Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $485 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$485

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $485 per month in Mashhad vs $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Mashhad $485
Sao Paulo $1,244

A couple spends around $770 per month in Mashhad vs $2,085 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Mashhad $770
Sao Paulo $2,085

A family of three spends $1,055 per month in Mashhad vs $2,926 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Mashhad $1,055
Sao Paulo $2,926

Mashhad is about 61% cheaper than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mashhad and Sao Paulo are more affordable than the global median – Mashhad 64% lower, Sao Paulo 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.03 $3.03

$8.94 R$44.64

-66.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.20 $18.20

$49.46 R$247

-63.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.89 $4.89

$9.22 R$46.01

-46.96%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$1.09 $1.09

$2.54 R$12.70

-57.09%

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

$0.43 $0.43

$1.45 R$7.25

-70.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

$0.91 R$4.55

-71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.75

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 $0.62

$1.27 R$6.32

-51.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.19 $0.19

$1.84 R$9.17

-89.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.41 R$7.05

43.97%

Eggs

$1.10 $1.10

$2.84 R$14.20

-61.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$12.56 R$62.7

-82.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$5.37 R$26.81

-48.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$10.72 R$53.5

-2.52%

Apples (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.74 R$13.67

-64.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.81 R$9.03

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.55 R$7.74

-49.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$1.98 R$9.90

-71.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 $0.53

$1.47 R$7.34

-63.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 $0.47

$1.24 R$6.20

-62.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.27 R$6.35

-62.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.96 R$4.79

-69.79%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.88 $0.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.04 R$15.16

-0.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$50.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.02 $0.02

$1.04 R$5.18

-98.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.72 $3.72

$48.10 R$240

-92.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.19 $0.19

$1.82 R$9.07

-89.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.49 $0.49

$1.02 R$5.07

-51.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$10.16 R$50.7

-80.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.27 R$6.35

-35.43%

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

$60.2K $60.2K

$24.3K R$121.4K

147.57%

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

$66.2K $66.2K

$34.0K R$169.8K

94.57%

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

$13.58 $13.58

$104 R$519

-86.93%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$16.16 R$80.7

-83.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.42 $27.42

$22.59 R$113

21.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.38 $19.38

$36.27 R$181

-46.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.98 $14.98

$47.78 R$239

-68.65%

Cinema Ticket

$2.03 $2.03

$9.85 R$49.19

-79.39%

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

$40.02 $40.02

$525 R$2,622

-92.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$622 $622

$16.6K R$82.8K

-96.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.92 $19.92

$66.9 R$334

-70.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.69 $38.69

$62.3 R$311

-37.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.5 $93.5

$101 R$505

-7.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.6 $68.6

$90.9 R$454

-24.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$213 $213

$663 R$3,309

-67.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 $148

$423 R$2,110

-64.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 $400

$1,527 R$7,622

-73.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 $272

$1,009 R$5,035

-73.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,125 $1,125

$2,744 R$13.7K

-59.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$689 $689

$2,068 R$10.3K

-66.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$252 $252

$881 R$4,396

-71.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.5

11.68

84.08%

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

Last update for Mashhad: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mashhad

$148 31.1%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 186% $275

Groceries & Markets

Mashhad

$100 21%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 143% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Mashhad

$99 20.9%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 45.5% $45

Eating Out

Mashhad

$55 11.5%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 198% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mashhad

$44 9.2%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 227% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Mashhad

$23 4.9%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 139% $33

Getting Around

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 819% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $213 in Mashhad versus $663 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 249% higher in Sao Paulo, 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 $18.00 in Mashhad versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $100 vs $243 – making Mashhad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

03:44 3:44 AM

6 h 30 min behind Mashhad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,001,184

11,451,999

💱 Currency

USD 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 – USD Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

USD 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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mashhad Sao Paulo 12,930 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mashhad
Sao Paulo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Sao Paulo costs about 157% more than Mashhad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $727 per month in Mashhad and $1,866 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mashhad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $485 in Mashhad and $1,244 in Sao Paulo. That's a gap of about 157%.

Public transport costs about 1193% less in Mashhad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mashhad, where all-in costs run around $485, than in Sao Paulo at $1,244. In Mashhad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mashhad costs $485 versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Mashhad. 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.