Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilheus and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilheus: $786 a month against $1,183 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Ilheus
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Ilheus Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Ilheus

🇧🇷 Brazil

$786

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $786 per month in Ilheus vs $1,183 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Ilheus $786
Sao Paulo $1,183

A couple spends around $1,283 per month in Ilheus vs $1,948 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Ilheus $1,283
Sao Paulo $1,948

A family of three spends $1,779 per month in Ilheus vs $2,713 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Ilheus $1,779
Sao Paulo $2,713

Ilheus is about 34% cheaper than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ilheus and Sao Paulo are more affordable than the global median – Ilheus 42% lower, Sao Paulo 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.91 R$20.90

$8.15 R$43.60

-52.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.88 R$160

$46.78 R$250

-36.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 R$39.93

$8.24 R$44.07

-9.34%

Cappuccino

$1.86 R$9.92

$2.41 R$12.90

-22.82%

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

$1.16 R$6.19

$1.32 R$7.06

-12.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.47

$0.85 R$4.52

-1.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 R$9.25

$2.78 R$14.85

-37.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 R$16.88

$4.16 R$22.22

-24.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.61

$1.15 R$6.13

-8.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.61

$1.69 R$9.02

-4.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.52

$1.35 R$7.21

-9.63%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.71

$2.69 R$14.39

-25.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.98 R$96.1

$11.78 R$63.0

52.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 R$20.98

$4.97 R$26.56

-21.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.37 R$39.41

$10.10 R$54.0

-27.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 R$11.24

$2.56 R$13.69

-17.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.31

$1.74 R$9.32

-32.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$1.44 R$7.71

-20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$8.00

$1.83 R$9.76

-18.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.32

$1.29 R$6.90

-8.53%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$1.17 R$6.24

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$4.10

$1.22 R$6.53

-36.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.45

$0.89 R$4.75

-26.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 R$12.28

$2.75 R$14.71

-16.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.96 R$37.19

$9.27 R$49.56

-24.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.89

$1.73 R$9.23

-36.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 R$10.51

$2.38 R$12.71

-17.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R$5.06

$1.02 R$5.48

-6.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.11 R$220

$45.02 R$241

-8.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 R$5.79

$1.72 R$9.17

-37.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R$5.01

$0.89 R$4.78

5.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 R$36.23

$9.52 R$50.9

-28.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 R$6.06

$1.23 R$6.57

-8.13%

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

$20.8K R$111.2K

$22.3K R$119.3K

-6.80%

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

$32.7K R$174.7K

$32.5K R$173.7K

0.59%

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

$70.8 R$379

$98.2 R$525

-27.88%

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

$11.71 R$62.6

$15.47 R$82.7

-24.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.59 R$105

$20.73 R$111

-5.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.68 R$132

$31.85 R$170

-22.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.71 R$127

$44.21 R$236

-46.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 R$34.73

$9.07 R$48.51

-28.34%

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

$273 R$1,460

$512 R$2,740

-46.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,926 R$37.0K

$15.8K R$84.6K

-56.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 R$274

$60.2 R$322

-15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 R$219

$57.2 R$306

-28.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 R$464

$92.8 R$496

-6.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.4 R$344

$86.0 R$460

-25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$209 R$1,118

$632 R$3,377

-66.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$183 R$980

$433 R$2,318

-57.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 R$2,834

$1,354 R$7,239

-60.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 R$2,178

$957 R$5,119

-57.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,468 R$7,851

$2,480 R$13.3K

-40.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,234 R$6,600

$1,909 R$10.2K

-35.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$564 R$3,018

$818 R$4,373

-30.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

-5.82%

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

Last update for Ilheus: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ilheus

$204 26%

Sao Paulo

$227 19.2% 10.9% $22

Accommodation & Living

Ilheus

$183 23.3%

Sao Paulo

$433 36.6% 137% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Ilheus

$109 13.9%

Sao Paulo

$133 11.3% 21.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilheus

$102 13%

Sao Paulo

$134 11.4% 31.6% $32

Eating Out

Ilheus

$99 12.6%

Sao Paulo

$150 12.7% 51.5% $51

Getting Around

Ilheus

$51 6.4%

Sao Paulo

$55 4.7% 9.2% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Ilheus

$38 4.8%

Sao Paulo

$50 4.2% 32.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $209 in Ilheus versus $632 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 45% higher in Sao Paulo, 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 $30 in Ilheus versus $47 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $227 – making Ilheus the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Ilheus

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

Same time as Ilheus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

178,649

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ilheus Sao Paulo 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilheus
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $786 in Ilheus, $1,183 in Sao Paulo – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,180 per month in Ilheus and $1,775 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilheus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $632 in Sao Paulo.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Sao Paulo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Ilheus and $47 in Sao Paulo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

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