Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Luis and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $834 a month against $2,530 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sao Luis
🇧🇷 Brazil
$834
/mo nomad
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,530
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Luis 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 Luis and in Toronto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $834 in Sao Luis versus $2,530 in Toronto.

  • Sao Luis $834
  • Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,310 in Sao Luis versus $3,646 in Toronto.

  • Sao Luis $1,310
  • Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,786 in Sao Luis versus $4,761 in Toronto.

  • Sao Luis $1,786
  • Toronto $4,761

Living in Sao Luis costs roughly 67% less than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Luis is 38% below, Toronto is 89% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sao Luis
Toronto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.60 R$32.93
$17.67 CA$25.19
-62.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.74 R$198
$77.4 CA$110
-48.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.82 R$34.03
$10.47 CA$14.93
-34.86%
Cappuccino
$2.15 R$10.71
$4.08 CA$5.81
-47.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R$6.33
$2.12 CA$3.02
-40.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 R$3.65
$1.76 CA$2.51
-58.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.96 R$9.77
$6.17 CA$8.80
-68.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 R$12.16
$6.89 CA$9.82
-64.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sao Luis
Toronto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 R$5.52
$2.43 CA$3.46
-54.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.93 R$9.64
$2.75 CA$3.92
-29.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 R$5.54
$2.23 CA$3.18
-50.22%
Eggs
$2.27 R$11.31
$3.45 CA$4.91
-34.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.14 R$50.6
$8.93 CA$12.73
13.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.28 R$21.36
$11.44 CA$16.31
-62.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.64 R$38.12
$14.61 CA$20.83
-47.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.11 R$10.55
$3.75 CA$5.34
-43.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 R$6.95
$1.15 CA$1.64
20.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 R$6.09
$3.55 CA$5.06
-65.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.73 R$8.64
$4.28 CA$6.10
-59.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 R$6.64
$1.85 CA$2.63
-28.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 R$6.67
$1.67 CA$2.38
-19.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.90 R$4.47
$2.22 CA$3.16
-59.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.73 R$3.62
$1.21 CA$1.72
-39.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.44 R$12.17
$13.88 CA$19.78
-82.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.21 R$41.00
$14.25 CA$20.31
-42.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 R$6.36
$2.20 CA$3.13
-42.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.32 R$11.60
$2.42 CA$3.45
-4.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Sao Luis
Toronto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.85 R$4.27
$2.42 CA$3.44
-64.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.52 R$192
$111 CA$158
-65.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.03 R$5.12
$2.90 CA$4.13
-64.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.94 R$4.70
$1.26 CA$1.80
-25.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$22.03 CA$31.40
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 R$6.05
$1.22 CA$1.74
-0.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K R$120.6K
$27.6K CA$39.4K
-12.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.4K R$151.5K
$19.8K CA$28.3K
53.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Luis
Toronto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.5 R$487
$122 CA$174
-20.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.02 R$90.0
$32.03 CA$45.66
-43.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.42 R$107
$47.92 CA$68.3
-55.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sao Luis
Toronto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.11 R$100
$38.90 CA$55.5
-48.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.27 R$76.2
$23.24 CA$33.12
-34.29%
Cinema Ticket
$6.84 R$34.14
$12.61 CA$17.97
-45.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sao Luis
Toronto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$183 R$915
$834 CA$1,189
-78.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,911 R$14.5K
$23.3K CA$33.3K
-87.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sao Luis
Toronto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.7 R$323
$52.6 CA$75.0
23.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.6 R$273
$40.26 CA$57.4
35.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.1 R$375
$96.2 CA$137
-21.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$59.0 R$294
$123 CA$175
-52.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sao Luis
Toronto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$363 R$1,812
$1,598 CA$2,278
-77.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$187 R$935
$1,435 CA$2,045
-86.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$580 R$2,893
$2,657 CA$3,787
-78.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$330 R$1,648
$2,096 CA$2,988
-84.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,575 R$7,864
$8,033 CA$11.5K
-80.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$721 R$3,598
$6,557 CA$9,347
-89.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sao Luis
Toronto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$386 R$1,929
$3,743 CA$5,335
-89.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
4.47
-

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

Last update for Sao Luis: October 3, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sao Luis
$197
Toronto
$340 72.3% $143
Accommodation & Living
Sao Luis
$187
Toronto
$1.4K 666% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Luis
$137
Toronto
$202 47.4% $65
Eating Out
Sao Luis
$122
Toronto
$282 132% $160
Clothing & Footwear
Sao Luis
$114
Toronto
$140 23.1% $26
Getting Around
Sao Luis
$48
Toronto
$130 172% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Sao Luis
$34
Toronto
$64 89.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $363 in Sao Luis and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Toronto pays 869% 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: $40.00 in Sao Luis vs $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $340 per month, with Sao Luis cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Sao Luis
🇨🇦 Toronto
🕒 Local time
07:11 7:11 AM
06:11 6:11 AM
1 h behind Sao Luis
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,037,775
2,731,571
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sao Luis Toronto 6,210 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sao Luis
  • 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 Luis vs Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sao Luis and in Toronto?
Sao Luis and Toronto differ by about 203% in total monthly costs ($834 vs $2,530 including rent). Sao Luis is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 869% lower in Toronto. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Sao Luis and in Toronto?
Rent for a central apartment: $363 in Sao Luis versus $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Toronto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sao Luis – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $77.0 in Toronto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $834 in Sao Luis versus $2,530 in Toronto, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Toronto. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sao Luis and Toronto?
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.
Where should expats move: Sao Luis or Toronto?
Expats usually find Sao Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 203% less than in Toronto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Sao Luis vs other spots: cost of living compared

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