Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Criciuma and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Criciuma: $769 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Criciuma
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Criciuma Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Criciuma

🇧🇷 Brazil

$769

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $769 in Criciuma versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo.

Criciuma $769
Sao Paulo $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,146 in Criciuma versus $2,044 in Sao Paulo.

Criciuma $1,146
Sao Paulo $2,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,523 in Criciuma versus $2,867 in Sao Paulo.

Criciuma $1,523
Sao Paulo $2,867

Living in Criciuma costs roughly 37% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Criciuma 43% lower, Sao Paulo 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.81 R$29.43

$8.71 R$44.15

-33.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.21 R$113

$48.61 R$246

-54.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.94 R$30.09

$9.03 R$45.77

-34.22%

Cappuccino

$1.39 R$7.05

$2.55 R$12.94

-45.49%

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

$1.09 R$5.52

$1.35 R$6.83

-19.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.71

$0.91 R$4.63

-19.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 R$7.90

$3.07 R$15.55

-49.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 R$10.16

$4.38 R$22.21

-54.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.90

$1.19 R$6.05

-18.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 R$7.55

$1.80 R$9.14

-17.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.57

$1.48 R$7.51

-25.68%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.13

$2.82 R$14.31

-29.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.31 R$42.12

$12.61 R$63.9

-34.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.51 R$17.78

$5.40 R$27.36

-35.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.71 R$44.15

$10.76 R$54.6

-19.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 R$10.34

$2.82 R$14.28

-27.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.82 R$9.25

-32.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.04

$1.60 R$8.14

-38.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.98

$2.03 R$10.28

-22.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.12

$1.46 R$7.40

-17.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.25 R$6.35

-12.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 R$4.15

$1.25 R$6.32

-34.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.52

$0.98 R$4.98

-29.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 R$12.46

$3.00 R$15.18

-18.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.73 R$23.97

$9.71 R$49.22

-51.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R$5.68

$1.84 R$9.32

-39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 R$7.10

$2.52 R$12.80

-44.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.08

$1.07 R$5.41

-6.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.09 R$203

$47.26 R$240

-15.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 R$2.54

$1.81 R$9.16

-72.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$4.01

$1.01 R$5.14

-21.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 R$11.84

$10.24 R$51.9

-77.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R$6.63

$1.29 R$6.52

1.55%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$23.5K R$119.3K

-0.40%

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

$30.9K R$156.9K

$34.5K R$174.9K

-10.33%

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

$72.1 R$365

$104 R$527

-30.72%

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

$12.31 R$62.4

$16.60 R$84.1

-25.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.92 R$111

$22.04 R$112

-0.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.52 R$145

$36.43 R$185

-21.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.86 R$202

$47.29 R$240

-15.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R$36.25

$9.69 R$49.12

-26.21%

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

$170 R$861

$573 R$2,906

-70.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,980 R$15.1K

$16.9K R$85.8K

-82.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.26 R$250

$66.3 R$336

-25.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.58 R$150

$61.1 R$310

-51.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 R$414

$98.8 R$501

-17.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.36 R$215

$91.4 R$463

-53.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,227

$654 R$3,316

-63.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$210 R$1,063

$418 R$2,120

-49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 R$2,072

$1,524 R$7,724

-73.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$270 R$1,370

$992 R$5,028

-72.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,194 R$6,054

$2,670 R$13.5K

-55.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 R$3,209

$2,019 R$10.2K

-68.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$317 R$1,606

$900 R$4,563

-64.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.74

11.68

-8.05%

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

Last update for Criciuma: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Criciuma

$210 27.3%

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2% 99.4% $209

Groceries & Markets

Criciuma

$170 22.1%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9% 42.9% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Criciuma

$106 13.8%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 34.2% $36

Eating Out

Criciuma

$100 13%

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1% 60.5% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Criciuma

$91 11.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 56.5% $52

Getting Around

Criciuma

$49 6.3%

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8% 20.3% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Criciuma

$43 5.6%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 30.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $242 in Criciuma and $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 184% 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: $22.00 in Criciuma vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $243 per month, with Criciuma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Criciuma

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

Same time as Criciuma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,493

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

On the map

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Between locations

Criciuma Sao Paulo 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Criciuma
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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

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

Criciuma is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 184% 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: $242 in Criciuma versus $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Criciuma runs roughly 18% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $170 in Criciuma versus $573 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $769 in Criciuma versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Criciuma but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Criciuma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Criciuma 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 Criciuma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.