Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Bristol, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul: $1,040 a month against $2,038 in Bristol, VA, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Sao Caetano do Sul
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Sao Caetano do Sul Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Bristol, VA
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Bristol, VA Living Index

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Sao Caetano do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,040

/mo nomad

Bristol, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Caetano do Sul and in Bristol, VA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sao Caetano do Sul and in Bristol, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,040 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,038 in Bristol, VA.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,040
Bristol, VA $2,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,793 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $3,040 in Bristol, VA.

Sao Caetano do Sul $1,793
Bristol, VA $3,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,546 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $4,041 in Bristol, VA.

Sao Caetano do Sul $2,546
Bristol, VA $4,041

Living in Sao Caetano do Sul costs roughly 49% less than in Bristol, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Caetano do Sul is 23% below, Bristol, VA is 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.03 R$45.79

$17.76 $17.76

-49.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.06 R$198

$63.9 $63.9

-38.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.99 R$45.57

$10.82 $10.82

-16.91%

Cappuccino

$2.30 R$11.66

$4.03 $4.03

-42.93%

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

$1.33 R$6.74

$1.93 $1.93

-31.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.47

$1.76 $1.76

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 R$12.16

$4.59 $4.59

-47.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 R$19.85

$5.90 $5.90

-33.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.24

$0.96 $0.96

28.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.05

$4.00 $4.00

-50.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.28

$3.33 $3.33

-56.76%

Eggs

$2.57 R$13.03

$3.69 $3.69

-30.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.85 R$55.0

$16.25 $16.25

-33.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.13 R$25.98

$15.92 $15.92

-67.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.56 R$53.5

$18.05 $18.05

-41.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$11.69

$5.22 $5.22

-55.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$8.58

$1.27 $1.27

33.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.76

$4.70 $4.70

-67.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 R$10.45

$4.59 $4.59

-55.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.33

$3.84 $3.84

-62.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.05

$2.90 $2.90

-58.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 R$4.90

$2.00 $2.00

-51.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.27

$2.34 $2.34

-64.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 R$12.20

$8.54 $8.54

-71.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 R$45.12

$15.55 $15.55

-42.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.34

$2.45 $2.45

-24.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$12.97

$3.67 $3.67

-30.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 R$3.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 R$6.39

$3.05 $3.05

-58.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 R$5.24

$1.91 $1.91

-46.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.68 R$44.00

$29.46 $29.46

-70.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.89 $0.89

43.82%

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

$23.2K R$117.7K

$34.5K $34.5K

-32.70%

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

$33.2K R$168.3K

$25.4K $25.4K

30.64%

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

$102 R$518

$171 $171

-40.36%

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

$14.59 R$74.0

$67.4 $67.4

-78.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.31 R$113

$70.5 $70.5

-68.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.28 R$250

$31.37 $31.37

57.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.12 R$229

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$15.98 $15.98

-37.05%

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

$430 R$2,181

$1,465 $1,465

-70.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K R$54.7K

$24.8K $24.8K

-56.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.2 R$326

$50.7 $50.7

26.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 R$288

$36.93 $36.93

53.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 R$494

$65.5 $65.5

49.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.3 R$468

$90.6 $90.6

1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 R$2,074

$1,107 $1,107

-63.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 R$1,512

$831 $831

-64.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,247

$1,786 $1,786

-53.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 R$4,286

$1,389 $1,389

-39.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,866 R$9,458

$1,788 $1,788

4.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,444 R$7,319

$1,800 $1,800

-19.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$942 R$4,776

$3,025 $3,025

-68.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

6.48

66.82%

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

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bristol, VA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Caetano do Sul

$298 28.7%

Bristol, VA

$831 40.8% 179% $533

Groceries & Markets

Sao Caetano do Sul

$229 22%

Bristol, VA

$440 21.6% 92.1% $211

Eating Out

Sao Caetano do Sul

$155 15%

Bristol, VA

$272 13.4% 75.2% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Caetano do Sul

$140 13.5%

Bristol, VA

$110 5.4% 21.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Caetano do Sul

$139 13.4%

Bristol, VA

$309 15.2% 122% $170

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Caetano do Sul

$69 6.7%

Bristol, VA

$63 3.1% 8.7% $6.1

Getting Around

Sao Caetano do Sul

$9.3 * 0.9%

Bristol, VA

$13 * 0.6% 35.3% $3.3

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 $409 in Sao Caetano do Sul and $1,107 in Bristol, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol, VA pays 221% 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: $39.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $64.0 in Bristol, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $229 vs $440 per month, with Sao Caetano do Sul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Caetano do Sul

🇺🇸 Bristol, VA

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

07:41 7:41 AM

1 h behind Sao Caetano do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

165,655

17,141

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Caetano do Sul Bristol, VA 7,670 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Caetano do Sul
Bristol, VA

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 Caetano do Sul vs Bristol, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Caetano do Sul and Bristol, VA differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($1,040 vs $2,038 including rent). Sao Caetano do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 221% lower in Bristol, VA. 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: $409 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,107 in Bristol, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $430 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,465 in Bristol, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Caetano do Sul – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $64.0 in Bristol, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,040 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,038 in Bristol, VA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Caetano do Sul but tight or insufficient in Bristol, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Caetano do Sul 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 Caetano do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Bristol, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.