Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Varginha

For one person, living is cheaper in Varginha: $746 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Varginha
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Varginha Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Varginha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$746

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $746 in Varginha.

Austin, TX $2,698
Varginha $746

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,182 in Varginha.

Austin, TX $4,160
Varginha $1,182

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,618 in Varginha.

Austin, TX $5,622
Varginha $1,618

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 262% more expensive than in Varginha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Varginha is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$9.05 R$45.88

127.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$24.23 R$123

249.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.18 R$36.37

68.11%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$0.99 R$5.02

453.54%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.92 R$4.66

313.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.62 R$3.17

298.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.42 R$7.21

466.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$3.65 R$18.50

143.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.94 R$4.75

18.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.61 R$8.16

131.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.02 R$5.16

230.39%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.48 R$7.50

191.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.25 R$46.90

41.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$3.71 R$18.79

281.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$8.88 R$45.00

83.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.38 R$6.98

229.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.36 R$6.89

7.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.02 R$5.16

361.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$0.97 R$4.92

327.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.98 R$4.98

163.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.01 R$5.14

132.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.51 R$2.61

247.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.68 R$3.46

214.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$2.15 R$10.92

369.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$4.98 R$25.22

205.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.14 R$5.76

147.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.84 R$9.34

86.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.95 R$4.82

62.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$44.89 R$228

-8.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.02 R$5.19

174.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.76 R$3.88

110.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$6.51 R$33.01

427.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.11 R$5.61

-15.32%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$24.0K R$121.8K

41.40%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$29.3K R$148.8K

-8.79%

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

$223 $223

$104 R$527

114.38%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$4.91 R$24.91

1099.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$20.00 R$101

252.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$26.42 R$134

118.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$27.46 R$139

-39.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$8.15 R$41.30

74.97%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$219 R$1,109

590.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$4,400 R$22.3K

374.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$36.49 R$185

40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$60.3 R$305

-26.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$80.7 R$409

7.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$60.6 R$307

72.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$149 R$757

1199.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$120 R$611

992.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$274 R$1,391

1235.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$259 R$1,310

892.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,677 R$8,503

338.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,204 R$6,104

159.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$453 R$2,297

1066.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-32.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Varginha: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Varginha

$120 16.2% 90.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Varginha

$167 22.4% 58.9% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Varginha

$129 17.3% 63.4% $223

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Varginha

$126 16.9% 63.9% $224

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Varginha

$107 14.4% 17% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Varginha

$43 5.7% 50.5% $44

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Varginha

$54 7.2% 7.6% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $149 in Varginha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1066% 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 $24.00 in Varginha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $167 per month, with Varginha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇷 Varginha

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

00:24 12:24 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

136,467

💱 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Varginha 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Varginha

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 Varginha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varginha wins on cost – living expenses run 262% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varginha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1066% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $149 in Varginha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $746 in Varginha – a 262% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Varginha runs roughly 10% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $746 in Varginha versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varginha but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Varginha 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 Varginha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.