Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla de Margarita and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Isla de Margarita: $656 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index

Jump to prices

Isla de Margarita

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$656

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $656 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Isla de Margarita $656
Sao Paulo $1,235

A couple spends around $1,223 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $2,073 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Isla de Margarita $1,223
Sao Paulo $2,073

A family of three spends $1,790 per month in Isla de Margarita vs $2,911 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Isla de Margarita $1,790
Sao Paulo $2,911

Isla de Margarita is about 47% cheaper than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.12 VES 8,883

$8.81 R$44.68

14.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 VES 70.8K

$49.37 R$250

63.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

Cappuccino

$2.54 VES 2,229

$2.49 R$12.63

2.01%

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

$1.01 VES 890

$1.42 R$7.19

-28.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 VES 1,308

$0.85 R$4.31

75.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 VES 896

$2.98 R$15.11

-65.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 VES 2,614

$4.34 R$22.02

-31.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 VES 1,786

$1.24 R$6.28

63.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 VES 2,564

$1.91 R$9.66

52.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 VES 1,738

$1.43 R$7.25

38.46%

Eggs

$2.33 VES 2,045

$2.81 R$14.23

-17.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 VES 6,958

$12.74 R$64.6

-37.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.93 VES 6,964

$5.41 R$27.44

46.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 VES 7,135

$10.64 R$54.0

-23.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 VES 3,608

$2.75 R$13.95

49.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 VES 1,303

$1.81 R$9.19

-18.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 VES 1,793

$1.63 R$8.27

25.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 VES 2,249

$2.00 R$10.16

28.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 VES 1,337

$1.40 R$7.10

8.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 VES 1,627

$1.27 R$6.43

45.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 VES 852

$1.28 R$6.47

-24.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

Wine (Bottle)

$5.03 VES 4,413

$9.96 R$50.5

-49.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 VES 904

$1.85 R$9.37

-44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 VES 1,342

$2.54 R$12.90

-39.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 VES 2,702

$1.85 R$9.39

66.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 VES 2,597

$0.99 R$4.99

198.99%

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)

$30.45 VES 26.7K

$104 R$529

-70.85%

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

$15.02 VES 13.2K

$16.71 R$84.7

-10.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.21 VES 34.4K

$22.18 R$112

76.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.52 VES 43.5K

$35.82 R$182

38.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.94 VES 13.1K

$47.28 R$240

-68.40%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 VES 4,402

$10.06 R$51.0

-50.20%

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

$579 R$2,936

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.8 VES 70.1K

$65.7 R$333

21.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 VES 86.3K

$100 R$509

-2.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 VES 89.2K

$92.1 R$467

10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$294 VES 258.2K

$659 R$3,341

-55.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 VES 444.1K

$1,515 R$7,678

-66.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$602 VES 528.6K

$2,773 R$14.1K

-78.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

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 Isla de Margarita: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Isla de Margarita

–

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Groceries & Markets

Isla de Margarita

–

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Eating Out

Isla de Margarita

–

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Isla de Margarita

–

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Isla de Margarita

–

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Getting Around

Isla de Margarita

–

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Isla de Margarita

–

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $294 in Isla de Margarita 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Isla de Margarita versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Isla de Margarita vs $244 in Sao Paulo – so Isla de Margarita wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Isla de Margarita

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

1 h ahead of Isla de Margarita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,387

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Isla de Margarita Sao Paulo 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Isla de Margarita
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

Isla de Margarita vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sao Paulo is pricier by about 88%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $984 per month in Isla de Margarita 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 Isla de Margarita, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% 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 $81.0 in Isla de Margarita 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 Isla de Margarita, where all-in costs run around $656, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Isla de Margarita it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Isla de Margarita – 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 Isla de Margarita. 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.