Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Macaé

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $885 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
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Macaé Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $885 in Macaé.

Austin, TX $2,663
Macaé $885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,498 in Macaé.

Austin, TX $4,133
Macaé $1,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,111 in Macaé.

Austin, TX $5,603
Macaé $2,111

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 201% more expensive than in Macaé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Macaé is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.49 R$27.83

278.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$30.40 R$154

178.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.09 R$35.95

73.77%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.70 R$8.63

231.18%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.41 R$7.15

163.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.59 R$2.99

323.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.24 R$6.26

549.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.75 R$13.93

227.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.97 R$4.91

15.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.53 R$7.73

145.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.37 R$6.95

137.96%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.96 R$9.92

112.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.22 R$46.73

39.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.36 R$17.04

321.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.58 R$48.57

69.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.96 R$9.91

120.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.21 R$6.12

20.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.93 R$4.69

384.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.23 R$6.26

252.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.70 R$3.53

268.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.86 R$4.33

173.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.57 R$2.88

212.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.48 R$2.45

362.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.58 R$8.00

525.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.99 R$30.36

151.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.03 R$5.21

183.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.23 R$6.24

181.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.55 R$7.83

-3.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$84.2 R$427

-50.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.36 R$6.89

100.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.78 R$3.96

112.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.32 R$42.19

324.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.26 R$6.41

-24.60%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.7K R$110.0K

66.18%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$31.4K R$159.2K

-13.80%

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

$229 $229

$99.6 R$505

129.84%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$9.95 R$50.4

496.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$19.03 R$96.5

267.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$40.47 R$205

41.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$29.67 R$150

-44.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.77 R$34.31

110.93%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$659 R$3,339

128.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,291 R$37.0K

194.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$63.7 R$323

-17.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$31.54 R$160

38.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$67.8 R$343

25.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$48.84 R$248

110.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$375 R$1,899

409.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$237 R$1,199

438.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$911 R$4,620

302.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$673 R$3,410

277.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,275 R$6,465

496.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$787 R$3,989

301.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$809 R$4,104

532.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.67

-36.36%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Macaé: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Macaé

$237 26.7% 81.4% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Macaé

$170 19.2% 58% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Macaé

$129 14.5% 64.1% $230

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Macaé

$105 11.9% 70.2% $249

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Macaé

$95 10.8% 25.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Macaé

$54 6.1% 37.1% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Macaé

$96 10.8% 63% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $375 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 533% 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 Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $170 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Macaé

🕒 Local time

03:25 3:25 AM

05:25 5:25 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

246,391

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Macaé 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Macaé

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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macaé wins on cost – living expenses run 201% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Macaé the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 533% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $375 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $885 in Macaé – a 201% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Macaé runs roughly 102% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $885 in Macaé versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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 Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.