Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Sao Tome and Principe

Name: Sao Tome and Principe
Address: ST

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $1,206 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
Learn more

Brazil Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome and Principe
Learn more

Sao Tome and Principe Living Index

Jump to prices

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil and in Sao Tome and Principe

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

A single person spends $865 per month in Brazil vs $1,206 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent included.

Brazil $865
Sao Tome and Principe $1,206

A couple spends around $1,373 per month in Brazil vs $1,890 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent included.

Brazil $1,373
Sao Tome and Principe $1,890

A family of three spends $1,880 per month in Brazil vs $2,575 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent included.

Brazil $1,880
Sao Tome and Principe $2,575

Cost ranges are similar: Brazil spans $569–$1,349, Sao Tome and Principe $199–$1,211. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 28% lower than in Sao Tome and Principe on average.

Both Brazil and Sao Tome and Principe are more affordable than the global median – Brazil 36% lower, Sao Tome and Principe 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 R$35.05

$8.86 STN 195

-26.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.71 R$164

$43.95 STN 967

-30.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 R$39.86

$8.60 STN 189

-13.37%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R$10.21

$2.40 STN 52.7

-20.42%

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

$1.15 R$6.17

$1.81 STN 39.89

-36.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.04

$1.13 STN 24.76

-32.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$9.89

$1.74 STN 38.32

6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 R$15.27

$1.88 STN 41.45

52.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.52

$1.53 STN 33.69

-32.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$8.37

$1.52 STN 33.44

3.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.60

$1.87 STN 41.10

-33.69%

Eggs

$2.10 R$11.25

$4.40 STN 96.7

-52.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R$47.41

$19.33 STN 425

-54.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 R$21.35

$19.32 STN 425

-79.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 R$41.47

$21.09 STN 464

-63.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$11.52

$3.80 STN 83.6

-43.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.80

$1.76 STN 38.65

-27.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.18

$3.58 STN 78.8

-67.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$3.54 STN 78.0

-56.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.21

$2.87 STN 63.2

-59.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.45

$2.38 STN 52.4

-57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.97

$0.53 STN 11.68

39.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.84

$2.06 STN 45.40

-65.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 R$12.05

$2.19 STN 48.09

2.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 R$40.91

$7.98 STN 176

-4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.97

$1.47 STN 32.25

-11.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.57

$1.68 STN 36.91

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.03

$1.34 STN 29.52

-29.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.00 R$235

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.57

$1.64 STN 36.10

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R$5.11

$2.66 STN 58.6

-63.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 R$39.67

$13.81 STN 304

-46.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.49

$1.74 STN 38.37

-30.46%

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

$22.1K R$118.4K

$24.4K STN 535.9K

-9.08%

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

$31.6K R$168.8K

$31.6K STN 694.4K

0.01%

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

$77.2 R$413

$224 STN 4,934

-65.58%

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

$12.44 R$66.5

$30.91 STN 680

-59.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 R$106

$65.8 STN 1,447

-69.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 R$130

$34.11 STN 750

-28.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.46 R$136

$25.43 STN 560

0.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 R$37.34

$20.50 STN 451

-65.95%

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

$316 R$1,689

$228 STN 5,021

38.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 R$44.4K

$2,158 STN 47.5K

284.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 R$264

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 R$245

$75.2 STN 1,653

-39.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 R$446

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 R$351

$18.67 STN 411

251.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 R$1,995

$288 STN 6,339

29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,340

$195 STN 4,300

28.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R$3,844

$920 STN 20.2K

-21.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 R$2,622

$437 STN 9,606

12.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,795 R$9,597

$1,861 STN 40.9K

-3.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 R$6,786

$1,125 STN 24.8K

12.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 R$2,654

$441 STN 9,709

12.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

7.38

51.36%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome and Principe: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brazil

$251 29%

Sao Tome and Principe

$195 16.2% 22% $55

Groceries & Markets

Brazil

$183 21.2%

Sao Tome and Principe

$402 33.3% 120% $219

Eating Out

Brazil

$120 13.9%

Sao Tome and Principe

$150 12.4% 24.4% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Brazil

$110 12.7%

Sao Tome and Principe

$42 * 3.5% 61.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazil

$109 12.6%

Sao Tome and Principe

$321 26.6% 193% $212

Getting Around

Brazil

$54 6.2%

Sao Tome and Principe

$20 * 1.7% 62.2% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Brazil

$38 4.4%

Sao Tome and Principe

$75 6.2% 95.9% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $335 in Brazil vs $288 in Sao Tome and Principe. For reference, capital cities sit at $517 in Brasilia and $288 in Sao Tome.

Average salary: $468 in Brazil vs $259 in Sao Tome and Principe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in Brazil.

Dining out costs 45% more in Sao Tome and Principe.

Salaries are 81% higher in Brazil, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brazil.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

🕒 Local time

15:08 3:08 PM

18:08 6:08 PM

3 h ahead of Brazil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

203,062,512

204,327

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

100 STN = 4.55 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 22 STN (100 STN = 4.55 USD). 1 EUR = 24.49 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brazil Sao Tome and Principe 6,250 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazil
Sao Tome and Principe

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

Brazil vs Sao Tome and Principe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 28% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, Sao Tome and Principe costs about 39% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Sao Tome and Principe. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.