Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boa Vista and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Boa Vista: $758 a month against $1,137 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Boa Vista
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Boa Vista Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$758

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,137

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $758 per month in Boa Vista vs $1,137 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Boa Vista $758
Sao Paulo $1,137

A couple spends around $1,132 per month in Boa Vista vs $1,898 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Boa Vista $1,132
Sao Paulo $1,898

A family of three spends $1,506 per month in Boa Vista vs $2,660 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Boa Vista $1,506
Sao Paulo $2,660

Boa Vista is about 33% cheaper than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Boa Vista and Sao Paulo are more affordable than the global median – Boa Vista 44% lower, Sao Paulo 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.13 R$38.95

$8.09 R$44.17

-11.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.99 R$120

$46.75 R$255

-52.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 R$43.25

$8.19 R$44.74

-3.30%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$13.62

$2.34 R$12.80

6.41%

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

$0.82 R$4.50

$1.35 R$7.36

-39.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 R$2.45

$0.81 R$4.41

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 R$7.39

$2.83 R$15.44

-52.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R$11.21

$4.08 R$22.28

-49.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 R$12.32

$1.10 R$6.03

105.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 R$9.41

$1.73 R$9.46

-0.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$7.19

$1.47 R$8.04

-10.20%

Eggs

$2.72 R$14.88

$2.55 R$13.90

6.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 R$50.2

$11.49 R$62.8

-20.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 R$28.22

$4.82 R$26.30

7.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.13 R$49.83

$10.03 R$54.7

-8.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 R$11.83

$2.41 R$13.15

-9.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.60

$1.60 R$8.74

-24.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.95

$1.37 R$7.50

19.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.77

$1.77 R$9.68

1.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 R$5.11

$1.31 R$7.15

-28.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$5.22

$1.15 R$6.27

-16.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 R$3.92

$1.16 R$6.32

-37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.95

$0.87 R$4.76

-17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.61 R$14.25

$2.70 R$14.75

-3.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 R$60.8

$9.28 R$50.7

20.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 R$10.39

$1.62 R$8.86

17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$7.21

$2.39 R$13.07

-44.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R$5.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.95 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 R$6.88

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R$4.89

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 R$55.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.72

$1.18 R$6.42

4.24%

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

$21.4K R$117.1K

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

$26.1K R$142.7K

$32.3K R$176.4K

-19.11%

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

$93.0 R$508

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

$17.20 R$93.9

$15.28 R$83.4

12.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.22 R$160

$19.65 R$107

48.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.81 R$168

$31.16 R$170

-1.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$258

Cinema Ticket

$5.96 R$32.56

$9.36 R$51.1

-36.32%

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

$171 R$935

$564 R$3,077

-69.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K R$136.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.45 R$123

$59.2 R$323

-62.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.46 R$123

$56.0 R$306

-59.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.5 R$352

$96.3 R$526

-33.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.95 R$169

$86.9 R$475

-64.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 R$1,820

$602 R$3,286

-44.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$254 R$1,389

$401 R$2,188

-36.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$465 R$2,541

$1,343 R$7,332

-65.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 R$1,840

$925 R$5,052

-63.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$737 R$4,025

$2,514 R$13.7K

-70.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$739 R$4,037

$1,866 R$10.2K

-60.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$491 R$2,680

$863 R$4,712

-43.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

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

Last update for Boa Vista: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boa Vista

$254 33.6%

Sao Paulo

$401 35.3% 57.5% $146

Groceries & Markets

Boa Vista

$221 29.1%

Sao Paulo

$222 19.5% 0.4% $0.9

Eating Out

Boa Vista

$127 16.7%

Sao Paulo

$148 13.1% 17.1% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Boa Vista

$63 8.3%

Sao Paulo

$134 11.8% 113% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boa Vista

$46 * 6.1%

Sao Paulo

$128 11.3% 176% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Boa Vista

$43 5.6%

Sao Paulo

$50 4.4% 16.7% $7.1

Getting Around

Boa Vista

$3.8 * 0.5%

Sao Paulo

$54 4.7% 1297% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $333 in Boa Vista versus $602 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 76% higher in Sao Paulo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Boa Vista versus $47 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $221 vs $222 – making Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

1 h ahead of Boa Vista

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

413,486

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Boa Vista Sao Paulo 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Boa Vista
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

Boa Vista vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 50% more than Boa Vista, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,138 per month in Boa Vista and $1,705 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boa Vista, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $333 there versus $602 in Sao Paulo.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $758 in Boa Vista and $1,137 in Sao Paulo. That makes Boa Vista about 33% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $22 in Boa Vista and $47 in Sao Paulo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Boa Vista – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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