Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $38,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

216

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,437

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,437 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $4,437
Sao Paulo $1,244

A couple spends around $6,601 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $2,085 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $6,601
Sao Paulo $2,085

A family of three spends $8,766 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $2,926 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $8,766
Sao Paulo $2,926

Brooklyn, NY costs about 257% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Brooklyn, NY sits 231% above the global median, while Sao Paulo is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$8.94 R$44.64

120.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 $106

$49.46 R$247

114.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$9.22 R$46.01

29.61%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$2.54 R$12.70

122.44%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.45 R$7.25

75.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.91 R$4.55

145.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$3.07 R$15.31

163.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$4.36 R$21.75

102.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.27 R$6.32

32.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.84 R$9.17

155.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.28 $7.28

$1.41 R$7.05

416.31%

Eggs

$6.48 $6.48

$2.84 R$14.20

128.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 $16.24

$12.56 R$62.7

29.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.15 $17.15

$5.37 R$26.81

219.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.76 $19.76

$10.72 R$53.5

84.33%

Apples (1kg)

$8.10 $8.10

$2.74 R$13.67

195.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.81 R$9.03

109.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$1.55 R$7.74

246.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$1.98 R$9.90

196.46%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.47 R$7.34

172.79%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.24 R$6.20

285.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.27 R$6.35

101.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.96 R$4.79

157.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.90 $14.90

$3.04 R$15.16

390.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.71 $20.71

$10.19 R$50.8

103.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.73 R$8.64

53.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.64 R$13.19

28.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.04 R$5.18

194.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$151 $151

$48.10 R$240

214.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.82 R$9.07

67.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.02 R$5.07

115.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.16 $42.16

$10.16 R$50.7

314.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.27 R$6.35

-9.45%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$24.3K R$121.4K

43.93%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.0K R$169.8K

-24.97%

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

$244 $244

$104 R$519

134.66%

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

$61.5 $61.5

$16.16 R$80.7

280.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 $61.2

$22.59 R$113

170.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 $107

$36.27 R$181

194.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.20 $35.20

$47.78 R$239

-26.33%

Cinema Ticket

$20.29 $20.29

$9.85 R$49.19

105.99%

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

$2,646 $2,646

$525 R$2,622

403.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K $34.3K

$16.6K R$82.8K

107.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$66.9 R$334

4.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.4 $76.4

$62.3 R$311

22.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$101 R$505

17.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$90.9 R$454

34.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,711 $3,711

$663 R$3,309

459.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 $2,694

$423 R$2,110

537.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,368 $7,368

$1,527 R$7,622

382.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,813 $4,813

$1,009 R$5,035

377.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K $13.4K

$2,744 R$13.7K

389.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,757 $7,757

$2,068 R$10.3K

275.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,661 $3,661

$881 R$4,396

315.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.68

-42.89%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brooklyn, NY

$2.7K 60.6%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 84.3% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$550 12.4%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 55.7% $306

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$367 8.2%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 61.1% $224

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$339 7.6%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 51.8% $175

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$177 4%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 66.7% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$175 3.9%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 17.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$147 3.3%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 62% $91

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,711 in Brooklyn, NY versus $663 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 316% higher in Brooklyn, NY, 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 $106 in Brooklyn, NY versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $550 vs $243 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

08:37 8:37 AM

1 h ahead of Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

11,451,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brooklyn, NY Sao Paulo 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Brooklyn, NY
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

Brooklyn, NY vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, $1,244 in Sao Paulo – roughly 257% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,655 per month in Brooklyn, NY and $1,866 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Paulo, 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 $106 in Brooklyn, NY and $49.00 in Sao Paulo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY and $1,244 in Sao Paulo. That's a gap of about 257%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Brooklyn, NY at $4,437. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brooklyn, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,244 in Sao Paulo to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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