Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Brunswick, NJ and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in North Brunswick, NJ
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North Brunswick, NJ Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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North Brunswick, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo.

North Brunswick, NJ $2,641
Sao Paulo $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,632 in North Brunswick, NJ versus $2,044 in Sao Paulo.

North Brunswick, NJ $3,632
Sao Paulo $2,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,623 in North Brunswick, NJ versus $2,867 in Sao Paulo.

North Brunswick, NJ $4,623
Sao Paulo $2,867

Living in North Brunswick, NJ is roughly 116% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: North Brunswick, NJ is 95% above, Sao Paulo is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.38 $20.38

$8.71 R$44.15

133.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 $60.4

$48.61 R$246

24.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$9.03 R$45.77

33.44%

Cappuccino

$3.04 $3.04

$2.55 R$12.94

19.22%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.35 R$6.83

98.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$0.91 R$4.63

29.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.64 $6.64

$3.07 R$15.55

116.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.38 R$22.21

35.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.19 R$6.05

-6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.80 R$9.14

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$1.48 R$7.51

279.73%

Eggs

$4.59 $4.59

$2.82 R$14.31

62.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$12.61 R$63.9

4.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.20 $17.20

$5.40 R$27.36

218.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.76 R$54.6

48.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$2.82 R$14.28

40.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.82 R$9.25

2.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.60 R$8.14

166.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.03 R$10.28

196.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.46 R$7.40

121.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.25 R$6.35

169.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.25 R$6.32

85.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.98 R$4.98

108.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.66 $14.66

$3.00 R$15.18

388.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.71 R$49.22

85.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.84 R$9.32

41.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.52 R$12.80

63.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.07 R$5.41

85.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.81 R$9.16

55.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.01 R$5.14

263.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.62 $49.62

$10.24 R$51.9

384.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.29 R$6.52

-23.26%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$23.5K R$119.3K

16.39%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$34.5K R$174.9K

-23.26%

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

$127 $127

$104 R$527

22.03%

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

$47.32 $47.32

$16.60 R$84.1

185.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 $56.7

$22.04 R$112

157.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.51 $47.51

$36.43 R$185

30.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$13.03 $13.03

$9.69 R$49.12

34.47%

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

$1,418 $1,418

$573 R$2,906

147.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$16.9K R$85.8K

37.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$66.3 R$336

-18.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$61.1 R$310

-17.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$98.8 R$501

23.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 $132

$91.4 R$463

44.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 $1,430

$654 R$3,316

118.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$418 R$2,120

240.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 $2,221

$1,524 R$7,724

45.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,902 $1,902

$992 R$5,028

91.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,715 $2,715

$2,670 R$13.5K

1.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,046 $2,046

$2,019 R$10.2K

1.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.01

11.68

-39.98%

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

Last update for North Brunswick, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Brunswick, NJ

$1.4K 53.9%

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2% 70.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

North Brunswick, NJ

$427 16.2%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9% 43.1% $184

Eating Out

North Brunswick, NJ

$296 11.2%

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1% 45.8% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Brunswick, NJ

$231 8.8%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 38.2% $88

Clothing & Footwear

North Brunswick, NJ

$161 6.1%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 11.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

North Brunswick, NJ

$74 2.8%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 24.1% $18

Getting Around

North Brunswick, NJ

$29 * 1.1%

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8% 101% $29

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 $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ and $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $427 vs $243 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 North Brunswick, NJ

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

01:34 1:34 AM

1 h ahead of North Brunswick, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,905

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 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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Between locations

North Brunswick, NJ Sao Paulo 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

North Brunswick, NJ
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

North Brunswick, NJ vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 116% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,962 in North Brunswick, NJ and $1,833 in Sao Paulo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ versus $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,418 in North Brunswick, NJ versus $573 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 Sao Paulo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in North Brunswick, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, North Brunswick, NJ and Sao Paulo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% less than in North Brunswick, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.