Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Sao Tome And Principe Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and Sao Tome And Principe

Name: Sao Tome And Principe
Address: ST

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,217 per month in Canada vs $732 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,254 per month in Canada vs $1,200 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,291 per month in Canada vs $1,668 in Sao Tome And Principe, rent included.

The cost of living in Canada is about 203% higher than in Sao Tome And Principe on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Canada sits 61% above the global median, while Sao Tome And Principe is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($912–$3,779) than in Sao Tome And Principe ($208–$1,257), so city choice matters more there.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.28 CA$25.35

$9.04 STN 191

102.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$98.8

$46.59 STN 983

52.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.96 CA$15.20

$8.99 STN 190

21.91%

Cappuccino

$3.95 CA$5.47

$2.42 STN 51.0

63.22%

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

$2.07 CA$2.88

$1.81 STN 38.16

14.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.42

$1.12 STN 23.55

55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 CA$8.23

$1.84 STN 38.79

222.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.89

$1.94 STN 40.91

193.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.09

$1.59 STN 33.45

40.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 CA$3.76

$1.57 STN 33.23

72.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.16

$2.02 STN 42.58

84.16%

Eggs

$3.61 CA$5.01

$4.68 STN 98.7

-22.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$14.99

$19.88 STN 419

-45.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 CA$16.95

$20.46 STN 432

-40.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.68 CA$21.75

$22.06 STN 465

-28.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.89

$3.94 STN 83.2

7.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$1.98

$1.77 STN 37.26

-19.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.57

$3.75 STN 79.1

7.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 CA$5.67

$3.50 STN 73.8

16.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 CA$3.72

$2.95 STN 62.2

-9.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 CA$3.40

$2.52 STN 53.1

-2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.70

$0.52 STN 10.87

413.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$2.14 STN 45.24

-15.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.46 CA$20.05

$2.34 STN 49.44

517.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.58 CA$18.84

$8.44 STN 178

60.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.94

$1.50 STN 31.74

89.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 CA$4.52

$1.69 STN 35.61

92.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.41

$1.41 STN 29.67

74.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.2 CA$104

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 CA$4.37

$1.77 STN 37.26

77.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$2.73 STN 57.7

-43.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.55 CA$38.21

$14.20 STN 300

94.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.61

$1.78 STN 37.59

-34.83%

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

$28.4K CA$39.3K

$26.0K STN 549.0K

9.03%

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

$19.5K CA$27.0K

$32.5K STN 685.5K

-40.08%

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

$155 CA$215

$241 STN 5,090

-35.79%

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

$43.47 CA$60.3

$33.16 STN 700

31.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.4 CA$83.8

$69.4 STN 1,463

-12.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 CA$57.1

$34.80 STN 734

18.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 CA$27.45

$26.33 STN 556

-24.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.53 CA$15.98

$20.84 STN 440

-44.67%

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

$786 CA$1,089

$241 STN 5,094

225.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.6K

$2,256 STN 47.6K

557.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CA$76.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.25 CA$57.2

$76.5 STN 1,613

-46.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.1 CA$122

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$147

$18.83 STN 397

462.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 CA$1,797

$291 STN 6,132

345.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 CA$1,619

$204 STN 4,297

473.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 CA$2,835

$984 STN 20.8K

107.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 CA$2,467

$468 STN 9,865

280.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,786 CA$6,638

$1,886 STN 39.8K

153.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,973 CA$5,510

$1,206 STN 25.5K

229.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,078 CA$4,270

$459 STN 9,682

570.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.86

7.38

-34.15%

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

Last update for Canada: September 8, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,228 in Canada vs $147 in Sao Tome And Principe. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,496 in Ottawa and $293 in Sao Tome.

Average salary: $2,981 in Canada vs $273 in Sao Tome And Principe. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 735% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 53% more in Canada.

Salaries are 992% higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

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

Canada vs Sao Tome And Principe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Tome And Principe is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 220% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Canada, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Canada consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Sao Tome And Principe, contributing to the overall 220% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Sao Tome And Principe, but in Canada it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Sao Tome And Principe is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.