Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bentota and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bentota: $774 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Bentota
Learn more

Bentota Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index

Jump to prices

Bentota

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$774

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $774 in Bentota versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Bentota $774
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $896 in Bentota versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Bentota $896
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,018 in Bentota versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Bentota $1,018
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Bentota costs roughly 37% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bentota 43% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.29 LKR 1,421

$8.81 R$44.68

-51.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.97 LKR 3,965

$49.37 R$250

-75.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.73 LKR 2,560

$8.80 R$44.63

-12.16%

Cappuccino

$2.46 LKR 815

$2.49 R$12.63

-1.20%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$1.42 R$7.19

-52.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.2

$0.85 R$4.31

-70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 LKR 742

$2.98 R$15.11

-24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 LKR 1,016

$4.34 R$22.02

-29.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 LKR 535

$1.24 R$6.28

30.65%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 176

$1.91 R$9.66

-72.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 244

$1.43 R$7.25

-48.25%

Eggs

$1.56 LKR 518

$2.81 R$14.23

-44.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 LKR 4,648

$12.74 R$64.6

10.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 LKR 1,099

$5.41 R$27.44

-38.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.62 LKR 1,529

$10.64 R$54.0

-56.58%

Apples (1kg)

$6.81 LKR 2,257

$2.75 R$13.95

147.64%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 LKR 241

$1.81 R$9.19

-59.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 LKR 1,519

$1.63 R$8.27

181.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.90 LKR 297

$2.00 R$10.16

-55.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.00 LKR 331

$1.40 R$7.10

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 LKR 263

$1.27 R$6.43

-37.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 LKR 312

$1.28 R$6.47

-26.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 LKR 143

$0.95 R$4.83

-54.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 LKR 3,356

$2.99 R$15.15

238.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 LKR 4,424

$9.96 R$50.5

34.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 LKR 645

$1.85 R$9.37

5.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 LKR 963

$2.54 R$12.90

14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.18 LKR 61.0

$1.09 R$5.50

-83.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 LKR 133

$1.85 R$9.39

-78.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.99 R$4.99

-68.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 LKR 289

$10.29 R$52.2

-91.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 LKR 461

$1.34 R$6.78

3.73%

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

$37.2K LKR 12.3M

$24.4K R$123.8K

52.23%

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

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

$33.9K R$172.1K

18.20%

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

$54.0 LKR 17.9K

$104 R$529

-48.26%

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

$2.23 LKR 739

$16.71 R$84.7

-86.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.03 LKR 2,990

$22.18 R$112

-59.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 LKR 1,417

$10.06 R$51.0

-57.46%

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

$38.08 LKR 12.6K

$579 R$2,936

-93.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,230 LKR 407.3K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-92.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.80 LKR 5,897

$65.7 R$333

-72.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.82 LKR 5,573

$61.0 R$309

-72.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 LKR 26.6K

$100 R$509

-19.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.09 LKR 13.9K

$92.1 R$467

-54.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 LKR 179.2K

$659 R$3,341

-17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 LKR 98.7K

$428 R$2,170

-30.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.69

11.68

8.65%

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

Last update for Bentota: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bentota

$298 38.5%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 43.6% $130

Groceries & Markets

Bentota

$220 28.5%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 10.9% $24

Eating Out

Bentota

$108 14%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 47.6% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Bentota

$71 9.1%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 103% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bentota

$65 8.4%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 120% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Bentota

$8.6 * 1.1%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 553% $47

Getting Around

Bentota

$2.7 * 0.4%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 2119% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $541 in Bentota and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $12.00 in Bentota vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $244 per month, with Bentota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Bentota

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

21:13 9:13 PM

8 h 30 min behind Bentota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,000

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 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 LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bentota Sao Paulo 14,010 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Bentota
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

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

Bentota is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,160 in Bentota and $1,852 in Sao Paulo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $541 in Bentota versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $774 per month in Bentota versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $774 in Bentota versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bentota but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Bentota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bentota is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Bentota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.