Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Akron, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $2,194 in Akron, OH, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Akron, OH
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Akron, OH Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Akron, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,194

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Akron, OH

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $2,194 in Akron, OH.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Akron, OH $2,194

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $3,292 in Akron, OH.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Akron, OH $3,292

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $4,389 in Akron, OH.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Akron, OH $4,389

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 43% less than in Akron, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 7% below, Akron, OH is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.64

$16.81 $16.81

-46.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$247

$75.7 $75.7

-34.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.01

$9.89 $9.89

-6.77%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.70

$3.64 $3.64

-30.22%

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

$1.45 R$7.25

$2.13 $2.13

-31.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.55

$1.66 $1.66

-45.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.31

$5.11 $5.11

-39.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.75

$5.05 $5.05

-13.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.32

$0.86 $0.86

47.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.17

$2.46 $2.46

-25.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.05

$7.19 $7.19

-80.39%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.20

$4.82 $4.82

-41.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$62.7

$15.53 $15.53

-19.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.81

$11.57 $11.57

-53.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

$19.01 $19.01

-43.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.67

$7.17 $7.17

-61.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.03

$1.61 $1.61

12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.74

$7.77 $7.77

-80.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.90

$6.87 $6.87

-71.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.34

$3.94 $3.94

-62.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.20

$3.79 $3.79

-67.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.35

$2.50 $2.50

-49.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.79

$2.02 $2.02

-52.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.16

$9.66 $9.66

-68.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$50.8

$14.21 $14.21

-28.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.64

$1.69 $1.69

2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.19

$5.25 $5.25

-49.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.18

$1.22 $1.22

-14.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

$49.69 $49.69

-3.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.07

$5.07 $5.07

-64.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.07

$1.87 $1.87

-45.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.35

$1.02 $1.02

24.51%

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

$24.3K R$121.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

-32.51%

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

$34.0K R$169.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

27.47%

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

$104 R$519

$242 $242

-57.09%

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

$16.16 R$80.7

$40.86 $40.86

-60.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$79.8 $79.8

-71.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

$42.93 $42.93

-15.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$239

$17.84 $17.84

167.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.19

$12.33 $12.33

-20.11%

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

$525 R$2,622

$1,309 $1,309

-59.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.8K

$12.6K $12.6K

32.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$334

$53.0 $53.0

26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$311

$63.7 $63.7

-2.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$505

$105 $105

-4.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$454

$125 $125

-27.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,309

$933 $933

-28.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,110

$851 $851

-50.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,622

$1,355 $1,355

12.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,035

$1,436 $1,436

-29.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

$1,516 $1,516

80.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

$1,481 $1,481

39.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,396

$3,295 $3,295

-73.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.08

92.11%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Akron, OH: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Akron, OH

$851 38.3% 101% $428

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Akron, OH

$455 20.5% 86.9% $211

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Akron, OH

$259 11.7% 58.5% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Akron, OH

$156 7% 8.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Akron, OH

$363 16.3% 154% $220

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Akron, OH

$69 3.1% 16.7% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Akron, OH

$68 3% 20.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Sao Paulo and $933 in Akron, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Akron, OH pays 274% 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 $76.0 in Akron, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $455 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇺🇸 Akron, OH

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

03:45 3:45 AM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

197,542

💱 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 Paulo Akron, OH 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Akron, OH

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 Akron, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo and Akron, OH differ by about 76% in total monthly costs ($1,244 vs $2,194 including rent). Sao Paulo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 274% lower in Akron, OH. 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: $663 in Sao Paulo versus $933 in Akron, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Sao Paulo versus $2,194 in Akron, OH – a 76% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 3% less than in Akron, OH. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $2,194 in Akron, OH, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Akron, OH. 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.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Akron, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.