Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caraguatatuba and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Caraguatatuba: $843 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Caraguatatuba
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Caraguatatuba Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$843

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Caraguatatuba $843
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,363 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Caraguatatuba $1,363
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Caraguatatuba $1,883
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Caraguatatuba costs roughly 32% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Caraguatatuba 38% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 R$39.04

$8.81 R$44.68

-12.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.38 R$149

$49.37 R$250

-40.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 R$46.80

$8.80 R$44.63

4.89%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R$11.99

$2.49 R$12.63

-4.82%

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

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.42 R$7.19

-13.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.48

$0.85 R$4.31

3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.96

$2.98 R$15.11

-20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R$16.60

$4.34 R$22.02

-24.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.09

$1.24 R$6.28

-19.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.17

$1.91 R$9.66

-15.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.43 R$7.25

-2.10%

Eggs

$1.96 R$9.96

$2.81 R$14.23

-30.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 R$29.84

$12.74 R$64.6

-53.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 R$16.82

$5.41 R$27.44

-38.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 R$40.47

$10.64 R$54.0

-25.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$10.89

$2.75 R$13.95

-21.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.46

$1.81 R$9.19

-7.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.39

$1.63 R$8.27

-10.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.19

$2.00 R$10.16

-29.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.45

$1.40 R$7.10

-9.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 R$4.13

$1.27 R$6.43

-35.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 R$3.60

$1.28 R$6.47

-44.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$3.99

$0.95 R$4.83

-16.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 R$10.96

$2.99 R$15.15

-27.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 R$35.46

$9.96 R$50.5

-29.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R$7.58

$1.85 R$9.37

-18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R$13.11

$2.54 R$12.90

1.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.96

$1.09 R$5.50

-10.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.55 R$119

$48.78 R$247

-51.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 R$5.89

$1.85 R$9.39

-37.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.70

$0.99 R$4.99

-26.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 R$17.85

$10.29 R$52.2

-65.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.59

$1.34 R$6.78

-2.99%

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

$15.7K R$79.3K

$24.4K R$123.8K

-35.89%

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

$29.5K R$149.6K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-13.07%

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

$66.3 R$336

$104 R$529

-36.52%

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

$13.05 R$66.2

$16.71 R$84.7

-21.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.44 R$114

$22.18 R$112

1.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.64 R$110

$35.82 R$182

-39.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 R$82.6

$47.28 R$240

-65.55%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 R$41.40

$10.06 R$51.0

-18.79%

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

$223 R$1,130

$579 R$2,936

-61.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,271 R$21.7K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-74.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 R$293

$65.7 R$333

-11.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 R$287

$61.0 R$309

-7.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 R$397

$100 R$509

-21.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 R$300

$92.1 R$467

-35.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 R$2,110

$659 R$3,341

-36.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,201

$428 R$2,170

-44.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 R$4,453

$1,515 R$7,678

-42.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R$2,648

$1,026 R$5,201

-49.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,681 R$8,523

$2,773 R$14.1K

-39.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,217 R$6,170

$2,007 R$10.2K

-39.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 R$1,704

$909 R$4,609

-63.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.15

11.68

-30.22%

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

Last update for Caraguatatuba: 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

Caraguatatuba

$237 28.1%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 80.6% $191

Groceries & Markets

Caraguatatuba

$176 20.9%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 38.9% $68

Eating Out

Caraguatatuba

$145 17.2%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 10.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Caraguatatuba

$113 13.5%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 26.7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caraguatatuba

$102 12.1%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 40.8% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Caraguatatuba

$38 4.5%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 47.3% $18

Getting Around

Caraguatatuba

$32 3.8%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 85.6% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Caraguatatuba and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 170% 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: $29.00 in Caraguatatuba vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $244 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

Same time as Caraguatatuba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,873

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Caraguatatuba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 170% lower in Sao Paulo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $416 in Caraguatatuba versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.