Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Sao Tome and Principe

Name: Sao Tome and Principe
Address: ST

For one person, living is cheaper in India: $399 a month against $1,206 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in India
Learn more

India Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome and Principe
Learn more

Sao Tome and Principe Living Index

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🇮🇳 India

$399

/mo nomad

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in India and in Sao Tome and Principe

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in India and in Sao Tome and Principe actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $399 in India versus $1,206 in Sao Tome and Principe.

India $399
Sao Tome and Principe $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $639 in India versus $1,890 in Sao Tome and Principe.

India $639
Sao Tome and Principe $1,890

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $879 in India versus $2,575 in Sao Tome and Principe.

India $879
Sao Tome and Principe $2,575

Internal cost variation is higher in Sao Tome and Principe: monthly costs span $199 to $1,211, compared to $230–$813 in India. City choice carries more weight in Sao Tome and Principe.

Living in India costs about 67% less than in Sao Tome and Principe on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Sao Tome and Principe 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.14 ₹204

$8.86 STN 195

-75.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.46 ₹995

$43.95 STN 967

-76.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.80 ₹361

$8.60 STN 189

-55.81%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ₹160

$2.40 STN 52.7

-30.00%

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

$0.38 ₹35.99

$1.81 STN 39.89

-79.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.60

$1.13 STN 24.76

-86.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 ₹178

$1.74 STN 38.32

7.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 ₹303

$1.88 STN 41.45

69.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 ₹59.2

$1.53 STN 33.69

-59.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 ₹47.76

$1.52 STN 33.44

-67.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.63 ₹60.3

$1.87 STN 41.10

-66.31%

Eggs

$0.96 ₹91.3

$4.40 STN 96.7

-78.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.85 ₹461

$19.33 STN 425

-74.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 ₹271

$19.32 STN 425

-85.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.09 STN 464

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ₹190

$3.80 STN 83.6

-47.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.65 ₹61.4

$1.76 STN 38.65

-63.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 ₹92.3

$3.58 STN 78.8

-72.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.47 ₹44.30

$3.54 STN 78.0

-86.72%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 ₹31.87

$2.87 STN 63.2

-88.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.73

$2.38 STN 52.4

-82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 ₹44.39

$0.53 STN 11.68

-11.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.67

$2.06 STN 45.40

-84.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₹483

$2.19 STN 48.09

131.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.31 ₹695

$7.98 STN 176

-8.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ₹155

$1.47 STN 32.25

10.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₹262

$1.68 STN 36.91

64.29%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.11 ₹486

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₹24.86

$1.34 STN 29.52

-80.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.58 ₹816

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 ₹94.7

$1.64 STN 36.10

-39.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.74

$2.66 STN 58.6

-89.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₹146

$13.81 STN 304

-88.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ₹102

$1.74 STN 38.37

-38.51%

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

$11.2K ₹1.1M

$24.4K STN 535.9K

-53.96%

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

$20.1K ₹1.9M

$31.6K STN 694.4K

-36.47%

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

$37.08 ₹3,527

$224 STN 4,934

-83.46%

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

$3.58 ₹340

$30.91 STN 680

-88.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.15 ₹680

$65.8 STN 1,447

-89.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.00 ₹1,427

$34.11 STN 750

-56.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.17 ₹682

$25.43 STN 560

-71.80%

Cinema Ticket

$3.20 ₹304

$20.50 STN 451

-84.39%

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

$58.8 ₹5,592

$228 STN 5,021

-74.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,667 ₹158.5K

$2,158 STN 47.5K

-22.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.03 ₹2,191

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.17 ₹2,299

$75.2 STN 1,653

-67.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.20 ₹3,918

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$29.62 ₹2,817

$18.67 STN 411

58.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ₹13.9K

$288 STN 6,339

-49.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.4 ₹9,165

$195 STN 4,300

-50.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 ₹32.6K

$920 STN 20.2K

-62.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 ₹22.2K

$437 STN 9,606

-46.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,177 ₹111.9K

$1,861 STN 40.9K

-36.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$633 ₹60.2K

$1,125 STN 24.8K

-43.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$409 ₹38.9K

$441 STN 9,709

-7.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.93

7.38

21.00%

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

Last update for India: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome and Principe: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

India

$102 25.6%

Sao Tome and Principe

$402 33.3% 293% $300

Accommodation & Living

India

$96 24.1%

Sao Tome and Principe

$195 16.2% 103% $99

Eating Out

India

$67 16.7%

Sao Tome and Principe

$150 12.4% 125% $83

Clothing & Footwear

India

$53 13.3%

Sao Tome and Principe

$42 * 3.5% 20.5% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

India

$48 12%

Sao Tome and Principe

$321 26.6% 571% $273

Sport & Entertainment

India

$21 5.4%

Sao Tome and Principe

$75 6.2% 251% $54

Getting Around

India

$12 3%

Sao Tome and Principe

$20 * 1.7% 69.6% $8.3

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

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $120 in India, $288 in Sao Tome and Principe. Capital cities: $277 in Delhi vs $288 in Sao Tome.

National salary averages: $412 in India, $259 in Sao Tome and Principe. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 140% higher in Sao Tome and Principe.

Dining out costs 282% more in Sao Tome and Principe.

Salaries are 59% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

Good to know

🇮🇳 India

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

10:24 10:24 AM

5 h 30 min behind India

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,326,093,247

204,327

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

100 STN = 4.55 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

STN, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.1 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR).

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 22 STN (100 STN = 4.55 USD). 1 EUR = 24.49 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

India Sao Tome and Principe 8,090 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

India
Sao Tome and Principe

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

India vs Sao Tome and Principe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $399 per month in India and $1,206 in Sao Tome and Principe, there’s a 202% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $288 in Sao Tome and Principe and $120 in India. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In India, $1,000 covers most cities easily; in Sao Tome and Principe it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you’ll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you’re after: India wins on affordability; Sao Tome and Principe may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.