Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Teresa and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $1,546 in Santa Teresa, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,546 per month in Santa Teresa vs $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Santa Teresa $1,546
Sao Paulo $1,235

A couple spends around $2,318 per month in Santa Teresa vs $2,073 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Santa Teresa $2,318
Sao Paulo $2,073

A family of three spends $3,090 per month in Santa Teresa vs $2,911 in Sao Paulo, rent included.

Santa Teresa $3,090
Sao Paulo $2,911

Santa Teresa costs about 25% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santa Teresa sits 14% above the global median, while Sao Paulo is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.08 ₡4,519

$8.71 R$44.15

15.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.44 ₡19.5K

$48.61 R$246

-10.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 ₡4,144

$9.03 R$45.77

2.33%

Cappuccino

$3.73 ₡1,673

$2.55 R$12.94

46.27%

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

$1.97 ₡883

$1.35 R$6.83

45.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₡745

$0.91 R$4.63

82.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 ₡1,344

$3.07 R$15.55

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 ₡2,055

$4.38 R$22.21

4.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 ₡887

$1.19 R$6.05

66.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.90 ₡1,301

$1.80 R$9.14

61.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 ₡990

$1.48 R$7.51

49.32%

Eggs

$2.93 ₡1,312

$2.82 R$14.31

3.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 ₡4,446

$12.61 R$63.9

-21.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.31 ₡4,173

$5.40 R$27.36

72.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 ₡6,116

$10.76 R$54.6

26.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 ₡2,068

$2.82 R$14.28

63.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 ₡681

$1.82 R$9.25

-16.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 ₡1,898

$1.60 R$8.14

164.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,377

$2.03 R$10.28

51.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,437

$1.46 R$7.40

119.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.63 ₡1,180

$1.25 R$6.35

110.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡466

$1.25 R$6.32

-16.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 ₡1,258

$0.98 R$4.98

186.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.08 ₡2,277

$3.00 R$15.18

69.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.20 ₡6,368

$9.71 R$49.22

46.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₡1,058

$1.84 R$9.32

28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 ₡1,149

$2.52 R$12.80

1.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 ₡449

$1.07 R$5.41

-6.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 ₡810

$1.81 R$9.16

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 ₡837

$1.01 R$5.14

85.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 ₡3,589

$10.24 R$51.9

-21.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ₡652

$1.29 R$6.52

12.40%

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

$37.2K ₡16.7M

$23.5K R$119.3K

57.94%

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

$32.8K ₡14.7M

$34.5K R$174.9K

-4.96%

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

$84.7 ₡38.0K

$104 R$527

-18.64%

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

$26.18 ₡11.7K

$16.60 R$84.1

57.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.65 ₡22.3K

$22.04 R$112

125.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 ₡22.7K

$36.43 R$185

38.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.98 ₡10.8K

$47.29 R$240

-49.29%

Cinema Ticket

$8.87 ₡3,976

$9.69 R$49.12

-8.46%

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

$573 ₡256.9K

$573 R$2,906

-0.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.6K ₡5.6M

$16.9K R$85.8K

-25.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 ₡28.2K

$66.3 R$336

-5.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 ₡22.9K

$61.1 R$310

-16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡56.9K

$98.8 R$501

28.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₡47.9K

$91.4 R$463

17.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 ₡314.1K

$654 R$3,316

7.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$605 ₡271.4K

$418 R$2,120

44.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,462 ₡655.5K

$1,524 R$7,724

-4.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 ₡435.0K

$992 R$5,028

-2.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.17

11.68

-12.93%

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

Last update for Santa Teresa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Teresa

$605 39.1%

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2% 30.9% $187

Groceries & Markets

Santa Teresa

$349 22.6%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9% 30.3% $106

Eating Out

Santa Teresa

$192 12.4%

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1% 16.3% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Teresa

$160 10.4%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 11.1% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Teresa

$156 10.1%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 8.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 18.3% $13

Getting Around

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1%

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8% 286% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $700 in Santa Teresa versus $659 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Santa Teresa versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Groceries tell a different story – $349 in Santa Teresa vs $244 in Sao Paulo – so Sao Paulo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

07:05 7:05 AM

3 h ahead of Santa Teresa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,099

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Teresa Sao Paulo 5,580 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Teresa
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

Santa Teresa vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Teresa is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,319 per month in Santa Teresa and $1,852 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Santa Teresa and $49.00 in Sao Paulo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Santa Teresa, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Santa Teresa at $1,546. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Teresa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Paulo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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