Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Cambridge

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,398 in Cambridge, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Cambridge

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,398 in Cambridge.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Cambridge $2,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $3,402 in Cambridge.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Cambridge $3,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $4,406 in Cambridge.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Cambridge $4,406

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 49% less than in Cambridge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 9% below, Cambridge is 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$17.30 CA$24.45

-49.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$55.8 CA$78.9

-11.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$9.96 CA$14.07

-11.65%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$3.51 CA$4.96

-29.06%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.98 CA$2.79

-28.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.32 CA$1.86

-35.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$5.11 CA$7.22

-41.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$6.24 CA$8.82

-30.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$2.06 CA$2.91

-39.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$2.38 CA$3.36

-19.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$3.09 CA$4.36

-53.72%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$3.20 CA$4.53

-12.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$10.84 CA$15.33

17.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$11.33 CA$16.02

-52.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$14.30 CA$20.22

-25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$3.95 CA$5.58

-30.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.18 CA$1.67

53.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$4.00 CA$5.66

-59.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$3.68 CA$5.20

-45.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$2.61 CA$3.69

-46.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.98 CA$2.79

-35.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$2.04 CA$2.88

-37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$1.41 CA$2.00

-32.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$12.82 CA$18.13

-76.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$12.20 CA$17.25

-18.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$2.57 CA$3.63

-28.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$3.85 CA$5.44

-34.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$2.44 CA$3.44

-55.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$63.9 CA$90.3

-23.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$2.42 CA$3.42

-23.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.78 CA$2.52

-44.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$22.60 CA$31.95

-54.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.16 CA$1.63

15.52%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$25.8K CA$36.5K

-5.54%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$18.5K CA$26.2K

83.22%

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

$104 R$529

$149 CA$211

-29.88%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$42.05 CA$59.5

-60.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$49.52 CA$70.0

-55.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$28.59 CA$40.42

25.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$10.28 CA$14.53

-2.14%

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

$579 R$2,936

$528 CA$746

9.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$16.2K CA$22.8K

5.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$54.2 CA$76.7

21.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$29.82 CA$42.16

104.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$74.3 CA$105

35.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$103 CA$146

-10.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$1,305 CA$1,845

-49.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$1,299 CA$1,837

-67.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$2,509 CA$3,547

-39.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$1,989 CA$2,812

-48.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$4,236 CA$5,989

-34.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$3,850 CA$5,443

-47.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$2,938 CA$4,153

-69.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

5.09

129.47%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Cambridge

$1.3K 54.2% 204% $871

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Cambridge

$345 14.4% 41.1% $100

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Cambridge

$262 10.9% 64% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Cambridge

$118 4.9% 18.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Cambridge

$241 10% 67.8% $97

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Cambridge

$85 3.5% 41.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Cambridge

$49 2.1% 12.1% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $1,305 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 223% 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 $56.0 in Cambridge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $345 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇦 Cambridge

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

18:18 6:18 PM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

138,479

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Cambridge 8,200 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Cambridge

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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 223% lower in Cambridge. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $1,305 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Paulo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $56.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,398 in Cambridge, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.