Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Sao Tome And Principe Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and Sao Tome And Principe

Name: Sao Tome And Principe
Address: ST

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,185 per month in Australia vs $643 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,220 per month in Australia vs $1,135 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,254 per month in Australia vs $1,627 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

The cost of living in Australia is about 240% higher than in Sao Tome And Principe on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Australia sits 64% above the global median, while Sao Tome And Principe is 52% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Australia ($1,575–$2,824) than in Sao Tome And Principe ($205–$1,081), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 A$23.11

$19.98 STN 430

-18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$110

$43.33 STN 932

78.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 A$13.52

$9.55 STN 205

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$3.46 A$4.94

$2.00 STN 43.00

73.00%

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

$2.68 A$3.83

$1.88 STN 40.49

42.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.12

$1.03 STN 22.25

112.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.61 A$9.44

$1.64 STN 35.19

303.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.14

$1.86 STN 39.98

281.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 A$2.21

$1.36 STN 29.28

13.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 A$3.53

$1.56 STN 33.44

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.00

$1.94 STN 41.81

8.25%

Eggs

$4.24 A$6.06

$4.40 STN 94.7

-3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 A$12.24

$20.26 STN 436

-57.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.60 A$12.28

$19.88 STN 427

-56.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 A$19.73

$25.18 STN 541

-45.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 A$4.53

$4.50 STN 96.7

-29.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.88

$1.13 STN 24.21

140.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 A$4.23

$3.99 STN 85.9

-25.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.15

$3.41 STN 73.2

26.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.47 A$3.52

$2.62 STN 56.3

-5.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 A$2.99

$2.08 STN 44.79

0.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 A$3.13

$0.67 STN 14.37

226.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 A$2.18

$1.98 STN 42.51

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.29 A$44.69

$2.27 STN 48.89

1278.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 A$19.91

$7.96 STN 171

75.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.46 A$6.37

$1.27 STN 27.33

251.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 A$7.16

$1.29 STN 27.65

288.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 A$4.29

$1.20 STN 25.90

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.0 A$137

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 A$5.09

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 A$2.50

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.88 A$54.1

$14.20 STN 305

166.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 A$1.65

$1.70 STN 36.45

-32.35%

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

$29.4K A$41.9K

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

$23.1K A$33.0K

$23.3K STN 501.3K

-1.00%

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

$174 A$248

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

$26.88 A$38.39

$28.12 STN 604

-4.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 A$75.3

$70.6 STN 1,519

-25.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.69 A$68.1

$36.44 STN 784

30.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.51 A$23.57

$29.37 STN 632

-43.79%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 A$19.61

$20.81 STN 447

-34.02%

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

$1,555 A$2,220

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K A$18.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.6 A$99.4

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 A$73.2

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$145

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$160

$18.70 STN 402

499.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 A$1,941

$275 STN 5,916

393.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 A$1,542

$188 STN 4,033

475.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,300 A$3,285

$659 STN 14.2K

248.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 A$2,501

$529 STN 11.4K

231.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,618 A$10.9K

$1,889 STN 40.6K

303.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,762 A$8,228

$1,170 STN 25.2K

392.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,023 A$5,745

$442 STN 9,506

809.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

7.38

-13.96%

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

Last update for Australia: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,231 in Australia vs $177 in Sao Tome And Principe. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,549 in Canberra and $353 in Sao Tome.

Average salary: $3,775 in Australia vs $265 in Sao Tome And Principe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 595% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 79% more in Australia.

Salaries are 1325% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

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

Australia vs Sao Tome And Principe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome And Principe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 242% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Australia, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Australia consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sao Tome And Principe, contributing to the overall 242% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sao Tome And Principe, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sao Tome And Principe is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.