Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sao Luis

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $834 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $834 in Sao Luis.

Austin, TX $2,704
Sao Luis $834

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,310 in Sao Luis.

Austin, TX $4,133
Sao Luis $1,310

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,786 in Sao Luis.

Austin, TX $5,562
Sao Luis $1,786

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 224% more expensive than in Sao Luis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Sao Luis is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$6.60 R$32.93

206.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$39.74 R$198

113.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$6.82 R$34.03

81.09%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.15 R$10.71

154.42%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.27 R$6.33

200.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.73 R$3.65

242.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.96 R$9.77

311.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.44 R$12.16

268.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.11 R$5.52

1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.93 R$9.64

95.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.11 R$5.54

192.79%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.27 R$11.31

82.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.14 R$50.6

28.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.28 R$21.36

234.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$7.64 R$38.12

108.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.11 R$10.55

107.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.39 R$6.95

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.22 R$6.09

272.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.73 R$8.64

142.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.33 R$6.64

97.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.34 R$6.67

76.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.90 R$4.47

95.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.73 R$3.62

195.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.44 R$12.17

302.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.21 R$41.00

79.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.27 R$6.36

118.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.32 R$11.60

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.85 R$4.27

75.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$38.52 R$192

5.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.03 R$5.12

159.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.94 R$4.70

68.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 R$6.05

-18.18%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$24.2K R$120.6K

48.18%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$30.4K R$151.5K

-10.49%

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

$219 $219

$97.5 R$487

124.98%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$18.02 R$90.0

221.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$21.42 R$107

219.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$20.11 R$100

187.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$15.27 R$76.2

-2.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.84 R$34.14

106.58%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$183 R$915

723.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,911 R$14.5K

637.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$64.7 R$323

-20.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$54.6 R$273

-19.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$75.1 R$375

13.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$59.0 R$294

78.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$363 R$1,812

432.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$187 R$935

579.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$580 R$2,893

533.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$330 R$1,648

664.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,575 R$7,864

383.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$721 R$3,598

343.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$386 R$1,929

1221.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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 Luis: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Sao Luis

$187 22.3% 85.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Sao Luis

$197 23.6% 51% $205

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Sao Luis

$122 14.5% 65% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Sao Luis

$137 16.3% 60.4% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Sao Luis

$114 13.6% 11.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Sao Luis

$34 4% 60.8% $52

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Sao Luis

$48 5.7% 16.4% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $363 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1221% 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 Luis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $197 per month, with Sao Luis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,037,775

💱 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 Luis 6,730 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sao Luis

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 Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Luis wins on cost – living expenses run 224% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Luis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1221% 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 $363 in Sao Luis. 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 $834 in Sao Luis – a 224% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Luis 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 $834 in Sao Luis versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis 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 Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.