Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Sao Tome And Principe Cost of Living Comparison Between India and Sao Tome And Principe

Name: Sao Tome And Principe
Address: ST

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $388 in India versus $643 in Sao Tome And Principe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $617 in India versus $1,135 in Sao Tome And Principe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $846 in India versus $1,627 in Sao Tome And Principe.

Living in India costs about 40% less than in Sao Tome And Principe on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: India 71% lower, Sao Tome And Principe 52% lower.

Internal cost variation is higher in Sao Tome And Principe: monthly costs span $205 to $1,081, compared to $265–$913 in India. City choice carries more weight in Sao Tome And Principe.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.53 ₹244

$19.98 STN 428

-87.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.73 ₹1,321

$43.33 STN 927

-68.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.00 ₹385

$9.55 STN 204

-58.12%

Cappuccino

$1.91 ₹184

$2.00 STN 42.80

-4.50%

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

$0.43 ₹41.85

$1.88 STN 40.30

-77.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 ₹16.11

$1.03 STN 22.14

-83.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 ₹186

$1.64 STN 35.03

17.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 ₹341

$1.86 STN 39.80

90.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$1.36 STN 29.15

-46.32%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹50.1

$1.56 STN 33.29

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.73 ₹69.9

$1.94 STN 41.61

-62.37%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹91.4

$4.40 STN 94.2

-78.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.32 ₹512

$20.26 STN 434

-73.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 ₹299

$19.88 STN 425

-84.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.18 STN 539

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 ₹208

$4.50 STN 96.2

-52.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹67.7

$1.13 STN 24.10

-38.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 ₹101

$3.99 STN 85.5

-73.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 ₹50.8

$3.41 STN 72.9

-84.46%

Potato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹37.65

$2.62 STN 56.1

-85.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ₹46.63

$2.08 STN 44.58

-76.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.78

$0.67 STN 14.31

-22.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₹34.33

$1.98 STN 42.31

-81.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ₹387

$2.27 STN 48.66

77.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 ₹701

$7.96 STN 170

-8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₹183

$1.27 STN 27.20

49.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 ₹292

$1.29 STN 27.52

134.88%

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

$5.84 ₹562

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 ₹34.66

$1.20 STN 25.77

-70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.84 ₹948

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 ₹91.8

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 ₹29.03

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 ₹172

$14.20 STN 304

-87.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₹117

$1.70 STN 36.28

-28.82%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

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

$22.4K ₹2.2M

$23.3K STN 498.9K

-3.74%

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

$40.16 ₹3,866

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

$3.76 ₹362

$28.12 STN 602

-86.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.04 ₹774

$70.6 STN 1,512

-88.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.25 ₹1,565

$36.44 STN 780

-55.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 ₹728

$29.37 STN 629

-74.26%

Cinema Ticket

$3.43 ₹330

$20.81 STN 445

-83.52%

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

$69.7 ₹6,713

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 ₹178.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.59 ₹2,463

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.30 ₹2,531

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.89 ₹4,321

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.20 ₹3,196

$18.70 STN 400

77.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$174 ₹16.8K

$275 STN 5,889

-36.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 ₹10.8K

$188 STN 4,014

-40.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$405 ₹38.9K

$659 STN 14.1K

-38.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 ₹24.8K

$529 STN 11.3K

-51.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,263 ₹121.6K

$1,889 STN 40.4K

-33.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$653 ₹62.8K

$1,170 STN 25.0K

-44.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$424 ₹40.8K

$442 STN 9,462

-4.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.02

7.38

22.22%

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

Last update for India: July 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Tome And Principe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $127 in India, $177 in Sao Tome And Principe. Capital cities: $242 in Delhi vs $353 in Sao Tome.

National salary averages: $398 in India, $265 in Sao Tome And Principe. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 39% higher in Sao Tome And Principe.

Dining out costs 291% more in Sao Tome And Principe.

Salaries are 50% higher in India, and purchasing power comes out stronger in India.

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 $589 per month in India and $643 in Sao Tome And Principe, there's a 9% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in India: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Sao Tome And Principe is consistently higher than in India across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

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.