Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquitos and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $663 per month in Iquitos vs $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Iquitos $663
Sao Paulo $1,235

A couple spends around $1,185 per month in Iquitos vs $2,073 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Iquitos $1,185
Sao Paulo $2,073

A family of three spends $1,707 per month in Iquitos vs $2,911 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Iquitos $1,707
Sao Paulo $2,911

Iquitos is about 46% cheaper than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iquitos and Sao Paulo are more affordable than the global median – Iquitos 51% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 PEN 14.81

$8.81 R$44.68

-51.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.44 PEN 132

$49.37 R$250

-22.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 PEN 25.06

$8.80 R$44.63

-17.05%

Cappuccino

$3.57 PEN 12.26

$2.49 R$12.63

43.37%

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

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.42 R$7.19

-40.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$0.85 R$4.31

-34.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 PEN 9.69

$2.98 R$15.11

-5.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 PEN 25.45

$4.34 R$22.02

70.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 PEN 6.05

$1.24 R$6.28

41.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 PEN 7.91

$1.91 R$9.66

20.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

Eggs

$2.56 PEN 8.80

$2.81 R$14.23

-8.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 PEN 11.26

$5.41 R$27.44

-39.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$0.95 R$4.83

-6.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

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

$34.73 PEN 119

$104 R$529

-66.75%

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

$11.34 PEN 38.95

$16.71 R$84.7

-32.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.74 PEN 30.03

$22.18 R$112

-60.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 PEN 99.8

$35.82 R$182

-18.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.75 PEN 30.06

$47.28 R$240

-81.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 PEN 19.37

$10.06 R$51.0

-43.94%

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

$579 R$2,936

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,789 PEN 9,576

$17.1K R$86.6K

-83.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 PEN 301

$65.7 R$333

33.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 PEN 121

$61.0 R$309

-42.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.9 PEN 182

$100 R$509

-47.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.21 PEN 90.0

$92.1 R$467

-71.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,180

$659 R$3,341

-47.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 PEN 909

$428 R$2,170

-38.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 PEN 3,029

$1,515 R$7,678

-41.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 PEN 2,445

$1,026 R$5,201

-30.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$573 PEN 1,968

$909 R$4,609

-36.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquitos

–

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Groceries & Markets

Iquitos

–

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Eating Out

Iquitos

–

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Iquitos

–

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquitos

–

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Getting Around

Iquitos

–

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Iquitos

–

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Iquitos versus $659 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 59% 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 $38.00 in Iquitos versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $78.0 vs $244 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

2 h ahead of Iquitos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,853

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iquitos Sao Paulo 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Iquitos
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

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

Yes – Sao Paulo is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $994 per month in Iquitos and $1,852 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 213% 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 $38.00 in Iquitos and $49.00 in Sao Paulo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $663, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iquitos – 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 Iquitos. 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.