Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Maria and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Maria: $743 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Santa Maria
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Santa Maria Living Index
130

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

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Santa Maria

🇧🇷 Brazil

$743

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $743 in Santa Maria versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Santa Maria $743
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,242 in Santa Maria versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Santa Maria $1,242
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,742 in Santa Maria versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Santa Maria $1,742
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Santa Maria costs roughly 72% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Maria is 45% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.45 R$27.65

$20.77 $20.77

-73.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.62 R$186

$84.6 $84.6

-56.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 R$34.57

$12.32 $12.32

-44.64%

Cappuccino

$1.85 R$9.36

$5.63 $5.63

-67.14%

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

$1.07 R$5.40

$3.72 $3.72

-71.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.46

$2.50 $2.50

-72.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 R$8.29

$8.05 $8.05

-79.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 R$15.55

$9.01 $9.01

-65.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 R$5.27

$1.12 $1.12

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 R$8.31

$3.75 $3.75

-56.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.48

$3.26 $3.26

-66.87%

Eggs

$2.10 R$10.64

$4.17 $4.17

-49.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.43 R$47.80

$12.90 $12.90

-26.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 R$20.07

$14.16 $14.16

-72.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$41.58

$16.22 $16.22

-49.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 R$12.57

$4.33 $4.33

-42.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 R$7.61

$1.46 $1.46

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.91

$4.51 $4.51

-69.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.75

$4.34 $4.34

-64.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.88

$2.58 $2.58

-55.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.71

$2.35 $2.35

-51.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 R$4.37

$1.78 $1.78

-51.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.12

$2.22 $2.22

-63.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 R$12.07

$9.88 $9.88

-75.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$41.44

$15.08 $15.08

-45.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$5.77

$2.92 $2.92

-60.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 R$11.09

$3.46 $3.46

-36.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.49 $1.49

-32.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.52 R$155

$41.72 $41.72

-26.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 R$6.70

$2.73 $2.73

-51.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R$4.39

$1.66 $1.66

-47.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 R$41.36

$35.30 $35.30

-76.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.21

$0.95 $0.95

29.47%

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

$23.9K R$121.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-33.66%

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

$32.6K R$165.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

20.41%

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

$53.4 R$271

$229 $229

-76.67%

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

$12.65 R$64.1

$59.4 $59.4

-78.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.66 R$84.5

$69.9 $69.9

-76.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.82 R$121

$57.2 $57.2

-58.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.05 R$61.1

$16.33 $16.33

-26.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.66 R$28.68

$14.28 $14.28

-60.36%

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

$163 R$828

$1,506 $1,506

-89.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,049 R$15.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

-85.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 R$260

$52.8 $52.8

-2.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.38 R$220

$43.82 $43.82

-1.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.9 R$486

$84.8 $84.8

13.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 R$316

$103 $103

-39.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$293 R$1,486

$1,907 $1,907

-84.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$172 R$870

$1,274 $1,274

-86.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$648 R$3,285

$3,664 $3,664

-82.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 R$1,982

$2,538 $2,538

-84.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,029 R$10.3K

$7,614 $7,614

-73.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 R$3,416

$3,157 $3,157

-78.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$637 R$3,227

$5,121 $5,121

-87.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

47.28%

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

Last update for Santa Maria: 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

Santa Maria

$192 25.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 111% $213

Accommodation & Living

Santa Maria

$172 23.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 643% $1.1K

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Maria

$114 15.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 12.5% $14

Eating Out

Santa Maria

$108 14.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 229% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Maria

$83 11.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 333% $276

Getting Around

Santa Maria

$40 5.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 45.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Maria

$35 4.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 144% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $293 in Santa Maria and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 704% 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: $37.00 in Santa Maria vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $405 per month, with Santa Maria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Santa Maria

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

03:21 3:21 AM

2 h behind Santa Maria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,735

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

Santa Maria Austin, TX 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Maria
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

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

Santa Maria wins on cost – living expenses run 258% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Maria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 704% 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: $293 in Santa Maria 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 $743 per month in Santa Maria versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 258% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Maria runs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $743 in Santa Maria versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Maria but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 258% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.