Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Brookings, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $2,592 in Brookings, SD, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
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Brookings, SD Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Brookings, SD

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,592 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Brookings, SD $2,592

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Sao Paulo vs $3,536 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Brookings, SD $3,536

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Sao Paulo vs $4,480 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Brookings, SD $4,480

Sao Paulo is about 53% cheaper than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Paulo sits 10% below the global median, while Brookings, SD is 91% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$17.52 $17.52

-50.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$39.50 $39.50

23.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$11.37 $11.37

-20.58%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$4.59 $4.59

-44.44%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$2.52 $2.52

-46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$1.96 $1.96

-53.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$6.08 $6.08

-49.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$7.03 $7.03

-37.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$0.84 $0.84

41.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$3.49 $3.49

-48.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$6.54 $6.54

-77.37%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$3.56 $3.56

-20.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$10.38 $10.38

21.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$13.83 $13.83

-60.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$13.02 $13.02

-17.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$5.92 $5.92

-52.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$1.83 $1.83

-0.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$6.55 $6.55

-75.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$5.21 $5.21

-61.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$4.39 $4.39

-66.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$4.11 $4.11

-69.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$2.36 $2.36

-47.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.95 $1.95

-49.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$13.03 $13.03

-76.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$11.88 $11.88

-18.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$2.86 $2.86

-35.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$5.76 $5.76

-56.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$5.03 $5.03

-64.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$1.68 $1.68

-39.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$23.76 $23.76

-56.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.03 $1.03

25.24%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$30.2K $30.2K

-22.02%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$26.3K $26.3K

31.10%

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

$104 R$527

$178 $178

-41.60%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$54.1 $54.1

-69.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$70.7 $70.7

-68.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$11.83 $11.83

-18.09%

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

$573 R$2,906

$1,338 $1,338

-57.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$36.3K $36.3K

-53.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$42.60 $42.60

55.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$34.98 $34.98

74.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$88.0 $88.0

12.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$104 $104

-12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$1,663 $1,663

-60.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$1,419 $1,419

-70.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$2,083 $2,083

-26.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$2,037 $2,037

-51.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$2,622 $2,622

1.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

$2,872 $2,872

-29.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

5.5

112.36%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Brookings, SD

$1.4K 54.8% 239% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Brookings, SD

$420 16.2% 72.5% $176

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Brookings, SD

$292 11.3% 81.7% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Brookings, SD

$121 4.7% 15% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Brookings, SD

$303 11.7% 112% $160

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5% 77% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9% 57.6% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $654 in Sao Paulo versus $1,663 in Brookings, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo versus $39.00 in Brookings, SD. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Sao Paulo vs $420 in Brookings, SD – so Sao Paulo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

08:13 8:13 AM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

18,802

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Brookings, SD 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brookings, SD costs about 112% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Sao Paulo and $3,888 in Brookings, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Paulo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $39.00 in Brookings, SD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Brookings, SD, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,222, than in Brookings, SD at $2,592. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brookings, SD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sao Paulo costs $1,222 versus $2,592 in Brookings, SD. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brookings, SD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.