Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sao Joao da Madeira

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Joao da Madeira: $1,510 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Sao Joao da Madeira
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Sao Joao da Madeira Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Sao Joao da Madeira

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Sao Joao da Madeira

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 Joao da Madeira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Austin, TX $2,663
Sao Joao da Madeira $1,510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,107 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Austin, TX $4,133
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,704 in Sao Joao da Madeira.

Austin, TX $5,603
Sao Joao da Madeira $2,704

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 76% more expensive than in Sao Joao da Madeira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Sao Joao da Madeira 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.06 €8.95

106.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.79 €17.60

327.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.85 €6.98

56.94%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.14 €1.01

393.86%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.09 €0.97

241.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.97 €0.87

157.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.32 €2.95

142.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.17 €1.93

315.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.85 €0.75

31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.32 €0.28

1071.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.14 €1.01

185.96%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.68 €2.39

55.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.58 €7.63

50.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.52 €4.91

156.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.51 €5.79

149.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.03 €1.81

113.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.35 €1.20

8.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.83 €1.63

146.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.85 €2.54

52.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.97 €1.75

30.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.88 €1.67

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.24 €1.10

43.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.98 €0.87

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.28 €5.59

57.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.53 €4.03

232.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.21 €1.07

141.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.63 €1.45

112.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.24 €1.99

-33.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$39.68 €35.29

5.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.33 €3.85

-36.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.78 €1.58

-6.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$16.67 €14.83

111.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.90 €1.69

-50.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$33.1K €29.4K

8.98%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$37.7K €33.5K

-28.11%

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

$229 $229

$110 €97.7

108.51%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$16.96 €15.08

250.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$46.09 €40.99

51.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.59 €33.44

52.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.09 €13.42

8.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.44 €4.84

162.50%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$341 €303

341.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.0K €8,932

113.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$65.5 €58.3

-19.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$37.57 €33.42

16.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$82.7 €73.5

2.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$98.5 €87.6

4.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$957 €851

99.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$768 €683

65.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,517 €1,349

141.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,164 €1,035

118.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,957 €2,631

157.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,267 €2,017

39.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,048 €932

388.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.55

91.27%

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 Joao da Madeira: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$768 50.8% 39.7% $506

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$184 12.2% 54.5% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$173 11.5% 51.8% $185

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$147 9.7% 58.5% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$128 8.5% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$48 3.2% 43.5% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Sao Joao da Madeira

$62 4.1% 5.4% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 389% 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 $20.00 in Sao Joao da Madeira for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $184 per month, with Sao Joao da Madeira cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇹 Sao Joao da Madeira

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

20:20 8:20 PM

6 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

22,144

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Sao Joao da Madeira 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sao Joao da Madeira

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 Joao da Madeira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Joao da Madeira wins on cost – living expenses run 76% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Joao da Madeira the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 389% 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 $957 in Sao Joao da Madeira. 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 $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Joao da Madeira runs roughly 5% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,510 in Sao Joao da Madeira versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Joao da Madeira but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Joao da Madeira 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Sao Joao da Madeira are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Joao da Madeira gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.