Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: $815 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
🇧🇷 Brazil
$815
/mo nomad
Sao Paulo
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,222
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $815 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo.

  • Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais $815
  • Sao Paulo $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,262 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $2,044 in Sao Paulo.

  • Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais $1,262
  • Sao Paulo $2,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,709 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $2,867 in Sao Paulo.

  • Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais $1,709
  • Sao Paulo $2,867

Living in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais costs roughly 33% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 40% lower, Sao Paulo 10% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Sao Paulo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.62 R$23.40
$8.71 R$44.15
-46.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.98 R$81.0
$48.61 R$246
-67.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.03 R$35.64
$9.03 R$45.77
-22.15%
Cappuccino
$1.78 R$9.03
$2.55 R$12.94
-30.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 R$7.26
$1.35 R$6.83
5.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 R$2.99
$0.91 R$4.63
-35.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.16 R$5.90
$3.07 R$15.55
-62.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 R$11.91
$4.38 R$22.21
-46.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Sao Paulo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.95 R$4.79
$1.19 R$6.05
-20.17%
White Bread (500g)
$1.56 R$7.90
$1.80 R$9.14
-13.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.39 R$7.03
$1.48 R$7.51
-6.08%
Eggs
$2.02 R$10.26
$2.82 R$14.31
-28.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.08 R$46.03
$12.61 R$63.9
-27.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.52 R$17.83
$5.40 R$27.36
-34.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.71 R$49.21
$10.76 R$54.6
-9.76%
Apples (1kg)
$1.88 R$9.55
$2.82 R$14.28
-33.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.15 R$5.81
$1.82 R$9.25
-36.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.99 R$5.03
$1.60 R$8.14
-38.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.39
$2.03 R$10.28
-37.93%
Potato (1kg)
$0.70 R$3.54
$1.46 R$7.40
-52.05%
Onion (1kg)
$0.83 R$4.21
$1.25 R$6.35
-33.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.54 R$2.72
$1.25 R$6.32
-56.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 R$4.16
$0.98 R$4.98
-16.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.62 R$8.20
$3.00 R$15.18
-46.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.15 R$31.18
$9.71 R$49.22
-36.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 R$4.97
$1.84 R$9.32
-46.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.43 R$7.27
$2.52 R$12.80
-43.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Sao Paulo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.04 R$5.25
$1.07 R$5.41
-2.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$43.65 R$221
$47.26 R$240
-7.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.44 R$7.28
$1.81 R$9.16
-20.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.74 R$3.77
$1.01 R$5.14
-26.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.90 R$19.77
$10.24 R$51.9
-61.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 R$6.85
$1.29 R$6.52
4.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$12.2K R$61.8K
$23.5K R$119.3K
-48.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.0K R$152.3K
$34.5K R$174.9K
-12.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Sao Paulo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$59.4 R$301
$104 R$527
-42.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.87 R$50.1
$16.60 R$84.1
-40.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.00 R$96.3
$22.04 R$112
-13.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Sao Paulo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$26.09 R$132
$36.43 R$185
-28.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$27.68 R$140
$47.29 R$240
-41.47%
Cinema Ticket
$6.85 R$34.74
$9.69 R$49.12
-29.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Sao Paulo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$143 R$726
$573 R$2,906
-75.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,980 R$10.0K
$16.9K R$85.8K
-88.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Sao Paulo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.6 R$358
$66.3 R$336
6.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$82.6 R$419
$61.1 R$310
35.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.4 R$336
$98.8 R$501
-32.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.64 R$247
$91.4 R$463
-46.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Sao Paulo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$354 R$1,795
$654 R$3,316
-45.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$240 R$1,217
$418 R$2,120
-42.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$671 R$3,403
$1,524 R$7,724
-55.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$450 R$2,280
$992 R$5,028
-54.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,681 R$8,523
$2,670 R$13.5K
-37.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,193 R$6,045
$2,019 R$10.2K
-40.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
Sao Paulo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$900 R$4,563
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.67
11.68
-8.65%

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

Last update for Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
$240
Sao Paulo
$418 74.2% $178
Groceries & Markets
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
$175
Sao Paulo
$243 38.9% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
$121
Sao Paulo
$143 18.4% $22
Eating Out
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
$98
Sao Paulo
$161 63.8% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
$88
Sao Paulo
$143 61.7% $54
Getting Around
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
$53
Sao Paulo
$58 10.3% $5.5
Sport & Entertainment
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
$40
Sao Paulo
$56 40.2% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais and $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $16.00 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $243 per month, with Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
🇧🇷 Sao Paulo
🕒 Local time
05:11 5:11 AM
05:11 5:11 AM
Same time as Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,821
11,451,999
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais Sao Paulo 480 km
From you
  • Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais
  • 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
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sao Paulo cheaper than Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais?
Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,222 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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.
What is the rent difference between Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo?
Rent for a central apartment: $354 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais runs roughly 8% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $143 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $573 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais or in Sao Paulo?
At $815 in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais or Sao Paulo more family-friendly?
For families, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais or Sao Paulo?
Safety-wise, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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