Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ithaca, NY and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,941

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,941 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $2,941
Sao Paulo $1,235

A couple spends around $3,792 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $2,073 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $3,792
Sao Paulo $2,073

A family of three spends $4,642 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $2,911 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $4,642
Sao Paulo $2,911

Ithaca, NY costs about 138% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ithaca, NY sits 118% above the global median, while Sao Paulo is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$8.81 R$44.68

151.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$49.37 R$250

64.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 $11.22

$8.80 R$44.63

27.50%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$2.49 R$12.63

102.41%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.42 R$7.19

88.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.85 R$4.31

138.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.98 R$15.11

63.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 $9.29

$4.34 R$22.02

114.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.24 R$6.28

-18.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.91 R$9.66

74.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$1.43 R$7.25

403.50%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$2.81 R$14.23

45.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$12.74 R$64.6

13.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$5.41 R$27.44

24.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$10.64 R$54.0

43.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.75 R$13.95

72.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.81 R$9.19

-6.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.63 R$8.27

234.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.00 R$10.16

135.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.40 R$7.10

133.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.27 R$6.43

181.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.28 R$6.47

81.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.95 R$4.83

116.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$2.99 R$15.15

204.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 $14.03

$9.96 R$50.5

40.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.85 R$9.37

-1.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.54 R$12.90

51.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.09 R$5.50

79.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.65 $45.65

$48.78 R$247

-6.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.85 R$9.39

170.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.99 R$4.99

43.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 $29.94

$10.29 R$52.2

190.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.34 R$6.78

-20.90%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$24.4K R$123.8K

48.96%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-26.27%

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

$164 $164

$104 R$529

57.24%

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

$47.70 $47.70

$16.71 R$84.7

185.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$22.18 R$112

129.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 $35.26

$35.82 R$182

-1.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.84 $10.84

$10.06 R$51.0

7.75%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$579 R$2,936

153.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-1.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 $46.46

$65.7 R$333

-29.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 $40.18

$61.0 R$309

-34.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 $78.8

$100 R$509

-21.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$92.1 R$467

15.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$659 R$3,341

231.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 $1,714

$428 R$2,170

300.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$1,515 R$7,678

80.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$1,026 R$5,201

79.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,196 $2,196

$2,773 R$14.1K

-20.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$2,007 R$10.2K

7.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,464 $3,464

$909 R$4,609

280.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

11.68

-44.69%

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

Last update for Ithaca, NY: 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

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 58.3%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 75% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Ithaca, NY

$387 13.1%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 36.8% $142

Eating Out

Ithaca, NY

$333 11.3%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 52.1% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ithaca, NY

$263 8.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 45.5% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Ithaca, NY

$122 4.2%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 17.5% $21

Getting Around

Ithaca, NY

$66 2.2%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 8.7% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Ithaca, NY

$57 1.9%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 1.8% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,183 in Ithaca, NY 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 281% higher in Ithaca, NY, 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 $81.0 in Ithaca, NY versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $244 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

21:39 9:39 PM

22:39 10:39 PM

1 h ahead of Ithaca, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,283

11,451,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ithaca, NY Sao Paulo 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ithaca, NY
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

Ithaca, NY vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, $1,235 in Sao Paulo – roughly 138% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,412 per month in Ithaca, NY 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 Sao Paulo, 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 $81.0 in Ithaca, NY 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 $2,941 in Ithaca, NY and $1,235 in Sao Paulo. That's a gap of about 138%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Ithaca, NY at $2,941. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ithaca, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sao Paulo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,235 in Sao Paulo to $2,941 in Ithaca, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.