Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manta and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $678 in Manta versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Manta $678
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,157 in Manta versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Manta $1,157
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,636 in Manta versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Manta $1,636
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Manta costs roughly 45% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Manta 50% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.96 $2.96

$8.81 R$44.68

-66.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 $52.2

$49.37 R$250

5.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.39 $5.39

$8.80 R$44.63

-38.75%

Cappuccino

$2.92 $2.92

$2.49 R$12.63

17.27%

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

$0.52 $0.52

$1.42 R$7.19

-63.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 $0.38

$0.85 R$4.31

-55.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.98 R$15.11

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.34 R$22.02

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.24 R$6.28

-16.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.91 R$9.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.43 R$7.25

-31.47%

Eggs

$2.13 $2.13

$2.81 R$14.23

-24.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$12.74 R$64.6

-76.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$5.41 R$27.44

-44.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$10.64 R$54.0

-35.81%

Apples (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.75 R$13.95

-64.73%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.81 R$9.19

-56.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.63 R$8.27

-56.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 $0.78

$2.00 R$10.16

-61.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 $0.52

$1.40 R$7.10

-62.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.27 R$6.43

-62.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.28 R$6.47

-46.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.95 R$4.83

4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.99 R$15.15

36.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$9.96 R$50.5

-30.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.85 R$9.37

-44.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.54 R$12.90

-13.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 $0.50

$1.09 R$5.50

-54.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.85 R$9.39

-8.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.99 R$4.99

75.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.27 $9.27

$10.29 R$52.2

-9.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.34 R$6.78

-46.27%

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

$20.7K $20.7K

$24.4K R$123.8K

-15.35%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-9.27%

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

$97.1 $97.1

$104 R$529

-7.01%

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

$11.13 $11.13

$16.71 R$84.7

-33.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.84 $25.84

$22.18 R$112

16.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.23 $20.23

$35.82 R$182

-43.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$47.28 R$240

-26.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 $4.89

$10.06 R$51.0

-51.39%

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

$369 $369

$579 R$2,936

-36.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,783 $5,783

$17.1K R$86.6K

-66.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 $55.2

$65.7 R$333

-15.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 $40.87

$61.0 R$309

-33.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$100 R$509

0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.8 $61.8

$92.1 R$467

-32.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$303 $303

$659 R$3,341

-53.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$141 $141

$428 R$2,170

-66.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 $917

$1,515 R$7,678

-39.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 $334

$1,026 R$5,201

-67.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$474 $474

$909 R$4,609

-47.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

11.68

-13.96%

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

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Manta

$143 21.1%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 70.9% $101

Accommodation & Living

Manta

$141 20.9%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 203% $287

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manta

$134 19.8%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 6.9% $9.2

Clothing & Footwear

Manta

$116 17.2%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 23.4% $27

Eating Out

Manta

$101 14.9%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 58.3% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Manta

$30 4.4%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 86.3% $26

Getting Around

Manta

$12 * 1.8%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 384% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $303 in Manta and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 92% 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: $52.0 in Manta vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Groceries flip the comparison at $143 vs $244, with Manta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Manta

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

18:01 6:01 PM

20:01 8:01 PM

2 h ahead of Manta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,553

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Highest

Between locations

Manta Sao Paulo 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Manta
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

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

Manta is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Sao Paulo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $303 in Manta versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $369 in Manta versus $579 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.