Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $788 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
130

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

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Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$788

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Contagem and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $788 in Contagem versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Contagem $788
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,272 in Contagem versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Contagem $1,272
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,755 in Contagem versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Contagem $1,755
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Contagem costs roughly 70% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Contagem is 42% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.06 R$30.73

$20.77 $20.77

-70.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.50 R$155

$84.6 $84.6

-63.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 R$37.10

$12.32 $12.32

-40.58%

Cappuccino

$1.76 R$8.93

$5.63 $5.63

-68.74%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$3.72 $3.72

-61.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.96

$2.50 $2.50

-76.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 R$6.69

$8.05 $8.05

-83.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R$13.05

$9.01 $9.01

-71.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.09

$1.12 $1.12

-10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.34

$3.75 $3.75

-50.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.94

$3.26 $3.26

-57.98%

Eggs

$1.98 R$10.06

$4.17 $4.17

-52.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 R$51.1

$12.90 $12.90

-21.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.47 R$17.61

$14.16 $14.16

-75.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.50 R$38.03

$16.22 $16.22

-53.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 R$9.69

$4.33 $4.33

-55.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.91

$1.46 $1.46

-19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 R$4.75

$4.51 $4.51

-79.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.48

$4.34 $4.34

-61.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.53

$2.58 $2.58

-57.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.00

$2.35 $2.35

-57.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 R$4.33

$1.78 $1.78

-52.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 R$4.14

$2.22 $2.22

-63.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.64 R$8.31

$9.88 $9.88

-83.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.04 R$30.61

$15.08 $15.08

-59.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 R$5.18

$2.92 $2.92

-65.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.94

$3.46 $3.46

-60.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R$7.61

$1.49 $1.49

0.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.1 R$406

$41.72 $41.72

91.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.04

$2.73 $2.73

-56.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$3.99

$1.66 $1.66

-52.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.84

$35.30 $35.30

-82.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.67

$0.95 $0.95

38.95%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

-34.73%

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

$31.6K R$160.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

16.84%

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

$76.2 R$386

$229 $229

-66.74%

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

$10.11 R$51.3

$59.4 $59.4

-82.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.26 R$97.7

$69.9 $69.9

-72.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.55 R$135

$57.2 $57.2

-53.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.62 R$120

$16.33 $16.33

44.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.31 R$37.04

$14.28 $14.28

-48.81%

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

$144 R$732

$1,506 $1,506

-90.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,630 R$13.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-87.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 R$312

$52.8 $52.8

16.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.74 R$252

$43.82 $43.82

13.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$348

$84.8 $84.8

-19.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.25 R$245

$103 $103

-53.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$232 R$1,174

$1,907 $1,907

-87.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 R$798

$1,274 $1,274

-87.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 R$2,475

$3,664 $3,664

-86.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 R$1,693

$2,538 $2,538

-86.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,991 R$10.1K

$7,614 $7,614

-73.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,015 R$5,146

$3,157 $3,157

-67.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$261 R$1,324

$5,121 $5,121

-94.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

6.79

57.14%

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

Last update for Contagem: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$179 22.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 126% $226

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$158 20%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 709% $1.1K

Eating Out

Contagem

$111 14.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 218% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$106 13.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 240% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$103 13%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 24.6% $25

Getting Around

Contagem

$91 11.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 35.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$41 5.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 108% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $232 in Contagem and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1861% 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: $31.00 in Contagem vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $405 per month, with Contagem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

07:40 7:40 AM

2 h behind Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

974,447

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Contagem Austin, TX 8,000 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Contagem
Austin, TX

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

Contagem vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Contagem wins on cost – living expenses run 238% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Contagem the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1861% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $232 in Contagem versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $788 per month in Contagem versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 238% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Contagem runs roughly 92% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $788 in Contagem versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Contagem but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Contagem 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 Contagem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 238% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.