Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Belem

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $937 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $50,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Belem
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Belem Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Belem

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Belem actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY versus $937 in Belem.

New York, NY $5,142
Belem $937

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,455 in New York, NY versus $1,424 in Belem.

New York, NY $7,455
Belem $1,424

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,767 in New York, NY versus $1,911 in Belem.

New York, NY $9,767
Belem $1,911

Living in New York, NY is roughly 449% more expensive than in Belem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: New York, NY is 284% above, Belem is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$4.94 R$24.66

435.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$20.41 R$102

481.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$6.80 R$33.96

112.21%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$1.90 R$9.48

244.74%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.06 R$5.28

262.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$0.51 R$2.56

488.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$1.59 R$7.91

420.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$2.36 R$11.80

325.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.40 R$7.01

-6.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.48 R$12.40

97.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.32 R$6.59

442.42%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.14 R$10.71

176.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$9.20 R$45.91

107.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$4.53 R$22.64

283.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$7.55 R$37.70

150.86%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.30 R$11.49

202.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.43 R$7.15

45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.49 R$7.42

309.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.75 R$8.73

297.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.09 R$5.45

265.14%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$0.63 R$3.14

604.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.29 R$6.45

117.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.43 R$7.13

75.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$2.65 R$13.21

627.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$9.94 R$49.60

97.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.45 R$7.25

112.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$5.07 R$25.31

-27.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.97 R$4.82

211.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$34.73 R$173

301.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.17 R$5.86

162.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.17 R$5.83

82.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$8.36 R$41.71

392.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.32 R$6.57

-15.91%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.9K R$119.3K

46.45%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$32.5K R$162.3K

-21.90%

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

$217 $217

$98.6 R$492

120.67%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$11.52 R$57.5

542.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$31.16 R$156

132.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$21.62 R$108

457.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$39.31 R$196

70.16%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$7.82 R$39.04

185.42%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$111 R$556

2976.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$3,464 R$17.3K

1665.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$32.02 R$160

138.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$45.64 R$228

21.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$83.2 R$415

43.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$66.9 R$334

95.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$529 R$2,642

751.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$290 R$1,450

986.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$889 R$4,436

892.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$538 R$2,684

928.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$2,003 R$9,997

867.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,403 R$7,005

381.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$422 R$2,105

1154.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.48

-40.59%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Belem: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Belem

$290 30.8% 90.8% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Belem

$225 23.8% 58.9% $322

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Belem

$102 10.8% 75.9% $321

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Belem

$141 15% 61.2% $223

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Belem

$103 10.9% 40.3% $69

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Belem

$46 4.8% 72.4% $120

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Belem

$37 4% 77.4% $128

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,506 in New York, NY and $529 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 1154% 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: $119 in New York, NY vs $20.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $225 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇧🇷 Belem

🕒 Local time

07:27 7:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

1,303,403

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Belem 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Belem

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

New York, NY vs Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 449% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1154% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,506 in New York, NY versus $529 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 302% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,425 in New York, NY versus $111 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $937 in Belem versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 449% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.