Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carbondale, IL and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $1,764 in Carbondale, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Carbondale, IL
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Carbondale, IL Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,764

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,764 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo.

Carbondale, IL $1,764
Sao Paulo $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,118 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,085 in Sao Paulo.

Carbondale, IL $2,118
Sao Paulo $2,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,473 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,926 in Sao Paulo.

Carbondale, IL $2,473
Sao Paulo $2,926

Living in Carbondale, IL is roughly 42% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carbondale, IL is 32% above, Sao Paulo is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$8.94 R$44.64

104.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.75 $38.75

$49.46 R$247

-21.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 $8.87

$9.22 R$46.01

-3.80%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$2.54 R$12.70

100.79%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$1.45 R$7.25

53.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.91 R$4.55

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.07 R$15.31

42.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.36 R$21.75

84.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.27 R$6.32

-29.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.84 R$9.17

64.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.41 R$7.05

195.04%

Eggs

$3.80 $3.80

$2.84 R$14.20

33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$12.56 R$62.7

4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$5.37 R$26.81

113.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.75 $18.75

$10.72 R$53.5

74.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.74 R$13.67

109.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.81 R$9.03

-4.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$1.55 R$7.74

289.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.98 R$9.90

148.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.47 R$7.34

12.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.24 R$6.20

93.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.27 R$6.35

104.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.96 R$4.79

122.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$3.04 R$15.16

250.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 $13.16

$10.19 R$50.8

29.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.73 R$8.64

-1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.64 R$13.19

-37.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.82 R$9.07

12.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.02 R$5.07

36.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.08 $20.08

$10.16 R$50.7

97.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.27 R$6.35

-22.05%

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

$37.9K $37.9K

$24.3K R$121.4K

55.75%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$34.0K R$169.8K

-20.84%

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

$189 $189

$104 R$519

81.76%

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

$86.1 $86.1

$16.16 R$80.7

433.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$22.59 R$113

230.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$239

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$9.85 R$49.19

21.32%

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

$1,731 $1,731

$525 R$2,622

229.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$16.6K R$82.8K

47.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.38 $46.38

$66.9 R$334

-30.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.29 $33.29

$62.3 R$311

-46.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 $81.7

$101 R$505

-19.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$90.9 R$454

65.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 $658

$663 R$3,309

-0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 $557

$423 R$2,110

31.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,622

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,035

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$840 $840

$2,744 R$13.7K

-69.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 $836

$2,068 R$10.3K

-59.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,856 $3,856

$881 R$4,396

337.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

11.68

-43.49%

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

Last update for Carbondale, IL: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carbondale, IL

$557 31.6%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 24.2% $135

Groceries & Markets

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.4%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 38.5% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carbondale, IL

$350 19.8%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 59.2% $207

Eating Out

Carbondale, IL

$289 16.4%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 43.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Carbondale, IL

$140 7.9%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 3.1% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 134% $32

Getting Around

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 557% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Carbondale, IL and $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 338% 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: $39.00 in Carbondale, IL vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Groceries flip the comparison at $396 vs $243, with Sao Paulo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

14:01 2:01 PM

16:01 4:01 PM

2 h ahead of Carbondale, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,881

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

Carbondale, IL Sao Paulo 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Carbondale, IL
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

Carbondale, IL vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Carbondale, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Paulo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 338% higher in Carbondale, IL, 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: $658 in Carbondale, IL versus $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Carbondale, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,764 per month in Carbondale, IL versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $1,764 in Carbondale, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Carbondale, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sao Paulo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,244 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sao Paulo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Carbondale, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.