Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sao Carlos

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $1,003 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Sao Carlos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,003 in Sao Carlos.

Austin, TX $2,704
Sao Carlos $1,003

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,742 in Sao Carlos.

Austin, TX $4,133
Sao Carlos $1,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,480 in Sao Carlos.

Austin, TX $5,562
Sao Carlos $2,480

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 169% more expensive than in Sao Carlos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Sao Carlos is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.15 R$25.69

292.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$40.83 R$204

108.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.16 R$35.74

72.49%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.09 R$10.42

161.72%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.35 R$6.74

182.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.75 R$3.75

233.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.63 R$8.14

394.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.74 R$13.70

228.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.37 R$6.81

-17.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.97 R$9.83

91.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.87 R$9.32

73.80%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.88 R$14.36

43.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$12.62 R$63.0

3.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$5.42 R$27.04

164.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$9.53 R$47.59

67.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.68 R$13.40

63.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.90 R$9.50

-23.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.81 R$9.04

150.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.91 R$9.55

119.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.67 R$8.34

57.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.43 R$7.14

65.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.98 R$4.87

79.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.16 R$5.80

86.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.15 R$15.74

211.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.61 R$42.96

70.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.47 R$7.32

89.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.95 R$14.75

17.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.01 R$5.06

47.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$23.73 R$118

70.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.49 R$7.42

79.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.97 R$4.86

62.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.64 R$18.16

869.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.22 R$6.08

-18.85%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$20.4K R$101.9K

75.47%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$31.9K R$159.2K

-14.79%

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

$219 $219

$63.2 R$316

246.89%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$13.95 R$69.7

315.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$24.86 R$124

174.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$34.12 R$170

69.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$48.34 R$241

-69.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.42 R$27.07

160.70%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$297 R$1,481

408.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,987 R$14.9K

618.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$84.3 R$421

-38.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$97.3 R$486

-54.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$139 R$693

-38.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$164 R$819

-35.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$268 R$1,336

622.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$235 R$1,172

442.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$671 R$3,349

447.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$661 R$3,300

281.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$849 R$4,237

797.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$750 R$3,744

326.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$693 R$3,460

636.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.75

-36.84%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Sao Carlos

$235 23.8% 81.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Sao Carlos

$244 24.7% 39.5% $159

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Sao Carlos

$110 11.1% 68.5% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Sao Carlos

$102 10.3% 70.5% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1% 69.3% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Sao Carlos

$45 4.6% 47.8% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5% 40.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $268 in Sao Carlos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 637% 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 $41.00 in Sao Carlos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $244 per month, with Sao Carlos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🕒 Local time

09:13 9:13 AM

11:13 11:13 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

254,857

💱 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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Between locations

Austin, TX Sao Carlos 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sao Carlos

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 Carlos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Carlos wins on cost – living expenses run 169% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Carlos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 637% 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 $268 in Sao Carlos. 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 $1,003 in Sao Carlos – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Carlos runs roughly 71% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,003 in Sao Carlos versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Carlos but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Carlos 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 Carlos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.