Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macaé and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $885 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.

43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
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Macaé Living Index
130

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

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Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$885

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macaé 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 Macaé and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $885 in Macaé versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Macaé $885
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,498 in Macaé versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Macaé $1,498
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,111 in Macaé versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Macaé $2,111
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Macaé costs roughly 67% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 R$27.83

$20.77 $20.77

-73.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.40 R$154

$84.6 $84.6

-64.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 R$35.95

$12.32 $12.32

-42.45%

Cappuccino

$1.70 R$8.63

$5.63 $5.63

-69.80%

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

$1.41 R$7.15

$3.72 $3.72

-62.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 R$2.99

$2.50 $2.50

-76.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 R$6.26

$8.05 $8.05

-84.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 R$13.93

$9.01 $9.01

-69.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.91

$1.12 $1.12

-13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 R$7.73

$3.75 $3.75

-59.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.95

$3.26 $3.26

-57.98%

Eggs

$1.96 R$9.92

$4.17 $4.17

-53.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 R$46.73

$12.90 $12.90

-28.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.36 R$17.04

$14.16 $14.16

-76.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.58 R$48.57

$16.22 $16.22

-40.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 R$9.91

$4.33 $4.33

-54.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.12

$1.46 $1.46

-17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.69

$4.51 $4.51

-79.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.26

$4.34 $4.34

-71.66%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 R$3.53

$2.58 $2.58

-72.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.33

$2.35 $2.35

-63.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.57 R$2.88

$1.78 $1.78

-67.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 R$2.45

$2.22 $2.22

-78.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 R$8.00

$9.88 $9.88

-84.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.99 R$30.36

$15.08 $15.08

-60.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.21

$2.92 $2.92

-64.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 R$6.24

$3.46 $3.46

-64.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.55 R$7.83

$1.49 $1.49

4.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.2 R$427

$41.72 $41.72

101.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 R$6.89

$2.73 $2.73

-50.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$3.96

$1.66 $1.66

-53.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 R$42.19

$35.30 $35.30

-76.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.41

$0.95 $0.95

32.63%

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

$21.7K R$110.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-39.83%

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

$31.4K R$159.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

16.01%

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

$99.6 R$505

$229 $229

-56.49%

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

$9.95 R$50.4

$59.4 $59.4

-83.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.03 R$96.5

$69.9 $69.9

-72.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.47 R$205

$57.2 $57.2

-29.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.67 R$150

$16.33 $16.33

81.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 R$34.31

$14.28 $14.28

-52.59%

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

$659 R$3,339

$1,506 $1,506

-56.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,291 R$37.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-66.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 R$323

$52.8 $52.8

20.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.54 R$160

$43.82 $43.82

-28.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 R$343

$84.8 $84.8

-20.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.84 R$248

$103 $103

-52.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 R$1,899

$1,907 $1,907

-80.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,199

$1,274 $1,274

-81.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$911 R$4,620

$3,664 $3,664

-75.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 R$3,410

$2,538 $2,538

-73.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,275 R$6,465

$7,614 $7,614

-83.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$787 R$3,989

$3,157 $3,157

-75.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$809 R$4,104

$5,121 $5,121

-84.19%

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 Macaé: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Macaé

$237 26.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 439% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Macaé

$170 19.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 138% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Macaé

$129 14.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 179% $230

Eating Out

Macaé

$105 11.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 236% $249

Getting Around

Macaé

$96 10.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 38.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Macaé

$95 10.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 34.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Macaé

$54 6.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 58.9% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $375 in Macaé and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 533% 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: $30.00 in Macaé vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $405 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Macaé

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:37 4:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

2 h behind Macaé

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

246,391

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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Macaé Austin, TX 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Macaé
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

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

Macaé wins on cost – living expenses run 201% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Macaé the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 533% 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: $375 in Macaé 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 $885 per month in Macaé versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 201% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Macaé runs roughly 102% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $885 in Macaé versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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 Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.