Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,634 in Burlington, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Burlington
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Burlington Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Burlington

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,634

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,634 per month in Burlington vs $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Burlington $2,634
Sao Paulo $1,235

A couple spends around $3,790 per month in Burlington vs $2,073 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Burlington $3,790
Sao Paulo $2,073

A family of three spends $4,946 per month in Burlington vs $2,911 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Burlington $4,946
Sao Paulo $2,911

Burlington costs about 113% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Burlington sits 95% above the global median, while Sao Paulo is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.10 CA$29.82

$8.81 R$44.68

139.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 CA$101

$49.37 R$250

44.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 CA$15.13

$8.80 R$44.63

21.59%

Cappuccino

$3.40 CA$4.81

$2.49 R$12.63

36.55%

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

$1.98 CA$2.80

$1.42 R$7.19

39.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.16

$0.85 R$4.31

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 CA$7.81

$2.98 R$15.11

85.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 CA$8.71

$4.34 R$22.02

41.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.24 R$6.28

112.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$1.91 R$9.66

45.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.24

$1.43 R$7.25

159.44%

Eggs

$3.51 CA$4.97

$2.81 R$14.23

24.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 CA$14.05

$12.74 R$64.6

-21.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.43 CA$14.75

$5.41 R$27.44

92.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 CA$20.10

$10.64 R$54.0

33.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 CA$5.03

$2.75 R$13.95

29.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 CA$2.13

$1.81 R$9.19

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.84

$1.63 R$8.27

66.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.99

$2.00 R$10.16

76.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 CA$2.71

$1.40 R$7.10

37.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 CA$2.61

$1.27 R$6.43

44.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 CA$2.89

$1.28 R$6.47

60.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$0.95 R$4.83

54.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.04 CA$18.44

$2.99 R$15.15

336.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 CA$14.94

$9.96 R$50.5

6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$1.85 R$9.37

41.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 CA$4.02

$2.54 R$12.90

12.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$1.09 R$5.50

133.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.3 CA$138

$48.78 R$247

99.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 CA$7.01

$1.85 R$9.39

168.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$0.99 R$4.99

141.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.21 CA$59.7

$10.29 R$52.2

310.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 CA$1.63

$1.34 R$6.78

-14.18%

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

$27.2K CA$38.5K

$24.4K R$123.8K

11.52%

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

$20.2K CA$28.5K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-40.60%

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

$143 CA$202

$104 R$529

36.59%

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

$44.20 CA$62.5

$16.71 R$84.7

164.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 CA$94.3

$22.18 R$112

200.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 CA$72.5

$35.82 R$182

43.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.46 CA$41.65

$47.28 R$240

-37.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 CA$22.51

$10.06 R$51.0

58.35%

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

$1,151 CA$1,628

$579 R$2,936

98.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K CA$27.1K

$17.1K R$86.6K

12.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 CA$96.1

$65.7 R$333

3.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.8 CA$90.1

$61.0 R$309

4.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.1 CA$137

$100 R$509

-3.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 CA$137

$92.1 R$467

5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 CA$2,286

$659 R$3,341

145.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 CA$1,969

$428 R$2,170

225.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,558 CA$3,616

$1,515 R$7,678

68.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 CA$3,019

$1,026 R$5,201

108.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,013 CA$7,087

$2,773 R$14.1K

80.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,029 CA$5,696

$2,007 R$10.2K

100.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,161 CA$4,468

$909 R$4,609

247.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.52

11.68

-61.30%

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

Last update for Burlington: 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

Burlington

$1.4K 52.9%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 69.3% $965

Groceries & Markets

Burlington

$338 12.8%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 27.8% $94

Eating Out

Burlington

$296 11.2%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 46.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington

$254 9.6%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 43.5% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington

$147 5.6%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 2% $3

Getting Around

Burlington

$124 4.7%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 51.8% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington

$83 3.2%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 32.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,617 in Burlington versus $659 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 248% higher in Burlington, 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 $71.0 in Burlington versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $244 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Burlington

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

17:53 5:53 PM

18:53 6:53 PM

1 h ahead of Burlington

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

183,314

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Burlington Sao Paulo 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Burlington
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

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

Yes – Burlington is pricier by about 113%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,952 per month in Burlington and $1,852 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,151 per month in Burlington and $579 in Sao Paulo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Burlington, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Burlington at $2,634. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Burlington it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Paulo – 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 Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Burlington makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.