Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Recife and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Recife: $909 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Recife
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Recife Living Index
129

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

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Recife

🇧🇷 Brazil

$909

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $909 in Recife versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Recife $909
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,492 in Recife versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Recife $1,492
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,075 in Recife versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Recife $2,075
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Recife costs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Recife is 32% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 R$28.11

$20.22 $20.22

-72.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.54 R$187

$85.0 $85.0

-55.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 R$49.07

$12.35 $12.35

-20.40%

Cappuccino

$2.58 R$12.87

$5.47 $5.47

-52.83%

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

$1.05 R$5.25

$3.82 $3.82

-72.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.23

$2.50 $2.50

-74.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 R$7.80

$8.06 $8.06

-80.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 R$15.63

$8.99 $8.99

-65.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 R$6.90

$1.13 $1.13

22.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.04

$3.78 $3.78

-57.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 R$7.93

$3.25 $3.25

-51.08%

Eggs

$1.89 R$9.43

$4.14 $4.14

-54.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.46 R$37.22

$13.08 $13.08

-42.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.52 R$22.58

$14.31 $14.31

-68.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.17 R$40.77

$15.96 $15.96

-48.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.80

$4.38 $4.38

-68.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.78

$1.45 $1.45

-6.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.76 R$3.80

$4.54 $4.54

-83.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.40

$4.19 $4.19

-69.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.05

$2.63 $2.63

-46.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.56

$2.36 $2.36

-52.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 R$2.60

$1.76 $1.76

-70.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.51

$2.16 $2.16

-58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.77 R$8.86

$9.81 $9.81

-81.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 R$39.36

$14.72 $14.72

-46.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.86

$2.78 $2.78

-57.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 R$7.67

$3.48 $3.48

-55.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.82 R$4.09

$1.49 $1.49

-44.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.85 R$189

$40.51 $40.51

-6.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 R$6.02

$2.67 $2.67

-54.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$3.90

$1.58 $1.58

-50.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 R$17.56

$35.29 $35.29

-90.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 R$6.81

$0.99 $0.99

37.37%

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

$24.1K R$120.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

-32.76%

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

$32.8K R$163.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

20.66%

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

$114 R$570

$219 $219

-47.95%

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

$13.46 R$67.2

$58.0 $58.0

-76.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 R$88.6

$68.4 $68.4

-74.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.55 R$108

$57.9 $57.9

-62.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.89 R$174

$14.82 $14.82

135.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.62 R$43.02

$14.13 $14.13

-39.00%

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

$283 R$1,414

$1,509 $1,509

-81.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$58.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

-45.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.60 R$228

$51.7 $51.7

-11.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 R$254

$44.05 $44.05

15.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 R$384

$85.1 $85.1

-9.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 R$415

$105 $105

-21.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 R$2,574

$1,932 $1,932

-73.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 R$1,296

$1,272 $1,272

-79.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$883 R$4,406

$3,670 $3,670

-75.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 R$3,095

$2,525 $2,525

-75.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,958 R$9,776

$7,617 $7,617

-74.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,091 R$5,445

$3,199 $3,199

-65.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 R$2,167

$5,105 $5,105

-91.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.75

6.79

73.05%

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

Last update for Recife: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Recife

$260 28.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 390% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Recife

$182 19.9%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 122% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Recife

$145 15.9%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 138% $200

Eating Out

Recife

$126 13.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 175% $222

Clothing & Footwear

Recife

$115 12.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 11.6% $13

Getting Around

Recife

$46 5.1%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 23.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Recife

$39 4.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 122% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $516 in Recife and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1076% 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: $38.00 in Recife vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $182 vs $403 per month, with Recife cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Recife

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

00:12 12:12 AM

2 h behind Recife

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,488,920

974,447

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Recife Austin, TX 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Recife
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

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

Recife wins on cost – living expenses run 198% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Recife the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1076% 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: $516 in Recife versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $909 per month in Recife versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 198% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Recife runs roughly 7% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $909 in Recife versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Recife but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Recife the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Recife delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $909 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Recife hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Recife gentler on the wallet – expenses run 198% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.