Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Sao Luis

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $834 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $51,700 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $834 in Sao Luis, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Sao Luis $834

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $1,310 in Sao Luis, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Sao Luis $1,310

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $1,786 in Sao Luis, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Sao Luis $1,786

New York, NY costs about 517% more than Sao Luis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 284% above the global median, while Sao Luis is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$6.60 R$32.93

300.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$39.74 R$198

198.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$6.82 R$34.03

111.58%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$2.15 R$10.71

204.65%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.27 R$6.33

202.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$0.73 R$3.65

310.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$1.96 R$9.77

321.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$2.44 R$12.16

311.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.11 R$5.52

18.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.93 R$9.64

153.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.11 R$5.54

545.05%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.27 R$11.31

160.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$10.14 R$50.6

87.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$4.28 R$21.36

306.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$7.64 R$38.12

147.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.11 R$10.55

229.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.39 R$6.95

49.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.22 R$6.09

400.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.73 R$8.64

301.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.33 R$6.64

199.25%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.34 R$6.67

231.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.90 R$4.47

212.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.73 R$3.62

243.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$2.44 R$12.17

689.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$8.21 R$41.00

139.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.27 R$6.36

142.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.32 R$11.60

58.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.85 R$4.27

255.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$38.52 R$192

262.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.03 R$5.12

198.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.94 R$4.70

126.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.21 R$6.05

-8.26%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$24.2K R$120.6K

44.83%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$30.4K R$151.5K

-16.34%

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

$217 $217

$97.5 R$487

123.16%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$18.02 R$90.0

310.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$21.42 R$107

238.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$20.11 R$100

498.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$15.27 R$76.2

338.05%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$6.84 R$34.14

226.32%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$183 R$915

1768.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$2,911 R$14.5K

2001.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$64.7 R$323

17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$54.6 R$273

1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$75.1 R$375

58.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$59.0 R$294

121.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$363 R$1,812

1141.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$187 R$935

1584.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$580 R$2,893

1421.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$330 R$1,648

1575.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$1,575 R$7,864

1130.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$721 R$3,598

837.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$386 R$1,929

1269.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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 Sao Luis: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Sao Luis

$187 22.3% 94.1% $3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Sao Luis

$197 23.6% 63.8% $349

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Sao Luis

$122 14.5% 71.2% $301

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Sao Luis

$137 16.3% 62.4% $227

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Sao Luis

$114 13.6% 33.6% $58

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Sao Luis

$48 5.7% 71.2% $118

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Sao Luis

$34 4% 79.5% $131

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $363 in Sao Luis. 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 1269% 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 $40.00 in Sao Luis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $197 – making Sao Luis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

1,037,775

💱 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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Sao Luis 5,680 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Sao Luis

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 Sao Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 517% more than Sao Luis, 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 $1,251 in Sao Luis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Luis, 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 $183 in Sao Luis. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 177% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Luis, where all-in costs run around $834, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Sao Luis 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. Sao Luis costs $834 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 Sao Luis. 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.