Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Acosta

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $1,690 in Acosta, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
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Acosta Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Acosta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $1,690 in Acosta.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Acosta $1,690

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Sao Paulo versus $2,672 in Acosta.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Acosta $2,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Sao Paulo versus $3,655 in Acosta.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Acosta $3,655

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 28% less than in Acosta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 10% below, Acosta is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$12.09 ₡5,423

-27.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$57.0 ₡25.6K

-14.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$11.84 ₡5,309

-23.73%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$4.34 ₡1,948

-41.24%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$2.65 ₡1,188

-49.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$1.91 ₡856

-52.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$3.37 ₡1,510

-8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$4.46 ₡1,998

-1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$2.30 ₡1,033

-48.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$2.86 ₡1,284

-37.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$2.48 ₡1,112

-40.32%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$3.44 ₡1,542

-18.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$10.67 ₡4,784

18.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$10.36 ₡4,644

-47.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$14.09 ₡6,320

-23.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$5.17 ₡2,320

-45.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$1.57 ₡705

15.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$3.44 ₡1,543

-53.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$3.43 ₡1,539

-40.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$3.07 ₡1,379

-52.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$3.18 ₡1,425

-60.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$1.08 ₡486

15.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$2.64 ₡1,186

-62.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$5.65 ₡2,532

-46.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$16.42 ₡7,365

-40.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$2.51 ₡1,126

-26.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$2.73 ₡1,226

-7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$1.30 ₡584

-17.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$2.46 ₡1,104

-26.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$1.60 ₡719

-36.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$8.78 ₡3,938

16.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.57 ₡704

-17.83%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$22.0K ₡9.9M

6.83%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

0.03%

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

$104 R$527

$96.5 ₡43.3K

7.77%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$29.41 ₡13.2K

-43.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$59.9 ₡26.9K

-63.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$73.5 ₡33.0K

-50.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$7.54 ₡3,381

28.51%

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

$573 R$2,906

$857 ₡384.5K

-33.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$17.0K ₡7.6M

-0.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$70.3 ₡31.5K

-5.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$55.5 ₡24.9K

10.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$128 ₡57.3K

-22.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$134 ₡60.1K

-31.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$790 ₡354.3K

-17.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$627 ₡281.1K

-33.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$1,874 ₡840.2K

-18.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$1,259 ₡564.7K

-21.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$1,977 ₡886.4K

35.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

$1,467 ₡657.9K

-38.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

8.62

35.50%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Acosta: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Acosta

$627 37.1% 49.9% $209

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Acosta

$370 21.9% 52.2% $127

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Acosta

$228 13.5% 42.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Acosta

$174 10.3% 22.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Acosta

$186 11% 30.2% $43

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Acosta

$16 * 0.9% 73.2% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Acosta

$89 5.2% 58.7% $33

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 $654 in Sao Paulo and $790 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acosta pays 63% 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: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $57.0 in Acosta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $370 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇷 Acosta

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

3,072

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Acosta 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Acosta

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 Paulo vs Acosta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo and Acosta differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,222 vs $1,690 including rent). Sao Paulo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Acosta. 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: $654 in Sao Paulo versus $790 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Acosta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,222 per month in Sao Paulo versus $1,690 in Acosta – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $1,690 in Acosta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Acosta. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo 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.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Acosta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Acosta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.