Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Arugam Bay

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Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Arugam Bay

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

/mo nomad

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.59

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$247

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$45.96

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.69

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

$1.45 R$7.24

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.73

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.32

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.16

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.04

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.18

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$62.6

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.78

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.65

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.02

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.74

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.89

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.34

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.19

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.34

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.15

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$50.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.18

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.17

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.06

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.6

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.34

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

$24.3K R$121.3K

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

$34.0K R$169.6K

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

$104 R$518

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

$16.16 R$80.6

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$238

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.13

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

$525 R$2,619

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$334

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$310

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$504

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$453

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,305

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,108

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,614

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,029

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,391

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Arugam Bay: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Arugam Bay

–

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Arugam Bay

–

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Arugam Bay

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Arugam Bay

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Arugam Bay

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Arugam Bay

–

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇱🇰 Arugam Bay

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

13:21 1:21 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

5,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.201 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 371 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Arugam Bay 14,220 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Arugam Bay

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 Arugam Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Families tend to lean toward Arugam Bay – 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 Arugam Bay. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sao Paulo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.