Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $1,003 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $49,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Sao Carlos
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Sao Carlos Living Index
245

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

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Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,003

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Carlos 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 Sao Carlos and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Sao Carlos vs $5,142 in New York, NY, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,003
New York, NY $5,142

A couple spends around $1,742 per month in Sao Carlos vs $7,455 in New York, NY, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,742
New York, NY $7,455

A family of three spends $2,480 per month in Sao Carlos vs $9,767 in New York, NY, rent included.

Sao Carlos $2,480
New York, NY $9,767

Sao Carlos is about 80% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Carlos sits 25% below the global median, while New York, NY is 284% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.15 R$25.69

$26.46 $26.46

-80.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.83 R$204

$119 $119

-65.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 R$35.74

$14.43 $14.43

-50.38%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.42

$6.55 $6.55

-68.09%

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

$1.35 R$6.74

$3.84 $3.84

-64.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.75

$3.00 $3.00

-75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 R$8.14

$8.27 $8.27

-80.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.70

$10.05 $10.05

-72.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 R$6.81

$1.31 $1.31

4.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$9.83

$4.90 $4.90

-59.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R$9.32

$7.16 $7.16

-73.88%

Eggs

$2.88 R$14.36

$5.92 $5.92

-51.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 R$63.0

$19.06 $19.06

-33.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 R$27.04

$17.38 $17.38

-68.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 R$47.59

$18.94 $18.94

-49.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 R$13.40

$6.96 $6.96

-61.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.50

$2.08 $2.08

-8.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.04

$6.10 $6.10

-70.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 R$9.55

$6.95 $6.95

-72.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.34

$3.98 $3.98

-58.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.14

$4.44 $4.44

-67.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R$4.87

$2.81 $2.81

-65.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R$5.80

$2.51 $2.51

-53.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 R$15.74

$19.27 $19.27

-83.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 R$42.96

$19.67 $19.67

-56.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R$7.32

$3.08 $3.08

-52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.75

$3.68 $3.68

-19.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$3.02 $3.02

-66.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.73 R$118

$140 $140

-82.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 R$7.42

$3.07 $3.07

-51.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 R$4.86

$2.13 $2.13

-54.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 R$18.16

$41.21 $41.21

-91.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.08

$1.11 $1.11

9.91%

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-41.69%

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

$31.9K R$159.2K

$25.4K $25.4K

25.58%

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

$63.2 R$316

$217 $217

-70.94%

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

$13.95 R$69.7

$74.0 $74.0

-81.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.86 R$124

$72.5 $72.5

-65.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 R$170

$120 $120

-71.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.34 R$241

$66.9 $66.9

-27.73%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 R$27.07

$22.32 $22.32

-75.72%

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

$297 R$1,481

$3,425 $3,425

-91.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,987 R$14.9K

$61.2K $61.2K

-95.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 R$421

$76.3 $76.3

10.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.3 R$486

$55.5 $55.5

75.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 R$693

$119 $119

16.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 R$819

$131 $131

25.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 R$1,336

$4,506 $4,506

-94.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 R$1,172

$3,155 $3,155

-92.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 R$3,349

$8,817 $8,817

-92.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 R$3,300

$5,532 $5,532

-88.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 R$4,237

$19.4K $19.4K

-95.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 R$3,744

$6,754 $6,754

-88.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$693 R$3,460

$5,290 $5,290

-86.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

6.82

57.62%

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

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 5, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Carlos

$244 24.7%

New York, NY

$546 11% 124% $302

Accommodation & Living

Sao Carlos

$235 23.8%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 1244% $2.9K

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 21.2% $46

Eating Out

Sao Carlos

$110 11.1%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 285% $313

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Carlos

$102 10.3%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 257% $262

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Carlos

$45 4.6%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 267% $120

Getting Around

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 384% $131

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $268 in Sao Carlos versus $4,506 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 663% 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 $41.00 in Sao Carlos versus $119 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $546 – making Sao Carlos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

05:01 5:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

1 h behind Sao Carlos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

254,857

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Carlos New York, NY 7,470 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Carlos
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

Sao Carlos vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 413% more than Sao Carlos, 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 $1,505 per month in Sao Carlos and $7,714 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 Sao Carlos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Sao Carlos and $3,425 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 124% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Carlos, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In Sao Carlos 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. Sao Carlos costs $1,003 versus $5,142 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 Sao Carlos. 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.