Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Porto Alegre

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $990 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Porto Alegre
Learn more

Porto Alegre Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Porto Alegre

🇧🇷 Brazil

$990

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Porto Alegre

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $990 in Porto Alegre.

Austin, TX $2,704
Porto Alegre $990

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,567 in Porto Alegre.

Austin, TX $4,133
Porto Alegre $1,567

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,143 in Porto Alegre.

Austin, TX $5,562
Porto Alegre $2,143

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 173% more expensive than in Porto Alegre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Porto Alegre is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$7.85 R$39.17

157.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$39.44 R$197

115.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.16 R$35.72

72.49%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.62 R$13.10

108.78%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.39 R$6.96

174.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.07 R$5.33

133.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.42 R$12.08

233.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.93 R$14.64

206.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.04 R$5.18

8.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.72 R$8.59

119.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.08 R$5.39

200.93%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.42 R$12.09

71.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.08 R$50.3

29.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.81 R$24.02

197.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$9.73 R$48.56

64.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.44 R$12.20

79.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.45 R$7.23

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.40 R$6.99

224.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.66 R$8.28

152.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.21 R$6.04

117.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.08 R$5.41

118.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.89 R$4.44

97.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.82 R$4.11

163.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.46 R$12.28

298.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.17 R$40.80

80.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.12 R$5.61

148.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.16 R$10.77

61.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.02 R$5.11

46.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$59.5 R$297

-31.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.26 R$6.30

111.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.79 R$3.94

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$8.34 R$41.65

323.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.34 R$6.70

-26.12%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$23.5K R$117.2K

52.54%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.4K R$171.5K

-20.90%

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

$219 $219

$77.6 R$387

182.67%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$12.72 R$63.5

355.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$21.94 R$110

211.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$29.96 R$150

93.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$30.96 R$155

-52.13%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.41 R$36.98

90.69%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$568 R$2,837

165.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$24.1K R$120.3K

-10.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$51.0 R$255

1.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$59.1 R$295

-25.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$103 R$512

-17.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$77.9 R$389

35.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$483 R$2,411

299.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$280 R$1,396

355.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$816 R$4,072

349.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$462 R$2,307

446.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,675 R$8,363

354.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,302 R$6,499

145.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$546 R$2,725

835.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.5

-40.96%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Porto Alegre: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Porto Alegre

$280 28.4% 78% $993

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Porto Alegre

$205 20.9% 49% $197

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Porto Alegre

$144 14.6% 58.7% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Porto Alegre

$112 11.4% 67.5% $233

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Porto Alegre

$131 13.3% 1.5% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Porto Alegre

$45 4.5% 48% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Porto Alegre

$69 7% 20.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $483 in Porto Alegre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 835% 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 $39.00 in Porto Alegre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $205 per month, with Porto Alegre cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Porto Alegre

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

09:18 9:18 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,332,833

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Porto Alegre 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Porto Alegre

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 Porto Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porto Alegre wins on cost – living expenses run 173% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Porto Alegre the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 835% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $483 in Porto Alegre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $990 in Porto Alegre – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Porto Alegre runs roughly 47% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $990 in Porto Alegre versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Porto Alegre but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Alegre the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Porto Alegre delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $990 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Porto Alegre hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Porto Alegre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 173% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.