Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Buenaventura

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $1,308 in Buenaventura, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Buenaventura
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Buenaventura Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Buenaventura

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,308

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,308 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Buenaventura $1,308

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,012 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Buenaventura $2,012

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,716 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Buenaventura $2,716

Sao Paulo is about 7% cheaper than Buenaventura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sao Paulo and Buenaventura are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 10% lower, Buenaventura 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$7.61 COP 24.1K

14.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$42.62 COP 135.1K

14.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$9.41 COP 29.8K

-4.04%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$2.59 COP 8,225

-1.54%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$1.38 COP 4,370

-2.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.89 COP 2,835

2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$3.14 COP 9,959

-2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$3.73 COP 11.8K

17.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.43 COP 4,538

-16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$2.41 COP 7,642

-25.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.63 COP 5,169

-9.20%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$2.95 COP 9,353

-4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$7.86 COP 24.9K

60.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$9.62 COP 30.5K

-43.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$12.27 COP 38.9K

-12.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$3.58 COP 11.4K

-21.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$1.47 COP 4,665

23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$1.91 COP 6,047

-16.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$1.80 COP 5,696

12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$1.49 COP 4,737

-2.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$1.48 COP 4,694

-15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$1.19 COP 3,758

5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.20 COP 3,811

-18.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$3.95 COP 12.5K

-24.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$13.14 COP 41.7K

-26.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$1.41 COP 4,474

30.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$2.38 COP 7,555

5.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$1.09 COP 3,450

-1.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.60 COP 5,079

13.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$2.04 COP 6,457

-50.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$9.02 COP 28.6K

13.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.29 COP 4,080

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$24.7K COP 78.5M

-4.88%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$35.4K COP 112.2M

-2.45%

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

$104 R$527

$126 COP 399.9K

-17.51%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$13.14 COP 41.7K

26.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$29.17 COP 92.5K

-24.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$38.15 COP 120.9K

-4.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$6.50 COP 20.6K

49.08%

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

$573 R$2,906

$630 COP 2.0M

-8.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$7,516 COP 23.8M

125.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$84.9 COP 269.2K

-21.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$54.4 COP 172.5K

12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$139 COP 440.5K

-28.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$103 COP 328.1K

-11.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$653 COP 2.1M

0.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$475 COP 1.5M

-11.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$997 COP 3.2M

52.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$875 COP 2.8M

13.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$1,966 COP 6.2M

35.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

$1,628 COP 5.2M

24.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.58

0.86%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Buenaventura

$475 36.3% 13.5% $57

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Buenaventura

$273 20.9% 12.4% $30

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Buenaventura

$153 11.7% 5% $8

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Buenaventura

$172 13.1% 20.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Buenaventura

$168 12.9% 18.1% $26

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Buenaventura

$16 * 1.2% 72.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Buenaventura

$51 3.9% 8.3% $4.7

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 $653 in Buenaventura. 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 $43.00 in Buenaventura. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Sao Paulo vs $273 in Buenaventura – so Sao Paulo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇴 Buenaventura

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

12:59 12:59 PM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

365,607

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Buenaventura 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Buenaventura

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 Buenaventura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo, $1,308 in Buenaventura – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,962 in Buenaventura. 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 $43.00 in Buenaventura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Buenaventura, 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 Buenaventura at $1,308. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenaventura it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sao Paulo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,222 in Sao Paulo to $1,308 in Buenaventura. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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