Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln, NE and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $2,250 in Lincoln, NE, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln, NE
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Lincoln, NE Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,250

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,250 in Lincoln, NE versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo.

Lincoln, NE $2,250
Sao Paulo $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,309 in Lincoln, NE versus $2,085 in Sao Paulo.

Lincoln, NE $3,309
Sao Paulo $2,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lincoln, NE versus $2,926 in Sao Paulo.

Lincoln, NE $4,368
Sao Paulo $2,926

Living in Lincoln, NE is roughly 81% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lincoln, NE is 68% above, Sao Paulo is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$8.94 R$44.64

126.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$49.46 R$247

59.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$9.22 R$46.01

32.54%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$2.54 R$12.70

114.96%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$1.45 R$7.25

57.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.91 R$4.55

91.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.07 R$15.31

63.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.36 R$21.75

109.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.27 R$6.32

-31.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.84 R$9.17

67.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$1.41 R$7.05

339.01%

Eggs

$4.60 $4.60

$2.84 R$14.20

61.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$12.56 R$62.7

-7.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$5.37 R$26.81

55.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 $14.70

$10.72 R$53.5

37.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$2.74 R$13.67

141.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.81 R$9.03

14.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$1.55 R$7.74

273.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.98 R$9.90

111.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.47 R$7.34

134.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.24 R$6.20

210.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.27 R$6.35

49.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.96 R$4.79

175.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.73 $9.73

$3.04 R$15.16

220.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.90 $16.90

$10.19 R$50.8

65.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.73 R$8.64

4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.64 R$13.19

-3.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.04 R$5.18

63.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.02 $35.02

$48.10 R$240

-27.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$1.82 R$9.07

176.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.02 R$5.07

83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.54 $34.54

$10.16 R$50.7

239.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.27 R$6.35

-18.11%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$24.3K R$121.4K

46.03%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.0K R$169.8K

-25.54%

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

$142 $142

$104 R$519

36.75%

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

$48.30 $48.30

$16.16 R$80.7

198.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$22.59 R$113

186.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$36.27 R$181

53.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.15 $26.15

$47.78 R$239

-45.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.88 $14.88

$9.85 R$49.19

51.07%

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

$839 $839

$525 R$2,622

59.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.72 $48.72

$66.9 R$334

-27.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.40 $35.40

$62.3 R$311

-43.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$101 R$505

-13.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$90.9 R$454

29.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 $1,083

$663 R$3,309

63.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 $964

$423 R$2,110

128.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$1,527 R$7,622

5.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$1,009 R$5,035

44.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,853 $1,853

$2,744 R$13.7K

-32.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,889 $1,889

$2,068 R$10.3K

-8.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,812 $3,812

$881 R$4,396

332.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

11.68

-45.46%

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

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lincoln, NE

$964 43.6%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 56.1% $541

Groceries & Markets

Lincoln, NE

$398 18%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 38.9% $155

Eating Out

Lincoln, NE

$324 14.6%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 49.6% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lincoln, NE

$255 11.5%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 44.1% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 11% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Lincoln, NE

$85 3.9%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 34.4% $29

Getting Around

Lincoln, NE

$56 2.5%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 5.2% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,083 in Lincoln, NE and $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln, NE pays 333% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Lincoln, NE vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $243 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

06:51 6:51 AM

2 h ahead of Lincoln, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

277,348

11,451,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Lincoln, NE Sao Paulo 8,830 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lincoln, NE
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

Lincoln, NE vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Lincoln, NE. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Paulo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 333% higher in Lincoln, NE, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,083 in Lincoln, NE versus $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Paulo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $79.0 in Lincoln, NE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,250 per month in Lincoln, NE versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $2,250 in Lincoln, NE, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Lincoln, NE. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sao Paulo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,244 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sao Paulo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lincoln, NE and Sao Paulo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Lincoln, NE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.