Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quebec City and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $1,893 in Quebec City, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
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Quebec City Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index

Jump to prices

Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,893

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,893 in Quebec City versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo.

Quebec City $1,893
Sao Paulo $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,839 in Quebec City versus $2,085 in Sao Paulo.

Quebec City $2,839
Sao Paulo $2,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,785 in Quebec City versus $2,926 in Sao Paulo.

Quebec City $3,785
Sao Paulo $2,926

Living in Quebec City is roughly 52% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Quebec City is 41% above, Sao Paulo is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.19 CA$30.14

$8.94 R$44.87

137.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 CA$91.1

$49.46 R$248

29.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 CA$15.60

$9.22 R$46.25

18.98%

Cappuccino

$3.66 CA$5.21

$2.54 R$12.77

44.09%

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

$2.07 CA$2.95

$1.45 R$7.29

42.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$2.01

$0.91 R$4.57

54.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 CA$7.93

$3.07 R$15.39

81.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.91

$4.36 R$21.87

27.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$3.01

$1.27 R$6.36

66.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.85 CA$4.05

$1.84 R$9.22

54.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 CA$6.04

$1.41 R$7.08

201.42%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.52

$2.84 R$14.27

11.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 CA$12.62

$12.56 R$63.0

-29.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 CA$14.96

$5.37 R$26.95

95.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 CA$14.78

$10.72 R$53.8

-3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.99

$2.74 R$13.74

53.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.26

$1.81 R$9.08

-12.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.26

$1.55 R$7.78

138.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.56

$1.98 R$9.95

97.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.06

$1.47 R$7.38

94.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 CA$3.97

$1.24 R$6.23

125.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$1.27 R$6.38

111.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$2.03

$0.96 R$4.82

48.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.87 CA$21.16

$3.04 R$15.24

389.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.16 CA$15.88

$10.19 R$51.1

9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.48

$1.73 R$8.69

82.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 CA$4.84

$2.64 R$13.26

28.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 CA$3.93

$1.04 R$5.20

166.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 CA$99.0

$48.10 R$241

44.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.13

$1.82 R$9.12

59.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.11

$1.02 R$5.10

45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.24 CA$48.70

$10.16 R$51.0

237.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.78

$1.27 R$6.38

-1.57%

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

$28.3K CA$40.2K

$24.3K R$122.0K

16.29%

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

$21.3K CA$30.3K

$34.0K R$170.6K

-37.39%

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

$100 CA$143

$104 R$522

-3.57%

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

$31.82 CA$45.26

$16.16 R$81.1

96.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.74 CA$63.6

$22.59 R$113

98.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.56 CA$49.16

$36.27 R$182

-4.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 CA$21.72

$47.78 R$240

-68.04%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 CA$15.46

$9.85 R$49.45

10.36%

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

$685 CA$975

$525 R$2,635

30.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,148 CA$13.0K

$16.6K R$83.2K

-44.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 CA$84.9

$66.9 R$336

-10.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 CA$71.4

$62.3 R$312

-19.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 CA$128

$101 R$507

-11.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 CA$153

$90.9 R$456

18.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 CA$1,458

$663 R$3,326

54.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 CA$1,101

$423 R$2,121

83.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 CA$2,226

$1,527 R$7,662

2.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 CA$1,818

$1,009 R$5,061

26.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,737 CA$6,737

$2,744 R$13.8K

72.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,731 CA$3,884

$2,068 R$10.4K

32.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,037 CA$4,320

$881 R$4,419

244.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.44

11.68

-61.99%

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

Last update for Quebec City: October 3, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quebec City

$774 41.2%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 45.4% $351

Groceries & Markets

Quebec City

$342 18.2%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 28.8% $98

Eating Out

Quebec City

$299 16%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 45.5% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quebec City

$177 9.4%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 19.3% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Quebec City

$138 7.4%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 4.5% $6.3

Getting Around

Quebec City

$91 4.9%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 35% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Quebec City

$56 3%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 0.6% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,025 in Quebec City and $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Quebec City pays 245% 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: $64.0 in Quebec City vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $243 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

02:50 2:50 AM

1 h ahead of Quebec City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

530,168

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Quebec City Sao Paulo 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Quebec City
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

Quebec City vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Quebec City. 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 245% higher in Quebec City, 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: $1,025 in Quebec City versus $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,893 per month in Quebec City versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 45% less than in Quebec City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $1,893 in Quebec City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Quebec City. 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 52% less than in Quebec City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.