Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Boa Vista

For one person, living is cheaper in Boa Vista: $758 a month against $1,137 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Boa Vista
Learn more

Boa Vista Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,137

/mo nomad

Boa Vista

🇧🇷 Brazil

$758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Boa Vista

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

A single person spends $1,137 per month in Sao Paulo vs $758 in Boa Vista, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,137
Boa Vista $758

A couple spends around $1,898 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,132 in Boa Vista, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,898
Boa Vista $1,132

A family of three spends $2,660 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,506 in Boa Vista, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,660
Boa Vista $1,506

Sao Paulo costs about 50% more than Boa Vista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sao Paulo and Boa Vista are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 16% lower, Boa Vista 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 R$44.17

$7.13 R$38.95

13.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.75 R$255

$21.99 R$120

112.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 R$44.74

$7.92 R$43.25

3.41%

Cappuccino

$2.34 R$12.80

$2.49 R$13.62

-6.02%

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

$1.35 R$7.36

$0.82 R$4.50

64.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.41

$0.45 R$2.45

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 R$15.44

$1.35 R$7.39

109.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 R$22.28

$2.05 R$11.21

99.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R$6.03

$2.26 R$12.32

-51.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 R$9.46

$1.72 R$9.41

0.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.04

$1.32 R$7.19

11.36%

Eggs

$2.55 R$13.90

$2.72 R$14.88

-6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 R$62.8

$9.19 R$50.2

25.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 R$26.30

$5.17 R$28.22

-6.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 R$54.7

$9.13 R$49.83

9.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 R$13.15

$2.17 R$11.83

11.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.74

$1.21 R$6.60

32.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.50

$1.64 R$8.95

-16.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 R$9.68

$1.79 R$9.77

-1.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$7.15

$0.94 R$5.11

39.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 R$6.27

$0.96 R$5.22

19.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 R$6.32

$0.72 R$3.92

61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.76

$0.72 R$3.95

20.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 R$14.75

$2.61 R$14.25

3.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 R$50.7

$11.14 R$60.8

-16.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 R$8.86

$1.90 R$10.39

-14.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$13.07

$1.32 R$7.21

81.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R$5.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.95 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 R$6.88

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R$4.89

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 R$55.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 R$6.42

$1.23 R$6.72

-4.07%

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

$21.4K R$117.1K

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

$32.3K R$176.4K

$26.1K R$142.7K

23.63%

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

$93.0 R$508

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

$15.28 R$83.4

$17.20 R$93.9

-11.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.65 R$107

$29.22 R$160

-32.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.16 R$170

$30.81 R$168

1.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$258

Cinema Ticket

$9.36 R$51.1

$5.96 R$32.56

57.05%

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

$564 R$3,077

$171 R$935

229.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K R$136.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 R$323

$22.45 R$123

163.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 R$306

$22.46 R$123

149.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 R$526

$64.5 R$352

49.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 R$475

$30.95 R$169

180.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 R$3,286

$333 R$1,820

80.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 R$2,188

$254 R$1,389

57.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 R$7,332

$465 R$2,541

188.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 R$5,052

$337 R$1,840

174.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,514 R$13.7K

$737 R$4,025

241.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,866 R$10.2K

$739 R$4,037

152.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 R$4,712

$491 R$2,680

75.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Boa Vista: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$401 35.3%

Boa Vista

$254 33.6% 36.5% $146

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$222 19.5%

Boa Vista

$221 29.1% 0.4% $0.9

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$148 13.1%

Boa Vista

$127 16.7% 14.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$134 11.8%

Boa Vista

$63 8.3% 53% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$128 11.3%

Boa Vista

$46 * 6.1% 63.7% $82

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$54 4.7%

Boa Vista

$3.8 * 0.5% 92.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$50 4.4%

Boa Vista

$43 5.6% 14.3% $7.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $602 in Sao Paulo versus $333 in Boa Vista. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Sao Paulo. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Sao Paulo versus $22 in Boa Vista. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $221 – making Boa Vista the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Boa Vista

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

413,486

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Boa Vista 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Boa Vista

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 Boa Vista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 50% more than Boa Vista, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,705 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,138 in Boa Vista. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Boa Vista, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $333 there versus $602 in Sao Paulo.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,137 in Sao Paulo and $758 in Boa Vista. That makes Boa Vista about 33% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Sao Paulo and $22 in Boa Vista. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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