Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Recife

For one person, living is cheaper in Recife: $909 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Recife
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Recife Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Recife

🇧🇷 Brazil

$909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $909 in Recife.

Austin, TX $2,704
Recife $909

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,492 in Recife.

Austin, TX $4,133
Recife $1,492

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,075 in Recife.

Austin, TX $5,562
Recife $2,075

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 198% more expensive than in Recife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Recife is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.63 R$28.11

259.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$37.54 R$187

126.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.83 R$49.07

25.64%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.58 R$12.87

112.02%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.05 R$5.25

263.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.65 R$3.23

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.56 R$7.80

416.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.13 R$15.63

187.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.38 R$6.90

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.61 R$8.04

134.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.59 R$7.93

104.40%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.89 R$9.43

119.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.46 R$37.22

75.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.52 R$22.58

216.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$8.17 R$40.77

95.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.36 R$6.80

222.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.36 R$6.78

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$0.76 R$3.80

497.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.28 R$6.40

227.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.41 R$7.05

86.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.11 R$5.56

112.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.52 R$2.60

238.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.90 R$4.51

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$1.77 R$8.86

454.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.88 R$39.36

86.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.17 R$5.86

137.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.54 R$7.67

125.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.82 R$4.09

81.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$37.85 R$189

7.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.21 R$6.02

120.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.78 R$3.90

102.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.52 R$17.56

902.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.36 R$6.81

-27.21%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$24.1K R$120.2K

48.72%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$32.8K R$163.7K

-17.12%

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

$219 $219

$114 R$570

92.12%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$13.46 R$67.2

330.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$17.75 R$88.6

285.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$21.55 R$108

168.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$34.89 R$174

-57.52%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$8.62 R$43.02

63.92%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$283 R$1,414

432.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.7K R$58.6K

82.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$45.60 R$228

13.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$50.8 R$254

-13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$76.9 R$384

10.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$83.2 R$415

26.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$516 R$2,574

274.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$260 R$1,296

390.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$883 R$4,406

315.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$620 R$3,095

307.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,958 R$9,776

288.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,091 R$5,445

193.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$434 R$2,167

1075.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.75

-42.21%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Recife: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Recife

$260 28.4% 79.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Recife

$182 19.9% 54.9% $221

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Recife

$126 13.8% 63.7% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Recife

$145 15.9% 58% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Recife

$115 12.6% 10.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Recife

$39 4.3% 55% $47

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Recife

$46 5.1% 18.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $516 in Recife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1076% 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 $38.00 in Recife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $182 per month, with Recife cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Recife

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,488,920

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Recife 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Recife

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 Recife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Recife wins on cost – living expenses run 198% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Recife the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1076% 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 $516 in Recife. 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 $909 in Recife – a 198% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Recife runs roughly 7% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $909 in Recife versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Recife but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Recife the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Recife delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $909 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Recife hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Recife gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.