Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Maia

For one person, living is cheaper in Maia: $2,182 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Maia
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Maia Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Maia

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,182 in Maia.

Austin, TX $2,698
Maia $2,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,718 in Maia.

Austin, TX $4,160
Maia $2,718

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,254 in Maia.

Austin, TX $5,622
Maia $3,254

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 24% more expensive than in Maia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Maia 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$11.42 €10.16

80.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$50.0 €44.49

69.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.88 €7.90

35.92%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.00 €1.78

174.00%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.93 €1.71

96.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.45 €1.29

70.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.23 €1.98

260.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.01 €3.57

121.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.10 €0.98

0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.69 €1.50

120.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.53 €1.37

120.26%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.89 €2.57

49.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.29 €11.82

-1.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$7.93 €7.05

78.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.73 €13.10

10.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.23 €1.98

104.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.74 €1.55

-16.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.07 €1.84

127.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.33 €2.07

78.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.22 €1.97

16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.19 €1.95

7.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.93 €0.82

90.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.10 €0.98

94.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$6.62 €5.89

52.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$4.61 €4.10

229.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.31 €1.17

115.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.46 €2.19

39.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.47 €2.20

-37.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$44.74 €39.80

-8.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.55 €4.04

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.44 €1.28

11.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$16.93 €15.06

102.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.10 €1.87

-55.24%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$32.3K €28.7K

5.34%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$38.5K €34.2K

-30.43%

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

$223 $223

$106 €94.3

109.95%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$20.07 €17.85

193.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$38.05 €33.84

85.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$44.89 €39.93

28.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$34.01 €30.25

-51.40%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$8.65 €7.70

64.86%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$439 €390

244.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$6,437 €5,726

224.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$111 €98.9

-53.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$22.04 €19.60

100.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$75.9 €67.5

14.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$106 €94.0

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,072 €953

81.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,313 €1,168

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,706 €1,518

114.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,242 €1,105

106.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,036 €2,701

142.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,673 €1,488

87.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$1,420 €1,263

272.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.7

83.51%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Maia: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Maia

$1.3K 60.2% 0.2% $3

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Maia

$259 11.9% 36.1% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Maia

$164 7.5% 53.4% $188

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Maia

$175 8% 50.1% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Maia

$142 6.5% 9.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Maia

$62 2.9% 27.9% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Maia

$66 3% 14.6% $8.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,072 in Maia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 272% 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 $50.0 in Maia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $259 per month, with Maia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇹 Maia

🕒 Local time

15:23 3:23 PM

21:23 9:23 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

134,988

💱 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 Maia 7,780 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Maia

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 Maia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maia wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Maia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 272% 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 $1,072 in Maia. 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 $2,182 in Maia – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Maia runs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,182 in Maia versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maia but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Maia 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 Maia 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 Maia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.