,064 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Chaves
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Chaves Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Chaves

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,064 in Chaves.

Austin, TX $2,698
Chaves $1,064

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,607 in Chaves.

Austin, TX $4,160
Chaves $1,607

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,150 in Chaves.

Austin, TX $5,622
Chaves $2,150

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 154% more expensive than in Chaves, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Chaves is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$7.99 €7.10

158.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.32 €19.86

278.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.78 €6.92

55.14%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.54 €1.37

255.84%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.49 €1.33

155.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.57 €0.51

333.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.28 €2.03

253.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.73 €2.43

225.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.02 €0.90

8.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.14 €1.01

226.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.13 €1.01

198.23%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.05 €2.71

41.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$6.23 €5.54

110.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.53 €5.81

116.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.26 €9.12

59.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.14 €1.01

299.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.15 €1.02

26.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.11 €0.98

324.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.10 €0.97

277.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.02 €1.80

27.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.13 €1.01

107.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.41 €1.26

25.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.79 €0.70

170.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$5.97 €5.31

69.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$4.03 €3.58

276.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.15 €1.02

145.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.15 €1.02

199.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.87 €0.77

77.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$27.67 €24.61

48.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.97 €3.53

-29.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.68 €0.61

135.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$19.78 €17.60

73.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.95 €1.73

-51.79%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$34.1K €30.4K

-0.42%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$37.6K €33.4K

-28.82%

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

$223 $223

$134 €119

66.63%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$17.81 €15.84

230.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$31.69 €28.19

122.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$25.25 €22.46

128.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$5.49 €4.88

201.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$7.14 €6.35

99.72%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$223 €199

576.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$3,620 €3,220

477.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$71.9 €63.9

-28.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$22.56 €20.07

95.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$63.0 €56.1

38.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$90.2 €80.3

15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$478 €425

306.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$378 €336

248.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$951 €846

285.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$736 €655

248.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,870 €1,663

293.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,472 €1,310

112.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$1,015 €903

420.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

126.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chaves: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Chaves

$378 35.5% 71.3% $938

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Chaves

$182 17.2% 55.1% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Chaves

$183 17.2% 48% $169

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Chaves

$131 12.3% 62.6% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Chaves

$111 10.5% 13.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Chaves

$40 3.7% 54.2% $47

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Chaves

$39 3.6% 33.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $478 in Chaves. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 421% 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 $22.00 in Chaves for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $182 per month, with Chaves cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇹 Chaves

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

12:38 12:38 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

37,592

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Austin, TX
Chaves

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 Chaves: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaves wins on cost – living expenses run 154% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chaves the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 421% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $478 in Chaves. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,064 in Chaves – a 154% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chaves runs roughly 48% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,064 in Chaves versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chaves but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chaves 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Chaves are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chaves gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.