Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Santos

For one person, living is cheaper in Santos: $1,132 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $48,100 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Santos
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Santos Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Santos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Santos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $1,132 in Santos, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Santos $1,132

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $1,745 in Santos, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Santos $1,745

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $2,359 in Santos, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Santos $2,359

New York, NY costs about 354% more than Santos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 284% above the global median, while Santos is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$7.80 R$38.94

239.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$32.51 R$162

265.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$6.91 R$34.48

108.83%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$2.78 R$13.86

135.61%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.41 R$7.05

172.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.01 R$5.03

197.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$2.64 R$13.17

213.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$2.96 R$14.80

239.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.08 R$5.38

21.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.85 R$9.22

164.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.38 R$6.91

418.84%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.52 R$12.56

134.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$12.16 R$60.7

56.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$4.91 R$24.49

253.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$10.06 R$50.2

88.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.12 R$10.60

228.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.26 R$6.27

65.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.98 R$9.89

208.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.81 R$9.01

283.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.32 R$6.59

201.52%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.30 R$6.49

241.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.21 R$6.03

132.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.91 R$4.55

175.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$2.43 R$12.11

693.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$8.18 R$40.85

140.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.39 R$6.95

121.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.90 R$9.49

93.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.12 R$5.59

169.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$50.4 R$252

176.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.51 R$7.56

103.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.62 R$8.10

31.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$18.35 R$91.6

124.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.27 R$6.32

-12.60%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.9K R$119.1K

46.64%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$33.1K R$165.2K

-23.23%

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

$217 $217

$104 R$518

109.57%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$12.45 R$62.1

494.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$22.68 R$113

219.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$29.14 R$145

313.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$56.9 R$284

17.64%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$9.03 R$45.06

147.18%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$277 R$1,385

1134.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$10.4K R$51.9K

488.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$56.1 R$280

36.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$36.85 R$184

50.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$97.5 R$486

22.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$60.1 R$300

117.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$536 R$2,677

740.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$422 R$2,106

647.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$988 R$4,933

792.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$710 R$3,547

678.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$2,477 R$12.4K

682.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,794 R$8,955

276.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$585 R$2,922

803.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

12.79

-46.68%

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 Santos: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Santos

$422 36.7% 86.6% $2.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Santos

$221 19.2% 59.6% $325

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Santos

$145 12.6% 65.6% $277

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Santos

$139 12.1% 61.8% $225

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Santos

$113 9.8% 34.3% $59

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Santos

$65 5.6% 61% $101

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Santos

$47 4.1% 71.4% $118

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $536 in Santos. 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 804% higher in New York, NY, 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 $119 in New York, NY versus $33.00 in Santos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $221 – making Santos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇧🇷 Santos

🕒 Local time

10:20 10:20 AM

11:20 11:20 AM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

418,608

💱 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 Santos 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Santos

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 Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 354% more than Santos, 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 $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $1,698 in Santos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,425 per month in New York, NY and $277 in Santos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 148% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santos, where all-in costs run around $1,132, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Santos it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santos costs $1,132 versus $5,142 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Santos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.