Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hays, KS and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $1,737 in Hays, KS, 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 Hays, KS
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Hays, KS Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Hays, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,737

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,737 per month in Hays, KS vs $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Hays, KS $1,737
Sao Paulo $1,222

A couple spends around $2,467 per month in Hays, KS vs $2,044 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Hays, KS $2,467
Sao Paulo $2,044

A family of three spends $3,198 per month in Hays, KS vs $2,867 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Hays, KS $3,198
Sao Paulo $2,867

Hays, KS costs about 42% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hays, KS sits 28% above the global median, while Sao Paulo is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.33 $13.33

$8.71 R$44.15

53.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 $43.87

$48.61 R$246

-9.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 $8.11

$9.03 R$45.77

-10.19%

Cappuccino

$3.98 $3.98

$2.55 R$12.94

56.08%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$1.35 R$6.83

77.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.91 R$4.63

12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.07 R$15.55

25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.38 R$22.21

-1.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.19 R$6.05

-36.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.80 R$9.14

25.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.48 R$7.51

201.35%

Eggs

$2.06 $2.06

$2.82 R$14.31

-26.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$12.61 R$63.9

-64.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.93 $8.93

$5.40 R$27.36

65.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$10.76 R$54.6

23.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.82 R$14.28

114.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.82 R$9.25

-9.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$1.60 R$8.14

216.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.03 R$10.28

117.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.46 R$7.40

100.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.25 R$6.35

73.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.25 R$6.32

57.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.98 R$4.98

107.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 $9.68

$3.00 R$15.18

222.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$9.71 R$49.22

25.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.84 R$9.32

21.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.52 R$12.80

52.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.07 R$5.41

87.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.81 R$9.16

34.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.01 R$5.14

55.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 $39.71

$10.24 R$51.9

287.79%

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)

$28.1K $28.1K

$23.5K R$119.3K

19.29%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.5K R$174.9K

-24.80%

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

$269 $269

$104 R$527

158.25%

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

$34.85 $34.85

$16.60 R$84.1

109.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$22.04 R$112

212.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.17 $45.17

$36.43 R$185

23.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$9.69 R$49.12

56.97%

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

$922 $922

$573 R$2,906

60.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K $15.7K

$16.9K R$85.8K

-7.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.68 $23.68

$66.3 R$336

-64.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$61.1 R$310

-47.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$98.8 R$501

10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$91.4 R$463

51.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 $793

$654 R$3,316

21.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 $589

$418 R$2,120

40.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,034 $1,034

$1,524 R$7,724

-32.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 $895

$992 R$5,028

-9.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,386 $2,386

$2,670 R$13.5K

-10.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,615 $2,615

$2,019 R$10.2K

29.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,386 $2,386

$900 R$4,563

165.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

11.68

-43.07%

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

Last update for Hays, KS: 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

Hays, KS

$589 33.9%

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2% 29% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hays, KS

$372 21.4%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 61.7% $230

Groceries & Markets

Hays, KS

$325 18.7%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9% 25.2% $82

Eating Out

Hays, KS

$220 12.7%

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1% 27.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Hays, KS

$136 7.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 4.8% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Hays, KS

$76 4.4%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 26.2% $20

Getting Around

Hays, KS

$18 * 1.1%

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8% 219% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $793 in Hays, KS 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.

Salaries run about 165% higher in Hays, KS, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Hays, KS versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Groceries tell a different story – $325 in Hays, KS vs $243 in Sao Paulo – so Sao Paulo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hays, KS

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

05:17 5:17 AM

07:17 7:17 AM

2 h ahead of Hays, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,726

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Hays, KS Sao Paulo 8,840 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Hays, KS
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

Hays, KS vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Hays, KS is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,605 per month in Hays, KS 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 $44.00 in Hays, KS 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 34% more in Hays, KS, 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 Hays, KS at $1,737. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hays, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Paulo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Hays, KS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.