Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Raleigh, NC and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $2,666 in Raleigh, NC, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,666 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $2,666
Sao Paulo $1,244

A couple spends around $3,913 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $2,085 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $3,913
Sao Paulo $2,085

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $2,926 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $5,159
Sao Paulo $2,926

Raleigh, NC costs about 114% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Raleigh, NC sits 99% above the global median, while Sao Paulo is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.68 $23.68

$8.94 R$44.64

164.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$49.46 R$247

99.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$9.22 R$46.01

18.44%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$2.54 R$12.70

128.35%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$1.45 R$7.25

98.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.91 R$4.55

142.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.07 R$15.31

98.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 $7.10

$4.36 R$21.75

62.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.27 R$6.32

-27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.84 R$9.17

109.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.41 R$7.05

119.86%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$2.84 R$14.20

65.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 $15.26

$12.56 R$62.7

21.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$5.37 R$26.81

82.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 $18.08

$10.72 R$53.5

68.66%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$2.74 R$13.67

138.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.81 R$9.03

-30.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.55 R$7.74

195.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.98 R$9.90

197.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.47 R$7.34

104.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.24 R$6.20

194.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.27 R$6.35

63.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.96 R$4.79

132.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 $9.60

$3.04 R$15.16

215.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.19 R$50.8

46.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.73 R$8.64

28.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.64 R$13.19

3.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.04 R$5.18

33.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.65 $40.65

$48.10 R$240

-15.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.82 R$9.07

64.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.02 R$5.07

90.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.35 $18.35

$10.16 R$50.7

80.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.27 R$6.35

-23.62%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$24.3K R$121.4K

49.12%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.0K R$169.8K

-26.52%

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

$193 $193

$104 R$519

85.52%

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

$57.0 $57.0

$16.16 R$80.7

252.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$22.59 R$113

196.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.25 $36.25

$36.27 R$181

-0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 $5.10

$47.78 R$239

-89.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 $15.28

$9.85 R$49.19

55.13%

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

$1,463 $1,463

$525 R$2,622

178.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$16.6K R$82.8K

46.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$66.9 R$334

-19.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 $58.9

$62.3 R$311

-5.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 $92.6

$101 R$505

-8.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$90.9 R$454

56.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 $1,750

$663 R$3,309

164.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$423 R$2,110

207.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,055 $3,055

$1,527 R$7,622

100.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$1,009 R$5,035

101.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,971 $3,971

$2,744 R$13.7K

44.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$2,068 R$10.3K

3.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,299 $4,299

$881 R$4,396

388.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

11.68

-43.41%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: 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

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.7%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 67.4% $875

Groceries & Markets

Raleigh, NC

$414 15.5%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 41.2% $171

Eating Out

Raleigh, NC

$357 13.4%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 54.3% $194

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Raleigh, NC

$317 11.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 55% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Raleigh, NC

$156 5.9%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 7.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Raleigh, NC

$67 2.5%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 16.2% $11

Getting Around

Raleigh, NC

$59 2.2%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 0.5% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,750 in Raleigh, NC versus $663 in Sao Paulo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 388% higher in Raleigh, NC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Raleigh, NC versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $243 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

07:51 7:51 AM

08:51 8:51 AM

1 h ahead of Raleigh, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,746

11,451,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 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).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Raleigh, NC Sao Paulo 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Raleigh, NC
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

Raleigh, NC vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Raleigh, NC costs about 114% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,998 per month in Raleigh, NC and $1,866 in Sao Paulo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Paulo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Sao Paulo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,463 per month in Raleigh, NC and $525 in Sao Paulo. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Raleigh, NC at $2,666. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Raleigh, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sao Paulo costs $1,244 versus $2,666 in Raleigh, NC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Raleigh, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.