Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cotia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotia: $933 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Cotia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$933
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $933 in Cotia.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Cotia $933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,523 in Cotia.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Cotia $1,523

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,113 in Cotia.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Cotia $2,113

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 186% more expensive than in Cotia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Cotia is 31% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Cotia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$7.17 R$35.98
189.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$39.70 R$199
113.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$8.86 R$44.44
39.05%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.51 R$12.57
124.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.42 R$7.14
161.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.15 R$5.78
117.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.84 R$14.23
183.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$4.42 R$22.20
103.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Cotia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.19 R$5.99
-5.88%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.83 R$9.20
104.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.18 R$5.90
176.27%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.87 R$14.38
45.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$12.07 R$60.6
6.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$4.53 R$22.70
212.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$11.13 R$55.9
45.73%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.76 R$13.85
56.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.85 R$9.27
-21.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.61 R$8.08
180.12%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.90 R$9.55
128.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.36 R$6.82
89.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.24 R$6.24
89.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$0.96 R$4.80
85.42%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.80 R$4.01
177.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$2.82 R$14.16
250.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$8.83 R$44.29
70.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.67 R$8.36
74.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.49 R$12.49
38.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Cotia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.00 R$5.04
49.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$48.26 R$242
-13.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$1.28 R$6.41
113.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.98 R$4.94
69.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$9.67 R$48.54
265.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.30 R$6.52
-26.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$23.7K R$119.0K
52.02%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$34.4K R$172.4K
-21.21%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Cotia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$43.73 R$219
423.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$14.60 R$73.3
306.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$18.30 R$91.8
282.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Cotia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$27.03 R$136
111.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$30.53 R$153
-46.51%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$7.86 R$39.46
81.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Cotia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$438 R$2,197
243.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$7,677 R$38.5K
179.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Cotia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$55.4 R$278
-4.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$59.8 R$300
-26.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$95.1 R$477
-10.87%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$85.2 R$427
20.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Cotia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$351 R$1,761
443.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$244 R$1,225
421.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$661 R$3,319
454.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$469 R$2,353
441.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,462 R$7,333
420.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,315 R$6,600
140.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Cotia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
11.12
-38.94%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cotia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Cotia
$244 80.8% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Cotia
$230 43% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Cotia
$77 78.6% $282
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Cotia
$147 58.4% $207
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Cotia
$133 3.9% $5
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Cotia
$43 50.2% $43
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Cotia
$58 0.4% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $351 in Cotia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $40.00 in Cotia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $230 per month, with Cotia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇧🇷 Cotia
🕒 Local time
11:12 11:12 AM
13:12 1:12 PM
2 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
274,413
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Cotia 8,080 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Cotia

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 Cotia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Cotia?
Cotia wins on cost – living expenses run 186% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Cotia?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,399 in Cotia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Cotia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $351 in Cotia. 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 Cotia?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $933 in Cotia – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Cotia?
A monthly transit pass in Cotia runs roughly 16% 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 Cotia?
At $933 in Cotia versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotia but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cotia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Cotia?
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 Cotia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% 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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