Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Craiova and Sao Paulo

For one person, living costs are similar in Craiova and in Sao Paulo: $1,182 and $1,235 a month, rent and utilities included.

58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,182

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Craiova versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Craiova $1,182
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,739 in Craiova versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Craiova $1,739
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,297 in Craiova versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Craiova $2,297
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Craiova costs roughly 4% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Craiova 12% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.45 RON 35.24

$8.81 R$44.68

-15.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 RON 198

$49.37 R$250

-15.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 RON 33.62

$8.80 R$44.63

-19.20%

Cappuccino

$2.65 RON 12.54

$2.49 R$12.63

6.43%

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

$2.20 RON 10.39

$1.42 R$7.19

54.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 RON 8.68

$0.85 R$4.31

115.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 RON 10.60

$2.98 R$15.11

-24.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 RON 16.65

$4.34 R$22.02

-18.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 RON 6.05

$1.24 R$6.28

3.23%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 RON 4.06

$1.91 R$9.66

-54.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 RON 6.43

$1.43 R$7.25

-4.90%

Eggs

$3.27 RON 15.47

$2.81 R$14.23

16.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.11 RON 33.63

$12.74 R$64.6

-44.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 RON 30.73

$5.41 R$27.44

19.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 RON 54.4

$10.64 R$54.0

8.08%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 RON 4.44

$2.75 R$13.95

-65.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 RON 6.83

$1.81 R$9.19

-20.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 RON 6.94

$1.63 R$8.27

-9.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 RON 8.51

$2.00 R$10.16

-10.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 RON 3.60

$1.40 R$7.10

-45.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 RON 3.95

$1.27 R$6.43

-34.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 RON 3.49

$1.28 R$6.47

-42.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 RON 3.38

$0.95 R$4.83

-24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.32 RON 29.92

$2.99 R$15.15

111.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.33 RON 29.95

$9.96 R$50.5

-36.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 RON 5.48

$1.85 R$9.37

-37.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 RON 7.15

$2.54 R$12.90

-40.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 RON 3.85

$1.09 R$5.50

-25.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.73 RON 117

$48.78 R$247

-49.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 RON 3.06

$1.85 R$9.39

-64.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 RON 3.12

$0.99 R$4.99

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 RON 29.18

$10.29 R$52.2

-40.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 RON 8.66

$1.34 R$6.78

36.57%

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

$28.5K RON 135.1K

$24.4K R$123.8K

16.93%

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

$26.4K RON 125.0K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-22.15%

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

$211 RON 996

$104 R$529

101.58%

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

$9.13 RON 43.18

$16.71 R$84.7

-45.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 RON 54.8

$22.18 R$112

-47.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.63 RON 211

$35.82 R$182

24.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.02 RON 104

$47.28 R$240

-53.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 RON 35.24

$10.06 R$51.0

-25.94%

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

$423 RON 2,002

$579 R$2,936

-26.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,143 RON 38.5K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-52.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 RON 293

$65.7 R$333

-5.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 RON 242

$61.0 R$309

-16.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 RON 398

$100 R$509

-16.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 RON 487

$92.1 R$467

11.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 RON 2,404

$659 R$3,341

-22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 RON 1,814

$428 R$2,170

-10.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 RON 4,225

$1,515 R$7,678

-41.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$596 RON 2,822

$1,026 R$5,201

-41.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,614 RON 12.4K

$2,773 R$14.1K

-5.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,960 RON 9,272

$2,007 R$10.2K

-2.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$931 RON 4,404

$909 R$4,609

2.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

11.68

-41.44%

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

Last update for Craiova: 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

Craiova

$383 32.5%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 11.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Craiova

$231 19.6%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 38% $88

Groceries & Markets

Craiova

$193 16.4%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 26.3% $51

Eating Out

Craiova

$147 12.5%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 8.4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Craiova

$135 11.4%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 6.3% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Craiova

$60 5%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 6% $3.6

Getting Around

Craiova

$32 2.7%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 87.6% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Craiova and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Craiova pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Craiova vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $244 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Craiova

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

12:53 12:53 PM

6 h behind Craiova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

269,506

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Craiova Sao Paulo 10,390 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Craiova
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

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

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Sao Paulo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Craiova, 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: $508 in Craiova versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,182 per month in Craiova versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 97% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,182 in Craiova versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Craiova delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,182 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Craiova hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Craiova and Sao Paulo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.