Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Madeira: $1,597 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Madeira
🇵🇹 Portugal
$1,597
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,597 in Madeira.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Madeira $1,597

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,383 in Madeira.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Madeira $2,383

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,169 in Madeira.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Madeira $3,169

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 69% more expensive than in Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Madeira 19% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Madeira
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$11.62 €10.37
74.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$46.16 €41.19
84.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$9.12 €8.14
35.42%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$2.10 €1.88
160.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$1.85 €1.65
106.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.43 €1.27
74.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$2.27 €2.03
255.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$3.54 €3.16
153.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Madeira
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.09 €0.98
3.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$1.53 €1.37
147.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.60 €1.43
103.12%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$2.99 €2.67
38.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$11.53 €10.29
13.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$7.69 €6.86
86.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$14.00 €12.49
14.00%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.35 €2.10
86.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.41 €1.26
2.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$1.80 €1.61
152.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$2.50 €2.23
67.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.51 €1.34
74.17%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.92 €1.72
22.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.55 €1.38
13.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.84 €0.75
157.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$6.04 €5.39
62.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$5.22 €4.66
181.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$1.30 €1.16
113.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$2.32 €2.07
50.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Madeira
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.36 €2.11
-36.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$42.32 €37.77
-4.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$4.28 €3.82
-37.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$0.79 €0.71
100.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$17.53 €15.65
101.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.90 €1.69
-47.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$35.4K €31.6K
1.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$39.1K €34.9K
-30.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Madeira
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$134 €120
63.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$20.90 €18.65
177.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$41.95 €37.44
62.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Madeira
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$43.41 €38.74
33.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$17.37 €15.50
-14.68%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$8.35 €7.45
69.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Madeira
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$473 €422
219.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$8,183 €7,303
162.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Madeira
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$74.7 €66.7
-30.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$38.11 €34.01
15.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$91.9 €82.0
-7.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$92.8 €82.8
13.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Madeira
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$914 €816
111.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$717 €640
77.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$1,446 €1,291
153.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$1,145 €1,021
120.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$3,012 €2,688
152.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$2,356 €2,103
35.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Madeira
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.01
35.53%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Madeira: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Madeira
$717 43.6% $555
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Madeira
$246 39% $157
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Madeira
$177 49.1% $171
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Madeira
$197 43% $149
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Madeira
$134 4% $5.1
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Madeira
$60 30.2% $26
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Madeira
$60 5.3% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $914 in Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $46.00 in Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $246 per month, with Madeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇵🇹 Madeira
🕒 Local time
00:02 12:02 AM
06:02 6:02 AM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
154
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Madeira 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Madeira

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 Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Madeira?
Madeira wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Madeira the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Madeira?
You'd need roughly $4,055 in Austin, TX and $2,395 in Madeira 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 Madeira?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $914 in Madeira. 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 Madeira?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,597 in Madeira – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Madeira?
A monthly transit pass in Madeira runs roughly 4% 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 $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Madeira?
At $1,597 in Madeira versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Madeira but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Madeira the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Madeira?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Madeira?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Madeira are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% 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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