Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Petropolis

For one person, living is cheaper in Petropolis: $1,011 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Petropolis
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,011
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,011 in Petropolis.

  • Austin, TX $2,698
  • Petropolis $1,011

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,516 in Petropolis.

  • Austin, TX $4,160
  • Petropolis $1,516

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,021 in Petropolis.

  • Austin, TX $5,622
  • Petropolis $2,021

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 167% more expensive than in Petropolis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Petropolis is 25% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Petropolis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.63 $20.63
$6.07 R$30.78
239.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$28.83 R$146
193.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$6.91 R$35.02
74.67%
Cappuccino
$5.48 $5.48
$1.70 R$8.64
222.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 $3.80
$1.31 R$6.66
190.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.58 R$2.93
325.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$1.21 R$6.15
565.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.88 $8.88
$4.69 R$23.79
89.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Petropolis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$0.93 R$4.70
19.35%
White Bread (500g)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.52 R$7.69
144.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.37 $3.37
$1.43 R$7.24
135.66%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$2.04 R$10.32
111.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$9.19 R$46.60
42.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.15 $14.15
$4.33 R$21.93
226.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$9.57 R$48.50
70.64%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$1.64 R$8.33
177.44%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.15 R$5.83
26.96%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$0.98 R$4.94
380.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$1.21 R$6.11
242.98%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.65 R$3.31
296.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.87 R$4.40
170.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$0.58 R$2.92
205.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$0.61 R$3.10
250.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.10 $10.10
$2.16 R$10.96
367.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$5.88 R$29.79
158.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.04 R$5.27
171.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$1.42 R$7.21
142.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Petropolis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.03 R$5.24
49.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.99 $40.99
$49.31 R$250
-16.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.15 R$5.82
143.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.02 R$5.15
56.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.34 $34.34
$8.01 R$40.60
328.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.24 R$6.28
-24.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K $34.0K
$20.9K R$105.8K
62.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$31.2K R$158.3K
-14.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Petropolis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$70.9 R$359
214.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$9.78 R$49.60
502.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$18.71 R$94.9
277.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Petropolis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 $57.7
$31.96 R$162
80.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.53 $16.53
$32.15 R$163
-48.58%
Cinema Ticket
$14.26 $14.26
$7.10 R$36.02
100.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Petropolis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,511 $1,511
$362 R$1,836
317.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K $20.9K
$11.1K R$56.1K
88.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Petropolis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$55.2 R$280
-7.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.17 $44.17
$49.65 R$252
-11.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$88.2 R$447
-1.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$69.1 R$350
51.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Petropolis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,940 $1,940
$527 R$2,671
268.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 $1,316
$401 R$2,033
228.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$837 R$4,241
338.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,565 $2,565
$630 R$3,194
307.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,354 $7,354
$2,748 R$13.9K
167.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,129 $3,129
$1,985 R$10.1K
57.60%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Petropolis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,286 $5,286
$613 R$3,110
761.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
11.87
-42.80%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Petropolis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Petropolis
$401 69.5% $915
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$406
Petropolis
$174 57% $232
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$352
Petropolis
$99 71.8% $253
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$350
Petropolis
$113 67.8% $237
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Petropolis
$118 8.6% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Petropolis
$46 46.5% $40
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$58
Petropolis
$60 3% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $527 in Petropolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 762% 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 Petropolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $174 per month, with Petropolis cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇧🇷 Petropolis
🕒 Local time
16:46 4:46 PM
18:46 6:46 PM
2 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
278,881
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Petropolis 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Petropolis

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 Petropolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Petropolis?
Petropolis wins on cost – living expenses run 167% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Petropolis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Petropolis?
Average pay runs 762% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Petropolis?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $527 in Petropolis. 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 Petropolis?
All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,011 in Petropolis – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Petropolis?
A monthly transit pass in Petropolis runs roughly 20% 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 Petropolis?
At $1,011 in Petropolis versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Petropolis but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Petropolis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Petropolis?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Petropolis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% 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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