Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Carlos: $1,003 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Sao Carlos

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,003

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Carlos and in Toronto

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 Toronto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Sao Carlos vs $2,530 in Toronto, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,003
Toronto $2,530

A couple spends around $1,742 per month in Sao Carlos vs $3,646 in Toronto, rent included.

Sao Carlos $1,742
Toronto $3,646

A family of three spends $2,480 per month in Sao Carlos vs $4,761 in Toronto, rent included.

Sao Carlos $2,480
Toronto $4,761

Sao Carlos is about 60% cheaper than Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Carlos sits 25% below the global median, while Toronto is 89% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.15 R$25.69

$17.67 CA$25.19

-70.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.83 R$204

$77.4 CA$110

-47.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 R$35.74

$10.47 CA$14.93

-31.61%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R$10.42

$4.08 CA$5.81

-48.77%

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

$1.35 R$6.74

$2.12 CA$3.02

-36.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.75

$1.76 CA$2.51

-57.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 R$8.14

$6.17 CA$8.80

-73.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.70

$6.89 CA$9.82

-60.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 R$6.81

$2.43 CA$3.46

-43.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$9.83

$2.75 CA$3.92

-28.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R$9.32

$2.23 CA$3.18

-16.14%

Eggs

$2.88 R$14.36

$3.45 CA$4.91

-16.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.62 R$63.0

$8.93 CA$12.73

41.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.42 R$27.04

$11.44 CA$16.31

-52.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.53 R$47.59

$14.61 CA$20.83

-34.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.68 R$13.40

$3.75 CA$5.34

-28.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.50

$1.15 CA$1.64

65.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.04

$3.55 CA$5.06

-49.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 R$9.55

$4.28 CA$6.10

-55.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.34

$1.85 CA$2.63

-9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.14

$1.67 CA$2.38

-14.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R$4.87

$2.22 CA$3.16

-55.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R$5.80

$1.21 CA$1.72

-4.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 R$15.74

$13.88 CA$19.78

-77.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.61 R$42.96

$14.25 CA$20.31

-39.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 R$7.32

$2.20 CA$3.13

-33.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.75

$2.42 CA$3.45

21.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

$2.42 CA$3.44

-58.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.73 R$118

$111 CA$158

-78.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 R$7.42

$2.90 CA$4.13

-48.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 R$4.86

$1.26 CA$1.80

-23.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 R$18.16

$22.03 CA$31.40

-83.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.08

$1.22 CA$1.74

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$27.6K CA$39.4K

-26.15%

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

$31.9K R$159.2K

$19.8K CA$28.3K

60.90%

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

$63.2 R$316

$122 CA$174

-48.14%

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

$13.95 R$69.7

$32.03 CA$45.66

-56.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.86 R$124

$47.92 CA$68.3

-48.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.12 R$170

$38.90 CA$55.5

-12.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.34 R$241

$23.24 CA$33.12

108.00%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 R$27.07

$12.61 CA$17.97

-57.02%

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

$297 R$1,481

$834 CA$1,189

-64.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,987 R$14.9K

$23.3K CA$33.3K

-87.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.3 R$421

$52.6 CA$75.0

60.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$97.3 R$486

$40.26 CA$57.4

141.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 R$693

$96.2 CA$137

44.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 R$819

$123 CA$175

33.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 R$1,336

$1,598 CA$2,278

-83.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 R$1,172

$1,435 CA$2,045

-83.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 R$3,349

$2,657 CA$3,787

-74.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$661 R$3,300

$2,096 CA$2,988

-68.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 R$4,237

$8,033 CA$11.5K

-89.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 R$3,744

$6,557 CA$9,347

-88.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$693 R$3,460

$3,743 CA$5,335

-81.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

4.47

140.49%

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

Last update for Sao Carlos: October 5, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Carlos

$244 24.7%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 39.6% $96

Accommodation & Living

Sao Carlos

$235 23.8%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 511% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Carlos

$218 22.1%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 35.6% $78

Eating Out

Sao Carlos

$110 11.1%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 157% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Carlos

$102 10.3%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 97.8% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Carlos

$45 4.6%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 42.6% $19

Getting Around

Sao Carlos

$34 3.5%

Toronto

$130 5% 280% $95

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $268 in Sao Carlos versus $1,598 in Toronto. 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 440% higher in Toronto, 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 $77.0 in Toronto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $340 – making Sao Carlos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Carlos

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

02:39 2:39 AM

01:39 1:39 AM

1 h behind Sao Carlos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

254,857

2,731,571

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Carlos Toronto 7,970 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Carlos
Toronto

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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 152% 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 $3,795 in Toronto. 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.

Groceries cost about 40% more in Toronto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Sao Carlos and $77.0 in Toronto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Carlos, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Toronto at $2,530. In Sao Carlos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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