Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,398 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Cambridge

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,398

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,398 in Cambridge versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Cambridge $2,398
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,402 in Cambridge versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Cambridge $3,402
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,406 in Cambridge versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Cambridge $4,406
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Cambridge is roughly 94% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cambridge is 78% above, Sao Paulo is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.45

$8.81 R$44.68

96.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 CA$78.9

$49.37 R$250

13.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CA$14.07

$8.80 R$44.63

13.18%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$4.96

$2.49 R$12.63

40.96%

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

$1.98 CA$2.79

$1.42 R$7.19

39.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 CA$1.86

$0.85 R$4.31

55.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 CA$7.22

$2.98 R$15.11

71.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 CA$8.82

$4.34 R$22.02

43.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$1.24 R$6.28

66.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$1.91 R$9.66

24.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.36

$1.43 R$7.25

116.08%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.53

$2.81 R$14.23

13.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 CA$15.33

$12.74 R$64.6

-14.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.02

$5.41 R$27.44

109.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 CA$20.22

$10.64 R$54.0

34.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$2.75 R$13.95

43.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.81 R$9.19

-34.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.66

$1.63 R$8.27

145.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.20

$2.00 R$10.16

84.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$1.40 R$7.10

86.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.79

$1.27 R$6.43

55.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 CA$2.88

$1.28 R$6.47

59.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$0.95 R$4.83

48.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.82 CA$18.13

$2.99 R$15.15

328.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 CA$17.25

$9.96 R$50.5

22.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.85 R$9.37

38.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 CA$5.44

$2.54 R$12.90

51.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.44

$1.09 R$5.50

123.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 CA$90.3

$48.78 R$247

31.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$1.85 R$9.39

30.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 CA$2.52

$0.99 R$4.99

79.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.60 CA$31.95

$10.29 R$52.2

119.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.34 R$6.78

-13.43%

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

$25.8K CA$36.5K

$24.4K R$123.8K

5.86%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-45.42%

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

$149 CA$211

$104 R$529

42.61%

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

$42.05 CA$59.5

$16.71 R$84.7

151.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.52 CA$70.0

$22.18 R$112

123.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.59 CA$40.42

$35.82 R$182

-20.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 CA$14.53

$10.06 R$51.0

2.19%

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

$528 CA$746

$579 R$2,936

-8.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.8K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-5.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$76.7

$65.7 R$333

-17.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.82 CA$42.16

$61.0 R$309

-51.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 CA$105

$100 R$509

-25.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$92.1 R$467

12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 CA$1,845

$659 R$3,341

97.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 CA$1,837

$428 R$2,170

203.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 CA$3,547

$1,515 R$7,678

65.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 CA$2,812

$1,026 R$5,201

93.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,236 CA$5,989

$2,773 R$14.1K

52.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,850 CA$5,443

$2,007 R$10.2K

91.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,938 CA$4,153

$909 R$4,609

223.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

11.68

-56.42%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.3K 54.2%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 67.1% $871

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$345 14.4%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 29.1% $100

Eating Out

Cambridge

$262 10.9%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 39% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$241 10%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 40.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$118 4.9%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 22% $26

Getting Around

Cambridge

$85 3.5%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 29.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$49 2.1%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 13.8% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,305 in Cambridge and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 223% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in Cambridge vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $244 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Cambridge

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

18:52 6:52 PM

1 h ahead of Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,479

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 →

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Between locations

Cambridge Sao Paulo 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
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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

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

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 223% higher in Cambridge, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,305 in Cambridge versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Paulo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $56.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,398 in Cambridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.