Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aktau and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

Jump to prices

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aktau and in Sao Paulo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Aktau and in Sao Paulo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $793 per month in Aktau vs $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Aktau $793
Sao Paulo $1,235

A couple spends around $1,317 per month in Aktau vs $2,073 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Aktau $1,317
Sao Paulo $2,073

A family of three spends $1,842 per month in Aktau vs $2,911 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Aktau $1,842
Sao Paulo $2,911

Aktau is about 36% cheaper than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Aktau and Sao Paulo are more affordable than the global median – Aktau 41% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.07 ₸5,005

$8.81 R$44.68

25.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.55 ₸19.7K

$49.37 R$250

-11.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 ₸4,596

$8.80 R$44.63

15.57%

Cappuccino

$2.49 ₸1,128

$2.49 R$12.63

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

$0.74 ₸333

$1.42 R$7.19

-47.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ₸219

$0.85 R$4.31

-43.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₸586

$2.98 R$15.11

-56.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ₸690

$4.34 R$22.02

-64.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 ₸638

$1.24 R$6.28

13.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₸211

$1.91 R$9.66

-75.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 ₸864

$1.43 R$7.25

33.57%

Eggs

$1.73 ₸783

$2.81 R$14.23

-38.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 ₸4,463

$12.74 R$64.6

-22.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₸1,915

$5.41 R$27.44

-21.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.95 ₸4,044

$10.64 R$54.0

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 ₸689

$2.75 R$13.95

-44.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 ₸1,013

$1.81 R$9.19

23.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 ₸1,064

$1.63 R$8.27

44.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 ₸1,264

$2.00 R$10.16

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ₸295

$1.40 R$7.10

-53.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.56 ₸254

$1.27 R$6.43

-55.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₸700

$1.28 R$6.47

21.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₸424

$0.95 R$4.83

-1.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 ₸1,172

$2.99 R$15.15

-13.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 ₸4,313

$9.96 R$50.5

-4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₸326

$1.85 R$9.37

-61.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 ₸393

$2.54 R$12.90

-65.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 ₸82.6

$1.09 R$5.50

-83.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 ₸512

$1.85 R$9.39

-38.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸290

$0.99 R$4.99

-35.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 ₸283

$1.34 R$6.78

-52.99%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

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

$31.4K ₸14.2M

$33.9K R$172.1K

-7.42%

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

$45.69 ₸20.7K

$104 R$529

-56.26%

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

$7.94 ₸3,587

$16.71 R$84.7

-52.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.01 ₸4,979

$22.18 R$112

-50.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 ₸16.3K

$35.82 R$182

0.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$3.18 ₸1,437

$10.06 R$51.0

-68.39%

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

$143 ₸64.8K

$579 R$2,936

-75.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,621 ₸1.2M

$17.1K R$86.6K

-84.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.8 ₸30.2K

$65.7 R$333

1.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.67 ₸18.4K

$61.0 R$309

-33.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.7 ₸32.4K

$100 R$509

-28.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.6 ₸40.5K

$92.1 R$467

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$330 ₸149.2K

$659 R$3,341

-49.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 ₸88.6K

$428 R$2,170

-54.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$551 ₸249.0K

$1,515 R$7,678

-63.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 ₸177.8K

$1,026 R$5,201

-61.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$813 ₸367.6K

$2,773 R$14.1K

-70.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$659 ₸297.7K

$2,007 R$10.2K

-67.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 ₸254.8K

$909 R$4,609

-38.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

19.86%

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

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Aktau

$200 25.3%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 21.9% $44

Accommodation & Living

Aktau

$196 24.7%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 118% $232

Eating Out

Aktau

$163 20.6%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 2.4% $3.9

Clothing & Footwear

Aktau

$121 15.3%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 18.8% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aktau

$65 8.2%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 122% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Aktau

$42 5.3%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 32.1% $14

Getting Around

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 1082% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $330 in Aktau versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 61% higher in Sao Paulo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Aktau versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $244 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇿 Aktau

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

15:18 3:18 PM

07:18 7:18 AM

8 h behind Aktau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

273,830

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to KZT – Kazakhstani Tenge Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

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).

USD to KZT in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Aktau Sao Paulo 12,390 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Aktau
Sao Paulo

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

Aktau vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 56% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,189 per month in Aktau and $1,852 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Aktau and $49.00 in Sao Paulo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in Sao Paulo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Aktau costs $793 versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sao Paulo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.