Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Varginha and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Varginha: $746 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Varginha
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Varginha Living Index
129

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

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Varginha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$746

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $746 in Varginha versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Varginha $746
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,182 in Varginha versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Varginha $1,182
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,618 in Varginha versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Varginha $1,618
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Varginha costs roughly 72% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varginha is 45% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.05 R$45.88

$20.63 $20.63

-56.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.23 R$123

$84.6 $84.6

-71.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 R$36.37

$12.07 $12.07

-40.51%

Cappuccino

$0.99 R$5.02

$5.48 $5.48

-81.93%

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

$0.92 R$4.66

$3.80 $3.80

-75.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.17

$2.47 $2.47

-74.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 R$7.21

$8.05 $8.05

-82.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 R$18.50

$8.88 $8.88

-58.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$4.75

$1.11 $1.11

-15.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.16

$3.72 $3.72

-56.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.16

$3.37 $3.37

-69.73%

Eggs

$1.48 R$7.50

$4.32 $4.32

-65.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 R$46.90

$13.13 $13.13

-29.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 R$18.79

$14.15 $14.15

-73.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 R$45.00

$16.33 $16.33

-45.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.98

$4.55 $4.55

-69.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.89

$1.46 $1.46

-6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.16

$4.71 $4.71

-78.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.92

$4.15 $4.15

-76.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.98

$2.58 $2.58

-62.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.14

$2.35 $2.35

-57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.51 R$2.61

$1.77 $1.77

-71.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.46

$2.14 $2.14

-68.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.15 R$10.92

$10.10 $10.10

-78.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.98 R$25.22

$15.19 $15.19

-67.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$5.76

$2.82 $2.82

-59.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.34

$3.44 $3.44

-46.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R$4.82

$1.54 $1.54

-38.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.89 R$228

$40.99 $40.99

9.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 R$5.19

$2.80 $2.80

-63.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.88

$1.60 $1.60

-52.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.51 R$33.01

$34.34 $34.34

-81.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.61

$0.94 $0.94

18.09%

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

$24.0K R$121.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

-29.28%

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

$29.3K R$148.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

9.64%

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

$104 R$527

$223 $223

-53.35%

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

$4.91 R$24.91

$58.9 $58.9

-91.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.00 R$101

$70.6 $70.6

-71.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.42 R$134

$57.7 $57.7

-54.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.46 R$139

$16.53 $16.53

66.12%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 R$41.30

$14.26 $14.26

-42.85%

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

$219 R$1,109

$1,511 $1,511

-85.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,400 R$22.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

-78.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.49 R$185

$51.3 $51.3

-28.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 R$305

$44.17 $44.17

36.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 R$409

$87.0 $87.0

-7.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.6 R$307

$104 $104

-41.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$149 R$757

$1,940 $1,940

-92.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$120 R$611

$1,316 $1,316

-90.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 R$1,391

$3,664 $3,664

-92.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 R$1,310

$2,565 $2,565

-89.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,677 R$8,503

$7,354 $7,354

-77.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,204 R$6,104

$3,129 $3,129

-61.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$453 R$2,297

$5,286 $5,286

-91.43%

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 Varginha: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Varginha

$167 22.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 143% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Varginha

$129 17.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 174% $223

Eating Out

Varginha

$126 16.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 177% $224

Accommodation & Living

Varginha

$120 16.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 993% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Varginha

$107 14.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 20.5% $22

Getting Around

Varginha

$54 7.2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 8.2% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Varginha

$43 5.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 102% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $149 in Varginha and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1066% 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: $24.00 in Varginha vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $406 per month, with Varginha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Varginha

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:24 12:24 AM

22:24 10:24 PM

2 h behind Varginha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

136,467

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 22, 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 22, 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

Varginha Austin, TX 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Varginha
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

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

Varginha wins on cost – living expenses run 262% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varginha the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1066% 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: $149 in Varginha versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $746 per month in Varginha versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 262% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Varginha runs roughly 10% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $746 in Varginha versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Varginha but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Varginha 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 Varginha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 262% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.