Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz do Sul and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $949 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $47,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$949

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Cruz do Sul and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santa Cruz do Sul and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $949 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $4,938 in New York, NY, rent included.

Santa Cruz do Sul $949
New York, NY $4,938

A couple spends around $1,519 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $7,273 in New York, NY, rent included.

Santa Cruz do Sul $1,519
New York, NY $7,273

A family of three spends $2,089 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul vs $9,608 in New York, NY, rent included.

Santa Cruz do Sul $2,089
New York, NY $9,608

Santa Cruz do Sul is about 81% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Cruz do Sul sits 30% below the global median, while New York, NY is 264% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.96 R$30.23

$24.99 $24.99

-76.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.87 R$182

$120 $120

-70.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 R$35.99

$13.74 $13.74

-48.33%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.36

$6.60 $6.60

-66.06%

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

$1.35 R$6.82

$3.82 $3.82

-64.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.46

$2.87 $2.87

-69.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 R$8.82

$7.95 $7.95

-78.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 R$13.70

$10.06 $10.06

-73.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.45

$1.37 $1.37

-35.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.15

$4.75 $4.75

-62.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.07

$7.69 $7.69

-81.92%

Eggs

$2.24 R$11.36

$5.87 $5.87

-61.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.97 R$45.45

$19.25 $19.25

-53.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.80 R$24.32

$17.83 $17.83

-73.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$39.91

$19.03 $19.03

-58.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.18 R$11.06

$6.69 $6.69

-67.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.63

$2.29 $2.29

-51.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.99

$6.41 $6.41

-81.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.73

$6.75 $6.75

-77.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.37

$3.93 $3.93

-67.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.12

$4.52 $4.52

-73.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 R$4.52

$2.79 $2.79

-68.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.42

$2.51 $2.51

-65.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 R$11.80

$18.10 $18.10

-87.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.22 R$36.60

$20.16 $20.16

-64.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.91

$3.26 $3.26

-64.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 R$10.11

$3.75 $3.75

-46.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$2.92 $2.92

-66.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.92 R$248

$143 $143

-65.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$5.91

$3.06 $3.06

-61.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$2.16 $2.16

-57.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 R$39.50

$41.33 $41.33

-81.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.64

$1.12 $1.12

-0.89%

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

$20.3K R$103.1K

$33.1K $33.1K

-38.59%

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

$33.4K R$169.4K

$25.7K $25.7K

29.93%

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

$86.3 R$438

$219 $219

-60.64%

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

$13.08 R$66.3

$75.3 $75.3

-82.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.04 R$117

$70.5 $70.5

-67.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.93 R$131

$116 $116

-77.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.49 R$124

$67.6 $67.6

-63.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 R$38.85

$21.37 $21.37

-64.16%

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

$288 R$1,462

$3,432 $3,432

-91.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,499 R$32.9K

$61.7K $61.7K

-89.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.59 R$251

$74.9 $74.9

-33.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 R$281

$52.1 $52.1

6.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 R$503

$117 $117

-14.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.8 R$333

$135 $135

-51.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$533 R$2,702

$4,347 $4,347

-87.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$296 R$1,499

$3,117 $3,117

-90.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 R$4,697

$9,110 $9,110

-89.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$607 R$3,075

$5,379 $5,379

-88.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,850 R$9,380

$19.3K $19.3K

-90.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 R$6,021

$6,943 $6,943

-82.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$373 R$1,889

$5,238 $5,238

-92.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

60.58%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 17, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz do Sul

$296 31.2%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 954% $2.8K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz do Sul

$190 20.1%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 190% $362

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz do Sul

$122 12.9%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 198% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz do Sul

$121 12.8%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 40.1% $49

Eating Out

Santa Cruz do Sul

$119 12.5%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 242% $288

Getting Around

Santa Cruz do Sul

$59 6.2%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 187% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz do Sul

$41 4.4%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 284% $117

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $533 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $4,347 in New York, NY. 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 1306% higher in New York, NY, 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 $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $552 – making Santa Cruz do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

19:59 7:59 PM

18:59 6:59 PM

1 h behind Santa Cruz do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

133,246

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Santa Cruz do Sul New York, NY 8,140 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz do Sul
New York, NY

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

Santa Cruz do Sul vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 420% more than Santa Cruz do Sul, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,423 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul and $7,407 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $288 per month in Santa Cruz do Sul and $3,432 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 190% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz do Sul, where all-in costs run around $949, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Santa Cruz do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Cruz do Sul costs $949 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz do Sul. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.