Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johnson City, TN and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,099 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
Learn more

Johnson City, TN Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index

Jump to prices

Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,099

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,099 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $2,099
Sao Paulo $1,235

A couple spends around $3,126 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $2,073 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $3,126
Sao Paulo $2,073

A family of three spends $4,153 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $2,911 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Johnson City, TN $4,153
Sao Paulo $2,911

Johnson City, TN costs about 70% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Johnson City, TN sits 55% above the global median, while Sao Paulo is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.27 $14.27

$8.81 R$44.68

61.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 $54.1

$49.37 R$250

9.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$8.80 R$44.63

12.39%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$2.49 R$12.63

113.65%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.42 R$7.19

107.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.85 R$4.31

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.98 R$15.11

64.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 $5.86

$4.34 R$22.02

35.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.24 R$6.28

-18.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.91 R$9.66

105.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.43 R$7.25

170.63%

Eggs

$3.20 $3.20

$2.81 R$14.23

13.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 $7.31

$12.74 R$64.6

-42.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 $13.57

$5.41 R$27.44

150.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 $12.99

$10.64 R$54.0

22.09%

Apples (1kg)

$7.75 $7.75

$2.75 R$13.95

181.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.81 R$9.19

-1.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.63 R$8.27

141.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.00 R$10.16

80.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.40 R$7.10

150.00%

Onion (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.27 R$6.43

230.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.28 R$6.47

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.95 R$4.83

143.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.99 R$15.15

169.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 $13.10

$9.96 R$50.5

31.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.85 R$9.37

-8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.54 R$12.90

74.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.09 R$5.50

125.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.08 $37.08

$48.78 R$247

-23.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 $5.37

$1.85 R$9.39

190.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.99 R$4.99

49.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.07 $15.07

$10.29 R$52.2

46.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.34 R$6.78

-34.33%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

$24.4K R$123.8K

31.43%

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

$21.7K $21.7K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-36.17%

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

$176 $176

$104 R$529

68.63%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$16.71 R$84.7

211.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.3 $63.3

$22.18 R$112

185.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.50 $47.50

$35.82 R$182

32.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 $19.61

$47.28 R$240

-58.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$10.06 R$51.0

17.00%

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

$1,224 $1,224

$579 R$2,936

111.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-14.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.93 $36.93

$65.7 R$333

-43.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.74 $30.74

$61.0 R$309

-49.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 $86.9

$100 R$509

-13.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 $95.3

$92.1 R$467

3.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,085 $1,085

$659 R$3,341

64.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$912 $912

$428 R$2,170

113.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 $2,031

$1,515 R$7,678

34.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 $1,583

$1,026 R$5,201

54.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,201 $2,201

$2,773 R$14.1K

-20.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,159 $2,159

$2,007 R$10.2K

7.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,505 $3,505

$909 R$4,609

285.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

11.68

-44.43%

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

Last update for Johnson City, TN: 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

Johnson City, TN

$912 43.5%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 53.1% $484

Groceries & Markets

Johnson City, TN

$389 18.5%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 37.2% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johnson City, TN

$291 13.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 50.8% $148

Eating Out

Johnson City, TN

$263 12.6%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 39.5% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Johnson City, TN

$112 5.4%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 27.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.4%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 21.3% $15

Getting Around

Johnson City, TN

$60 2.8%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 0.3% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,085 in Johnson City, TN 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 286% higher in Johnson City, TN, 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 $54.0 in Johnson City, TN versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $244 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

04:28 4:28 AM

1 h ahead of Johnson City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,027

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Johnson City, TN Sao Paulo 7,640 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Johnson City, TN
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

Johnson City, TN vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 70%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,148 per month in Johnson City, TN 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 $54.0 in Johnson City, TN 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 $2,099 in Johnson City, TN and $1,235 in Sao Paulo. That's a gap of about 70%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Johnson City, TN at $2,099. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johnson City, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Paulo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.