Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Paulista

For one person, living is cheaper in Paulista: $787 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Paulista
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Paulista Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Paulista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $787 in Paulista.

Austin, TX $2,663
Paulista $787

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,225 in Paulista.

Austin, TX $4,133
Paulista $1,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,663 in Paulista.

Austin, TX $5,603
Paulista $1,663

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 239% more expensive than in Paulista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Paulista is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$7.05 R$35.72

194.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$15.92 R$80.7

431.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.24 R$41.79

49.51%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.58 R$8.03

256.33%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.07 R$5.43

247.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.42 R$2.13

495.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.92 R$9.71

319.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.54 R$17.94

154.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.02 R$5.16

9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.82 R$9.20

106.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.03 R$5.22

216.50%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.17 R$11.02

92.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$2.89 R$14.64

346.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$2.96 R$15.01

378.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$5.69 R$28.86

185.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.02 R$10.25

114.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.95 R$4.80

53.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.92 R$4.64

390.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.18 R$5.97

267.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.37 R$6.95

88.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.84 R$4.26

179.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.41 R$2.09

334.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.86 R$4.37

158.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.27 R$11.52

335.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$3.74 R$18.95

303.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.55 R$7.87

88.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.29 R$16.70

5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.04 R$5.28

43.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$48.16 R$244

-13.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.97 R$9.99

38.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.17 R$5.95

41.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.25 R$16.46

986.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.09 R$5.51

-12.84%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$14.2K R$72.2K

153.12%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.0K R$151.9K

-9.67%

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

$229 $229

$46.71 R$237

390.24%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.42 R$119

153.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$23.62 R$120

195.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$25.85 R$131

121.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$27.58 R$140

-40.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.88 R$29.81

142.86%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$69.7 R$353

2059.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,903 R$35.0K

210.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$18.37 R$93.1

187.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$68.6 R$348

-36.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$50.4 R$256

68.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$59.7 R$303

72.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$354 R$1,796

438.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$237 R$1,201

437.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$688 R$3,485

432.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$464 R$2,353

446.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,798 R$9,115

323.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,346 R$6,824

134.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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 12, 2026

Last update for Paulista: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Paulista

$237 30.1% 81.4% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Paulista

$147 18.6% 63.8% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Paulista

$94 11.9% 73.8% $265

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Paulista

$123 15.6% 65.3% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Paulista

$89 11.3% 30.7% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Paulista

$38 4.8% 56.2% $48

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Paulista

$60 7.7% 2.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $354 in Paulista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $16.00 in Paulista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $147 per month, with Paulista cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Paulista

🕒 Local time

11:08 11:08 AM

13:08 1:08 PM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

342,167

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Paulista 7,930 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Paulista

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 Paulista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Paulista wins on cost – living expenses run 239% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Paulista the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,180 in Paulista 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $354 in Paulista. 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 $787 in Paulista – a 239% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Paulista runs roughly 15% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $787 in Paulista versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Paulista but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Paulista 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 Paulista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 239% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.