Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Joao Pessoa

For one person, living is cheaper in Joao Pessoa: $1,059 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 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 Joao Pessoa
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Joao Pessoa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Joao Pessoa

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Joao Pessoa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,059 in Joao Pessoa.

Austin, TX $2,704
Joao Pessoa $1,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,635 in Joao Pessoa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Joao Pessoa $1,635

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,210 in Joao Pessoa.

Austin, TX $5,562
Joao Pessoa $2,210

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 155% more expensive than in Joao Pessoa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Joao Pessoa is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$7.18 R$35.82

181.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$29.50 R$147

188.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.99 R$39.91

54.57%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.60 R$7.98

241.87%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.02 R$5.07

274.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.69 R$3.43

262.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.88 R$9.41

328.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.52 R$17.56

155.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.23 R$6.13

-8.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.13 R$10.61

77.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.54 R$7.69

111.04%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.13 R$10.62

94.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.63 R$43.08

51.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.02 R$25.04

185.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$7.43 R$37.08

114.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.26 R$16.29

34.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.02 R$5.10

42.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$0.92 R$4.61

393.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.18 R$5.87

255.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.64 R$8.17

60.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.26 R$6.31

87.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.76 R$3.78

131.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.86 R$4.27

151.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.99 R$14.92

228.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.95 R$44.69

64.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.56 R$7.78

78.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.31 R$16.54

5.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.02 R$5.10

46.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$70.5 R$352

-42.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.01 R$10.04

32.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.97 R$9.86

-19.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.25 R$16.24

985.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.28 R$6.37

-22.66%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$23.7K R$118.5K

50.86%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.2K R$165.5K

-18.03%

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

$219 $219

$131 R$652

67.96%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$23.38 R$117

148.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$24.22 R$121

182.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$38.84 R$194

49.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$29.64 R$148

-50.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.88 R$54.3

29.87%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$441 R$2,204

241.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,925 R$34.6K

209.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$54.6 R$272

-5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$68.7 R$343

-35.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$89.5 R$447

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$77.3 R$386

36.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$404 R$2,014

378.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$266 R$1,328

378.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$662 R$3,303

454.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$523 R$2,609

383.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,432 R$12.1K

213.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,189 R$5,935

169.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$505 R$2,521

910.76%

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 Joao Pessoa: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Joao Pessoa

$266 25.3% 79.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Joao Pessoa

$207 19.6% 48.7% $196

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Joao Pessoa

$124 11.8% 64.4% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Joao Pessoa

$178 16.9% 48.5% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Joao Pessoa

$131 12.4% 1.4% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Joao Pessoa

$61 5.8% 29.7% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Joao Pessoa

$86 8.2% 51.6% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $404 in Joao Pessoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 911% 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 $29.00 in Joao Pessoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $207 per month, with Joao Pessoa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Joao Pessoa

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

10:49 10:49 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

833,932

💱 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 Joao Pessoa 7,880 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Joao Pessoa

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 Joao Pessoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Joao Pessoa wins on cost – living expenses run 155% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Joao Pessoa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 911% 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 $404 in Joao Pessoa. 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 $1,059 in Joao Pessoa – a 155% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Joao Pessoa runs roughly 74% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,059 in Joao Pessoa versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Joao Pessoa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Joao Pessoa 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 Joao Pessoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.