Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Maria

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Maria: $743 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Santa Maria
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Santa Maria Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Santa Maria

🇧🇷 Brazil

$743

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Santa Maria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $743 in Santa Maria.

Austin, TX $2,663
Santa Maria $743

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,242 in Santa Maria.

Austin, TX $4,133
Santa Maria $1,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,742 in Santa Maria.

Austin, TX $5,603
Santa Maria $1,742

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 258% more expensive than in Santa Maria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Santa Maria is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$5.45 R$27.65

281.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$36.62 R$186

130.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.82 R$34.57

80.65%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.85 R$9.36

204.32%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.07 R$5.40

247.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.68 R$3.46

267.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.63 R$8.29

393.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.07 R$15.55

193.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.04 R$5.27

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.64 R$8.31

128.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.08 R$5.48

201.85%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.10 R$10.64

98.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.43 R$47.80

36.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.96 R$20.07

257.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.20 R$41.58

97.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.48 R$12.57

74.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.50 R$7.61

-2.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.36 R$6.91

231.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.53 R$7.75

183.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.16 R$5.88

122.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.13 R$5.71

107.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.86 R$4.37

106.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.81 R$4.12

174.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.38 R$12.07

315.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.18 R$41.44

84.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.14 R$5.77

156.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.19 R$11.09

57.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.01 R$5.13

47.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$30.52 R$155

36.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.32 R$6.70

106.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.87 R$4.39

90.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.16 R$41.36

332.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.23 R$6.21

-22.76%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$23.9K R$121.2K

50.73%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.6K R$165.3K

-16.95%

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

$229 $229

$53.4 R$271

328.66%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$12.65 R$64.1

369.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$16.66 R$84.5

319.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$23.82 R$121

140.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.05 R$61.1

35.52%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.66 R$28.68

152.30%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$163 R$828

822.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,049 R$15.5K

603.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$51.2 R$260

3.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$43.38 R$220

1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$95.9 R$486

-11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$62.3 R$316

65.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$293 R$1,486

550.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$172 R$870

642.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$648 R$3,285

465.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$391 R$1,982

549.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,029 R$10.3K

275.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$674 R$3,416

368.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$637 R$3,227

704.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-32.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Santa Maria

$172 23.1% 86.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Santa Maria

$192 25.9% 52.5% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Santa Maria

$83 11.1% 76.9% $276

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Santa Maria

$108 14.5% 69.6% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Santa Maria

$114 15.3% 11.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Maria

$35 4.7% 59.1% $51

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Santa Maria

$40 5.4% 31.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $293 in Santa Maria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 704% 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 $37.00 in Santa Maria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $192 per month, with Santa Maria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Santa Maria

🕒 Local time

06:02 6:02 AM

08:02 8:02 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

271,735

💱 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

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Santa Maria 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Maria

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 Santa Maria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Maria wins on cost – living expenses run 258% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Maria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 704% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $293 in Santa Maria. 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 $743 in Santa Maria – a 258% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Maria runs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $743 in Santa Maria versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Maria but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 258% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.