Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Sao Paulo Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Sao Paulo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $774 in Sao Luis versus $1,056 in Sao Paulo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,169 in Sao Luis versus $1,681 in Sao Paulo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,564 in Sao Luis versus $2,307 in Sao Paulo.

Living in Sao Luis costs roughly 27% less than in Sao Paulo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Luis 42% lower, Sao Paulo 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.01 R$25.36

$7.36 R$37.23

-31.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.50 R$154

$38.91 R$197

-21.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.33 R$37.09

$7.27 R$36.80

0.83%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R$10.38

$2.10 R$10.64

-2.38%

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

$0.95 R$4.80

$1.21 R$6.11

-21.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 R$2.80

$0.83 R$4.18

-33.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 R$9.29

$2.18 R$11.04

-15.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 R$16.16

$2.95 R$14.94

8.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.06 R$5.36

-9.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 R$9.73

$1.76 R$8.91

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.32 R$6.67

-23.48%

Eggs

$1.93 R$9.77

$2.44 R$12.36

-20.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 R$47.49

$11.28 R$57.1

-16.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 R$18.71

$4.39 R$22.22

-15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.21 R$36.49

$9.17 R$46.41

-21.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 R$9.43

$2.71 R$13.70

-31.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.10

$1.92 R$9.71

-36.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.85

$1.68 R$8.53

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.91

$1.78 R$8.98

-23.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.61

$1.44 R$7.28

-22.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.31 R$6.61

-5.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.02

$1.01 R$5.11

-21.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.86

$0.74 R$3.75

-22.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.03 R$10.25

$2.49 R$12.59

-18.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 R$40.62

$10.21 R$51.7

-21.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.56

$1.31 R$6.62

-16.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 R$9.82

$2.40 R$12.14

-19.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 R$4.02

$0.86 R$4.36

-8.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.80 R$181

$45.69 R$231

-21.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R$4.74

$1.06 R$5.37

-11.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R$2.51

$0.76 R$3.83

-34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.49 R$32.84

$9.23 R$46.69

-29.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.79

$1.10 R$5.57

-13.64%

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

$17.2K R$86.9K

$21.9K R$110.8K

-21.61%

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

$25.8K R$130.4K

$28.0K R$141.5K

-7.83%

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

$84.0 R$425

$54.6 R$276

53.85%

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

$17.24 R$87.2

$13.23 R$66.9

30.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.25 R$82.2

$20.26 R$102

-19.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.13 R$91.7

$29.69 R$150

-38.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.52 R$78.5

$35.42 R$179

-56.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 R$30.32

$8.02 R$40.58

-25.31%

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

$204 R$1,030

$504 R$2,549

-59.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,284 R$21.7K

$15.2K R$76.8K

-71.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.54 R$225

$51.2 R$259

-12.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.88 R$242

$42.64 R$216

12.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.3 R$275

$78.5 R$397

-30.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.0 R$278

$73.2 R$370

-24.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$389 R$1,970

$657 R$3,322

-40.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$208 R$1,053

$411 R$2,078

-49.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 R$2,609

$1,264 R$6,395

-59.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$295 R$1,495

$758 R$3,837

-61.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,505 R$7,614

$2,788 R$14.1K

-46.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$723 R$3,660

$2,036 R$10.3K

-64.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$381 R$1,927

$855 R$4,325

-55.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

11.56

-5.54%

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

Last update for Sao Luis: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $389 in Sao Luis and $657 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 124% 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: $31.00 in Sao Luis vs $39.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $219 per month, with Sao Luis cheaper across the board.

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 Luis vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Luis and Sao Paulo differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($774 vs $1,056 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sao Paulo earns 124% less. 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: $389 in Sao Luis versus $657 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Luis – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $39.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $774 in Sao Luis versus $1,056 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis 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 Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.