Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$929

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $929 in Portsmouth versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo.

Portsmouth $929
Sao Paulo $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Portsmouth versus $2,085 in Sao Paulo.

Portsmouth $1,626
Sao Paulo $2,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,323 in Portsmouth versus $2,926 in Sao Paulo.

Portsmouth $2,323
Sao Paulo $2,926

Living in Portsmouth costs roughly 25% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Portsmouth 31% lower, Sao Paulo 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 EC$14.84

$8.94 R$44.64

-38.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 EC$152

$49.46 R$247

13.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.83 EC$18.44

$9.22 R$46.01

-25.92%

Cappuccino

$2.67 EC$7.20

$2.54 R$12.70

5.12%

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

$2.19 EC$5.91

$1.45 R$7.25

51.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 EC$5.05

$0.91 R$4.55

105.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 EC$6.84

$3.07 R$15.31

-17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 EC$10.07

$4.36 R$21.75

-14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.86 EC$7.72

$1.27 R$6.32

125.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 EC$6.03

$1.84 R$9.17

21.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 EC$5.43

$1.41 R$7.05

42.55%

Eggs

$6.50 EC$17.55

$2.84 R$14.20

128.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.66 EC$7.17

$12.56 R$62.7

-78.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 EC$14.80

$5.37 R$26.81

2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

Apples (1kg)

$7.21 EC$19.46

$2.74 R$13.67

163.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.57 EC$6.93

$1.81 R$9.03

41.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 EC$10.81

$1.55 R$7.74

158.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 EC$11.17

$1.98 R$9.90

109.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 EC$7.84

$1.47 R$7.34

97.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.78 EC$7.51

$1.24 R$6.20

124.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 EC$4.91

$1.27 R$6.35

43.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 EC$5.13

$0.96 R$4.79

97.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.16

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 EC$30.56

$10.19 R$50.8

11.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 EC$5.06

$1.73 R$8.64

8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 EC$7.20

$2.64 R$13.19

1.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 EC$2.03

$1.04 R$5.18

-27.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 EC$9.90

$1.82 R$9.07

101.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.68 EC$9.93

$1.02 R$5.07

260.78%

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)

$104 R$519

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

$40.78 EC$110

$16.16 R$80.7

152.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.9 EC$172

$22.59 R$113

182.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.97 EC$99.8

$36.27 R$181

1.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$239

Cinema Ticket

$11.11 EC$30.01

$9.85 R$49.19

12.79%

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

$525 R$2,622

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 EC$151

$66.9 R$334

-16.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.90 EC$64.5

$62.3 R$311

-61.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.0 EC$151

$101 R$505

-44.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 EC$178

$90.9 R$454

-27.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$258 EC$696

$663 R$3,309

-61.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$223 EC$602

$423 R$2,110

-47.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 EC$1,808

$1,527 R$7,622

-56.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 EC$1,667

$1,009 R$5,035

-38.80%

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)

$626 EC$1,691

$881 R$4,396

-28.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Portsmouth: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portsmouth

–

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Groceries & Markets

Portsmouth

–

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Eating Out

Portsmouth

–

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Portsmouth

–

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portsmouth

–

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Getting Around

Portsmouth

–

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Portsmouth

–

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $258 in Portsmouth and $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 41% 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: $56.0 in Portsmouth vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $243 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

07:54 7:54 AM

1 h ahead of Portsmouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,633

11,451,999

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 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 XCD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Portsmouth Sao Paulo 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Portsmouth
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

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

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Sao Paulo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $258 in Portsmouth versus $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Sao Paulo pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $929 in Portsmouth versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Portsmouth 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.

Safety-wise, Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.