Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sao Caetano do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,058 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Sao Caetano do Sul

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 Sao Caetano do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Austin, TX $2,663
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,058

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,822 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Austin, TX $4,133
Sao Caetano do Sul $1,822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,586 in Sao Caetano do Sul.

Austin, TX $5,603
Sao Caetano do Sul $2,586

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 152% more expensive than in Sao Caetano do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Sao Caetano do Sul is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.89 R$44.60

133.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$40.00 R$201

111.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.77 R$44.01

40.48%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.38 R$11.96

136.55%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.33 R$6.66

179.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.93 R$4.66

168.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.36 R$11.82

241.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.00 R$20.06

125.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.19 R$5.95

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.05 R$10.30

82.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.44 R$7.23

126.39%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.48 R$12.43

68.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.70 R$53.7

20.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.43 R$27.26

160.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.91 R$54.8

48.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.39 R$11.98

81.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.72 R$8.65

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.55 R$7.76

190.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.08 R$10.43

108.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.40 R$7.02

84.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.26 R$6.34

86.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.92 R$4.62

93.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.81 R$4.08

174.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.49 R$12.49

296.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.97 R$44.99

68.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.75 R$8.79

66.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.58 R$12.92

34.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.68 R$3.43

119.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.32 R$6.64

106.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.02 R$5.13

62.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.86 R$44.47

298.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.34 R$6.72

-29.10%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$24.5K R$123.1K

46.91%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.6K R$163.4K

-16.89%

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

$229 $229

$103 R$517

122.41%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$14.91 R$74.8

298.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$22.99 R$115

204.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$50.3 R$253

13.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$46.01 R$231

-64.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.14 R$50.9

40.83%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$437 R$2,192

244.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.2K R$56.1K

92.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$65.3 R$328

-19.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$57.3 R$288

-23.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$98.3 R$493

-13.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$93.2 R$467

10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$419 R$2,104

354.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$311 R$1,559

310.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$867 R$4,349

322.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$868 R$4,353

192.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,890 R$9,483

302.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,435 R$7,201

119.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$951 R$4,773

438.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.81

-37.19%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$311 29.4% 75.6% $963

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$231 21.8% 42.9% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.3% 60.7% $217

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 14.6% 56.2% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$141 13.4% 10.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$71 6.7% 17.7% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.2 * 0.9% 84.4% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 438% 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 $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $231 per month, with Sao Caetano do Sul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

165,655

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 14, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Sao Caetano do Sul 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sao Caetano do Sul

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 Sao Caetano do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Caetano do Sul wins on cost – living expenses run 152% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Caetano do Sul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 438% 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 $419 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $437 in Sao Caetano do Sul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,058 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Caetano do Sul but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Sao Caetano do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.