Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Philipsburg and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $3,149 in Philipsburg, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Philipsburg
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Philipsburg Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,149

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,149 in Philipsburg versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo.

Philipsburg $3,149
Sao Paulo $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,004 in Philipsburg versus $2,085 in Sao Paulo.

Philipsburg $6,004
Sao Paulo $2,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,859 in Philipsburg versus $2,926 in Sao Paulo.

Philipsburg $8,859
Sao Paulo $2,926

Living in Philipsburg is roughly 153% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Philipsburg is 135% above, Sao Paulo is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.49 ANG 27.73

$8.94 R$44.64

73.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 ANG 127

$49.46 R$247

43.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 ANG 14.39

$9.22 R$46.01

-12.80%

Cappuccino

$4.38 ANG 7.83

$2.54 R$12.70

72.44%

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

$2.90 ANG 5.19

$1.45 R$7.25

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ANG 7.35

$0.91 R$4.55

351.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ANG 5.31

$3.07 R$15.31

-3.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 ANG 11.72

$4.36 R$21.75

50.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 ANG 5.48

$1.27 R$6.32

140.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 ANG 4.72

$1.84 R$9.17

43.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ANG 4.53

$1.41 R$7.05

79.43%

Eggs

$6.54 ANG 11.70

$2.84 R$14.20

130.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.69 ANG 33.46

$12.56 R$62.7

48.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 ANG 24.61

$5.37 R$26.81

156.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 ANG 26.66

$10.72 R$53.5

38.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 ANG 9.07

$2.74 R$13.67

85.04%

Banana (1kg)

$5.07 ANG 9.08

$1.81 R$9.03

180.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.20 ANG 16.46

$1.55 R$7.74

493.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.58 ANG 13.57

$1.98 R$9.90

282.83%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 ANG 7.27

$1.47 R$7.34

176.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.04 ANG 7.22

$1.24 R$6.20

225.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.88 ANG 8.74

$1.27 R$6.35

284.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ANG 2.40

$0.96 R$4.79

39.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 ANG 14.61

$3.04 R$15.16

168.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 ANG 19.37

$10.19 R$50.8

6.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.13 ANG 9.19

$1.73 R$8.64

196.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ANG 4.05

$1.04 R$5.18

117.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.47 ANG 2.63

$48.10 R$240

-96.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 ANG 26.92

$1.82 R$9.07

726.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.35

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

$24.3K R$121.4K

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

$34.0K R$169.8K

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

$152 ANG 271

$104 R$519

45.77%

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

$32.40 ANG 58.0

$16.16 R$80.7

100.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 ANG 118

$22.59 R$113

191.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 ANG 112

$36.27 R$181

72.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$239

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 ANG 19.54

$9.85 R$49.19

10.86%

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

$248 ANG 443

$525 R$2,622

-52.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ANG 21.4K

$16.6K R$82.8K

-27.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$334

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$311

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$505

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$454

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,145 ANG 3,840

$663 R$3,309

223.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 ANG 3,570

$423 R$2,110

371.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,614 ANG 11.8K

$1,527 R$7,622

333.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,466 ANG 11.6K

$1,009 R$5,035

541.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,132 ANG 2,026

$881 R$4,396

28.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

-57.19%

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

Last update for Philipsburg: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Philipsburg

$2K 64.2%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 78.8% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Philipsburg

$496 * 16%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 51% $253

Eating Out

Philipsburg

$256 8.3%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 36.4% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philipsburg

$250 8%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 42.9% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Philipsburg

$85 2.7%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 33.8% $29

Getting Around

Philipsburg

$26 * 0.8%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 132% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Philipsburg

- * 0%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

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 $2,145 in Philipsburg and $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 29% 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: $71.0 in Philipsburg vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $496 vs $243 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

08:37 8:37 AM

1 h ahead of Philipsburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,900 Capital

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.499 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ANG – Netherlands Antillean Guilder Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ƒ)

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.499 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).

USD to ANG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Philipsburg Sao Paulo 4,950 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Philipsburg
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

Philipsburg vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo wins on cost – living expenses run 153% lower than in Philipsburg. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Paulo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Philipsburg, 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: $2,145 in Philipsburg versus $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Philipsburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Paulo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $71.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $3,149 in Philipsburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sao Paulo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,244 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sao Paulo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 153% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.