Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Bernardo do Campo and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo: $807 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Sao Bernardo do Campo
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Sao Bernardo do Campo Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Sao Bernardo do Campo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$807

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Bernardo do Campo and in Rio de Janeiro

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sao Bernardo do Campo and in Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $807 in Sao Bernardo do Campo versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sao Bernardo do Campo $807
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,285 in Sao Bernardo do Campo versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,285
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,763 in Sao Bernardo do Campo versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,763
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Sao Bernardo do Campo costs roughly 37% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Bernardo do Campo 40% lower, Rio de Janeiro 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.93 R$35.11

$9.38 R$47.54

-26.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.15 R$153

$40.00 R$203

-24.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.92 R$45.20

$8.34 R$42.28

6.95%

Cappuccino

$1.86 R$9.43

$2.29 R$11.62

-18.78%

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

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.59 R$8.05

-11.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.66

$1.01 R$5.10

-28.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 R$6.14

$2.14 R$10.85

-43.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R$10.23

$3.66 R$18.55

-44.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 R$4.50

$1.13 R$5.72

-21.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 R$8.25

$2.09 R$10.60

-22.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.21

$1.25 R$6.36

-2.40%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.16

$2.25 R$11.39

-11.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.01 R$50.8

$10.92 R$55.3

-8.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.50 R$22.81

$4.36 R$22.10

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.85 R$44.85

$9.60 R$48.66

-7.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 R$13.18

$2.85 R$14.46

-8.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.05

$1.81 R$9.16

-23.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.14

$1.58 R$8.02

-10.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.22

$1.83 R$9.28

-11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.20 R$6.10

7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.07

$1.06 R$5.35

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 R$4.61

$0.75 R$3.81

21.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.73

$0.68 R$3.45

36.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 R$11.19

$2.94 R$14.90

-24.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.59 R$38.48

$7.98 R$40.43

-4.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.18 R$5.98

7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 R$10.17

$2.42 R$12.26

-16.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.42

$0.94 R$4.78

13.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$5.94

$1.20 R$6.10

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.61 R$3.10

$0.83 R$4.20

-26.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 R$14.98

$8.97 R$45.48

-67.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.78

$1.29 R$6.53

-11.63%

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

$23.8K R$120.5K

$22.8K R$115.5K

4.35%

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

$32.4K R$164.4K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-4.51%

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

$80.4 R$408

$134 R$681

-40.12%

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

$11.96 R$60.6

$10.73 R$54.4

11.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.64 R$94.5

$22.84 R$116

-18.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 R$124

$30.16 R$153

-19.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.25 R$169

$31.49 R$160

5.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.78 R$34.35

$7.73 R$39.17

-12.29%

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

$205 R$1,040

$584 R$2,960

-64.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,569 R$33.3K

$12.8K R$64.9K

-48.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.76 R$197

$41.12 R$208

-5.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.91 R$202

$49.26 R$250

-18.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 R$427

$73.7 R$373

14.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$52.7 R$267

$65.9 R$334

-20.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$352 R$1,786

$900 R$4,561

-60.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$231 R$1,172

$527 R$2,673

-56.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 R$3,953

$1,332 R$6,754

-41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 R$2,252

$748 R$3,790

-40.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,578 R$8,000

$3,990 R$20.2K

-60.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,118 R$5,666

$1,560 R$7,908

-28.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 R$2,696

$640 R$3,246

-16.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-7.80%

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

Last update for Sao Bernardo do Campo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$231 28.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 128% $296

Groceries & Markets

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$198 24.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 7.7% $15

Eating Out

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$123 15.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 26.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$111 13.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 51.2% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$97 12%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 6.7% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$38 4.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 20.3% $7.7

Getting Around

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$8.5 * 1.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 599% $51

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $352 in Sao Bernardo do Campo and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 20% 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: $30.00 in Sao Bernardo do Campo vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $214 per month, with Sao Bernardo do Campo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Bernardo do Campo

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

12:29 12:29 PM

Same time as Sao Bernardo do Campo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

810,729

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Sao Bernardo do Campo Rio de Janeiro 350 km

From you

Sao Bernardo do Campo
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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

Sao Bernardo do Campo vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Bernardo do Campo and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($807 vs $1,273 including rent). Sao Bernardo do Campo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Rio de Janeiro. 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: $352 in Sao Bernardo do Campo versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $205 in Sao Bernardo do Campo versus $584 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $807 in Sao Bernardo do Campo versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Bernardo do Campo but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Bernardo do Campo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Sao Bernardo do Campo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.