Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isfahan and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Isfahan: $475 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Isfahan
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Isfahan Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Isfahan

🇮🇷 Iran

$475

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $475 per month in Isfahan vs $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Isfahan $475
Sao Paulo $1,244

A couple spends around $801 per month in Isfahan vs $2,085 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Isfahan $801
Sao Paulo $2,085

A family of three spends $1,127 per month in Isfahan vs $2,926 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Isfahan $1,127
Sao Paulo $2,926

Isfahan is about 62% cheaper than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Isfahan and Sao Paulo are more affordable than the global median – Isfahan 65% lower, Sao Paulo 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$8.94 R$44.87

-66.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.39 $12.39

$49.46 R$248

-74.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.99 $2.99

$9.22 R$46.25

-67.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.78 $0.78

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

Cappuccino

$0.98 $0.98

$2.54 R$12.77

-61.42%

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

$0.48 $0.48

$1.45 R$7.29

-66.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 $0.49

$0.91 R$4.57

-46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.87

Milk (1 liter)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.27 R$6.36

-62.20%

White Bread (500g)

$0.43 $0.43

$1.84 R$9.22

-76.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.41 R$7.08

34.04%

Eggs

$1.45 $1.45

$2.84 R$14.27

-48.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$12.56 R$63.0

-77.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$5.37 R$26.95

-55.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 $10.55

$10.72 R$53.8

-1.59%

Apples (1kg)

$0.71 $0.71

$2.74 R$13.74

-74.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.81 R$9.08

-28.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.55 R$7.78

-34.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.98 R$9.95

-69.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.47 R$7.38

-62.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.24 R$6.23

-60.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.27 R$6.38

-56.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.21 $0.21

$0.96 R$4.82

-78.13%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.48 $0.48

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 $0.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.04 R$15.24

-31.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$51.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

$1.04 R$5.20

-70.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.62 $12.62

$48.10 R$241

-73.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 $0.51

$1.82 R$9.12

-71.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 $0.29

$1.02 R$5.10

-71.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$10.16 R$51.0

-80.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.27 R$6.38

-26.77%

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

$67.3K $67.3K

$24.3K R$122.0K

176.65%

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

$59.0K $59.0K

$34.0K R$170.6K

73.51%

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

$10.18 $10.18

$104 R$522

-90.21%

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

$2.00 $2.00

$16.16 R$81.1

-87.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.35 $7.35

$22.59 R$113

-67.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.71 $13.71

$36.27 R$182

-62.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.36 $13.36

$47.78 R$240

-72.04%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 $1.02

$9.85 R$49.45

-89.64%

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

$71.9 $71.9

$525 R$2,635

-86.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$528 $528

$16.6K R$83.2K

-96.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.34 $18.34

$66.9 R$336

-72.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.42 $24.42

$62.3 R$312

-60.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.4 $85.4

$101 R$507

-15.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.85 $36.85

$90.9 R$456

-59.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 $290

$663 R$3,326

-56.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$194 $194

$423 R$2,121

-54.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$1,527 R$7,662

-11.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 $456

$1,009 R$5,061

-54.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,175 $1,175

$2,744 R$13.8K

-57.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$749 $749

$2,068 R$10.4K

-63.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$205 $205

$881 R$4,419

-76.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.8

11.68

129.45%

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

Last update for Isfahan: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Isfahan

$194 41.5%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 118% $229

Groceries & Markets

Isfahan

$100 21.4%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 143% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Isfahan

$74 15.9%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 94.6% $70

Eating Out

Isfahan

$48 10.3%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 238% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isfahan

$20 4.2%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 631% $123

Getting Around

Isfahan

$16 3.4%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 274% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Isfahan

$16 3.4%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 255% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Isfahan versus $663 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 330% 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 $12.00 in Isfahan versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $100 vs $243 – making Isfahan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Isfahan

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

23:02 11:02 PM

6 h 30 min behind Isfahan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,961,260

11,451,999

💱 Currency

USD USD

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – USD Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Isfahan Sao Paulo 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Isfahan
Sao Paulo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Sao Paulo costs about 162% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $713 per month in Isfahan and $1,866 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, 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 $12.00 in Isfahan and $49.00 in Sao Paulo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $475 in Isfahan and $1,244 in Sao Paulo. That's a gap of about 162%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Isfahan, where all-in costs run around $475, than in Sao Paulo at $1,244. In Isfahan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Isfahan costs $475 versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Isfahan. 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.