Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Madison, IA and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
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Fort Madison, IA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,559 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA $2,559
Sao Paulo $1,222

A couple spends around $3,754 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $2,044 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA $3,754
Sao Paulo $2,044

A family of three spends $4,950 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $2,867 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA $4,950
Sao Paulo $2,867

Fort Madison, IA costs about 109% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Fort Madison, IA sits 89% above the global median, while Sao Paulo is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$8.71 R$44.15

127.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$48.61 R$246

56.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 $11.40

$9.03 R$45.77

26.25%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$2.55 R$12.94

115.29%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$1.35 R$6.83

94.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.91 R$4.63

117.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.13 $6.13

$3.07 R$15.55

99.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$4.38 R$22.21

68.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.19 R$6.05

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.80 R$9.14

91.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.48 R$7.51

190.54%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.82 R$14.31

47.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$12.61 R$63.9

-0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$5.40 R$27.36

109.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.07 $17.07

$10.76 R$54.6

58.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.82 R$14.28

73.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.82 R$9.25

-13.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.60 R$8.14

164.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.03 R$10.28

137.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.46 R$7.40

94.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.25 R$6.35

135.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.25 R$6.32

71.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.98 R$4.98

125.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.00 R$15.18

236.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 $15.04

$9.71 R$49.22

54.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.84 R$9.32

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.52 R$12.80

19.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.07 R$5.41

112.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.81 R$9.16

83.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.01 R$5.14

74.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.70 $31.70

$10.24 R$51.9

209.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.29 R$6.52

-28.68%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.5K R$119.3K

12.82%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$34.5K R$174.9K

-30.99%

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

$201 $201

$104 R$527

93.62%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$16.60 R$84.1

255.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 $71.0

$22.04 R$112

222.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.05 $41.05

$36.43 R$185

12.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$9.69 R$49.12

45.92%

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

$1,439 $1,439

$573 R$2,906

150.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$16.9K R$85.8K

40.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 $53.8

$66.3 R$336

-18.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 $40.89

$61.1 R$310

-33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 $88.0

$98.8 R$501

-10.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$91.4 R$463

25.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$654 R$3,316

141.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$418 R$2,120

207.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$1,524 R$7,724

66.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,141 $2,141

$992 R$5,028

115.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,414 $2,414

$2,670 R$13.5K

-9.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,589 $2,589

$2,019 R$10.2K

28.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.68

-43.75%

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

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3%

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2% 67.5% $869

Groceries & Markets

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9% 38.2% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 56.9% $189

Eating Out

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6%

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1% 50.2% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 6.8% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 19.5% $14

Getting Around

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8%

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8% 175% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA versus $654 in Sao Paulo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $393 vs $243 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

10:36 10:36 AM

12:36 12:36 PM

2 h ahead of Fort Madison, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,270

11,451,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Madison, IA Sao Paulo 8,500 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Madison, IA
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

Fort Madison, IA vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, $1,222 in Sao Paulo – roughly 109% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,838 per month in Fort Madison, IA and $1,833 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Paulo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA and $49.00 in Sao Paulo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 62% more in Fort Madison, IA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,222, than in Fort Madison, IA at $2,559. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fort Madison, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sao Paulo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,222 in Sao Paulo to $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fort Madison, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.