Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Serra

For one person, living is cheaper in Serra: $889 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Serra
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Serra Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$889

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Serra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $889 in Serra.

Austin, TX $2,663
Serra $889

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,317 in Serra.

Austin, TX $4,133
Serra $1,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,744 in Serra.

Austin, TX $5,603
Serra $1,744

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 200% more expensive than in Serra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Serra is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.77 R$24.16

335.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.99 R$117

267.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.20 R$41.58

50.24%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.09 R$10.57

169.38%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.34 R$6.77

177.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.62 R$3.15

303.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.95 R$9.88

312.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.06 R$15.53

194.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.13 R$5.70

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.80 R$9.13

108.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.17 R$5.95

178.63%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.14 R$10.87

94.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.49 R$53.2

22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.58 R$23.22

209.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.54 R$43.27

89.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.87 R$14.53

50.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.53 R$7.74

-4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.83 R$9.28

146.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.62 R$8.20

167.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.18 R$5.96

118.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.11 R$5.65

111.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.34 R$6.78

32.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.39 R$7.03

59.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.49 R$12.62

296.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.64 R$28.59

167.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.98 R$4.98

197.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.27 R$16.59

5.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.97 R$4.93

53.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$47.18 R$239

-11.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.31 R$6.66

108.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.13 R$5.72

46.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.89 R$34.95

412.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.08 R$5.49

-12.04%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$23.5K R$119.2K

53.31%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.8K R$171.1K

-19.80%

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

$229 $229

$158 R$803

44.56%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$12.30 R$62.4

382.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$21.05 R$107

232.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$25.83 R$131

121.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$27.87 R$141

-41.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.49 R$37.95

90.65%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$188 R$955

699.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,726 R$34.1K

219.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$55.0 R$279

-3.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$51.1 R$259

-14.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$91.1 R$462

-6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$74.3 R$377

38.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$251 R$1,271

660.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$153 R$774

734.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$446 R$2,261

721.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$220 R$1,117

1051.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$970 R$4,917

684.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$563 R$2,852

461.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$559 R$2,833

816.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-38.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Serra: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Serra

$153 17.2% 88% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Serra

$212 23.8% 47.6% $193

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Serra

$192 21.6% 46.5% $167

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Serra

$111 12.5% 68.5% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Serra

$122 13.8% 4.5% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Serra

$41 4.6% 52.4% $45

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Serra

$58 6.5% 1.1% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $251 in Serra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 816% 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 $23.00 in Serra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $212 per month, with Serra cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Serra

🕒 Local time

04:26 4:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

520,653

💱 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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Between locations

Austin, TX Serra 8,310 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Serra

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 Serra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serra wins on cost – living expenses run 200% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Serra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 816% 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 $251 in Serra. 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 $889 in Serra – a 200% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Serra runs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $889 in Serra versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Serra but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Serra 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 Serra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.