Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $1,003 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index
129

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

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Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,003

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Sao Carlos versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Sao Carlos $1,003
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,742 in Sao Carlos versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Sao Carlos $1,742
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,480 in Sao Carlos versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Sao Carlos $2,480
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Sao Carlos costs roughly 63% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Carlos is 25% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.15 R$25.69

$20.22 $20.22

-74.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.83 R$204

$85.0 $85.0

-51.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 R$35.74

$12.35 $12.35

-42.02%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.42

$5.47 $5.47

-61.79%

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

$1.35 R$6.74

$3.82 $3.82

-64.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.75

$2.50 $2.50

-70.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 R$8.14

$8.06 $8.06

-79.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.70

$8.99 $8.99

-69.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 R$6.81

$1.13 $1.13

21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$9.83

$3.78 $3.78

-47.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R$9.32

$3.25 $3.25

-42.46%

Eggs

$2.88 R$14.36

$4.14 $4.14

-30.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 R$63.0

$13.08 $13.08

-3.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 R$27.04

$14.31 $14.31

-62.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 R$47.59

$15.96 $15.96

-40.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 R$13.40

$4.38 $4.38

-38.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.50

$1.45 $1.45

31.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.04

$4.54 $4.54

-60.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 R$9.55

$4.19 $4.19

-54.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.34

$2.63 $2.63

-36.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.14

$2.36 $2.36

-39.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R$4.87

$1.76 $1.76

-44.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R$5.80

$2.16 $2.16

-46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 R$15.74

$9.81 $9.81

-67.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 R$42.96

$14.72 $14.72

-41.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R$7.32

$2.78 $2.78

-47.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.75

$3.48 $3.48

-15.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.49 $1.49

-32.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.73 R$118

$40.51 $40.51

-41.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 R$7.42

$2.67 $2.67

-44.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 R$4.86

$1.58 $1.58

-38.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 R$18.16

$35.29 $35.29

-89.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.08

$0.99 $0.99

23.23%

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$35.8K $35.8K

-43.01%

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

$31.9K R$159.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

17.36%

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

$63.2 R$316

$219 $219

-71.17%

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

$13.95 R$69.7

$58.0 $58.0

-75.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.86 R$124

$68.4 $68.4

-63.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 R$170

$57.9 $57.9

-41.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.34 R$241

$14.82 $14.82

226.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 R$27.07

$14.13 $14.13

-61.64%

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

$297 R$1,481

$1,509 $1,509

-80.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,987 R$14.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

-86.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 R$421

$51.7 $51.7

63.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.3 R$486

$44.05 $44.05

120.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 R$693

$85.1 $85.1

63.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 R$819

$105 $105

55.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 R$1,336

$1,932 $1,932

-86.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 R$1,172

$1,272 $1,272

-81.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 R$3,349

$3,670 $3,670

-81.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 R$3,300

$2,525 $2,525

-73.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 R$4,237

$7,617 $7,617

-88.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 R$3,744

$3,199 $3,199

-76.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$693 R$3,460

$5,105 $5,105

-86.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

6.79

58.32%

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

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Carlos

$244 24.7%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 65.3% $159

Accommodation & Living

Sao Carlos

$235 23.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 442% $1K

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 40.9% $89

Eating Out

Sao Carlos

$110 11.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 217% $238

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Carlos

$102 10.3%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 239% $244

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Carlos

$45 4.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 91.6% $41

Getting Around

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 67% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $268 in Sao Carlos and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 637% 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: $41.00 in Sao Carlos vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $403 per month, with Sao Carlos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

06:37 6:37 AM

2 h behind Sao Carlos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

254,857

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 = 5.59 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 →

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Between locations

Sao Carlos Austin, TX 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Carlos
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

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

Sao Carlos wins on cost – living expenses run 169% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Carlos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 637% 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: $268 in Sao Carlos 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 $1,003 per month in Sao Carlos versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 169% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Carlos runs roughly 71% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,003 in Sao Carlos versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Carlos but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.