Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Beruwala

For one person, living is cheaper in Beruwala: $507 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Beruwala
Learn more

Beruwala Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Beruwala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$507

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $507 in Beruwala.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Beruwala $507

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $824 in Beruwala.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Beruwala $824

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,140 in Beruwala.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Beruwala $1,140

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 143% more expensive than in Beruwala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Beruwala 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$4.30 LKR 1,424

104.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$24.33 LKR 8,058

102.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$7.45 LKR 2,467

18.12%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$2.48 LKR 823

0.40%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.68 LKR 224

108.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.27 LKR 90.2

214.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$2.18 LKR 723

36.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$3.05 LKR 1,009

42.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.62 LKR 538

-23.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.57 LKR 188

235.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$0.78 LKR 259

83.33%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.59 LKR 526

76.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$13.81 LKR 4,575

-7.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$4.75 LKR 1,574

13.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$7.50 LKR 2,483

41.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$6.95 LKR 2,301

-60.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$0.83 LKR 276

118.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$4.49 LKR 1,489

-63.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.26 LKR 418

58.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.04 LKR 344

34.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.76 LKR 251

67.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.93 LKR 310

37.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.44 LKR 145

115.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$10.34 LKR 3,424

-71.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$13.77 LKR 4,562

-27.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.91 LKR 631

-3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.92 LKR 967

-13.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$0.40 LKR 133

362.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$0.35 LKR 114

182.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$0.95 LKR 315

983.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.40 LKR 464

-4.29%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$36.4K LKR 12.0M

-32.87%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$40.1K LKR 13.3M

-15.25%

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

$104 R$529

$54.9 LKR 18.2K

90.29%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$4.34 LKR 1,437

285.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$20.59 LKR 6,819

7.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$4.34 LKR 1,437

131.80%

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

$579 R$2,936

$37.63 LKR 12.5K

1439.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$1,213 LKR 401.8K

1307.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$18.51 LKR 6,132

254.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$16.53 LKR 5,474

269.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$78.3 LKR 25.9K

28.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$41.74 LKR 13.8K

120.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$149 LKR 49.3K

510.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

12.69

-7.96%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Beruwala: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Beruwala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Beruwala

$240 47.2% 1.9% $4.6

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Beruwala

$107 21.2% 32.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Beruwala

$70 13.8% 51.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Beruwala

$80 15.7% 44.3% $64

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Beruwala

$2.1 * 0.4% 96.4% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Beruwala

$8.7 * 1.7% 84.5% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Sao Paulo pays 511% 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 $24.00 in Beruwala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $240 per month, with Beruwala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇱🇰 Beruwala

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

06:25 6:25 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

35,300

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Beruwala 14,020 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Beruwala

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 Beruwala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Beruwala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 143% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 511% higher in Sao Paulo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo versus $507 in Beruwala – a 143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $507 in Beruwala versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Beruwala but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Beruwala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Beruwala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Beruwala 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 Beruwala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.