Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Campinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Campinas: $952 a month against $1,183 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Campinas
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Campinas Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,183

/mo nomad

Campinas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,183 per month in Sao Paulo vs $952 in Campinas, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,183
Campinas $952

A couple spends around $1,948 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,625 in Campinas, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,948
Campinas $1,625

A family of three spends $2,713 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,298 in Campinas, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,713
Campinas $2,298

Sao Paulo costs about 24% more than Campinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sao Paulo and Campinas are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 13% lower, Campinas 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.15 R$43.59

$9.20 R$49.18

-11.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.78 R$250

$33.96 R$182

37.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 R$44.07

$8.22 R$43.94

0.24%

Cappuccino

$2.41 R$12.90

$2.11 R$11.26

14.22%

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

$1.32 R$7.06

$1.20 R$6.42

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.52

$0.84 R$4.49

1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 R$14.85

$2.28 R$12.21

21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 R$22.22

$3.73 R$19.97

11.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$6.13

$1.00 R$5.34

15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 R$9.02

$1.95 R$10.41

-13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$7.20

$1.23 R$6.56

9.76%

Eggs

$2.69 R$14.39

$2.32 R$12.39

15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 R$63.0

$10.20 R$54.6

15.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 R$26.55

$4.62 R$24.73

7.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 R$54.0

$9.64 R$51.5

4.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 R$13.69

$2.21 R$11.81

15.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R$9.32

$1.59 R$8.49

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.71

$1.42 R$7.61

1.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.76

$1.26 R$6.75

45.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.90

$1.16 R$6.22

11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.24

$1.15 R$6.16

1.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R$6.53

$0.93 R$4.95

31.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R$4.75

$0.80 R$4.28

11.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.75 R$14.71

$2.26 R$12.06

21.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 R$49.56

$7.48 R$40.02

23.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$9.22

$1.46 R$7.81

18.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 R$12.71

$2.41 R$12.90

-1.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 R$5.48

$1.02 R$5.45

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.02 R$241

$41.49 R$222

8.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 R$9.17

$1.10 R$5.88

56.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R$4.78

$0.67 R$3.61

32.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 R$50.9

$8.23 R$44.02

15.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.57

$1.21 R$6.44

1.65%

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

$22.3K R$119.3K

$22.0K R$117.5K

1.58%

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

$32.5K R$173.7K

$31.5K R$168.7K

2.99%

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

$98.2 R$525

$61.2 R$327

60.38%

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

$15.47 R$82.7

$13.70 R$73.2

12.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.73 R$111

$21.56 R$115

-3.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 R$170

$26.99 R$144

18.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.21 R$236

$34.77 R$186

27.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 R$48.51

$7.35 R$39.30

23.40%

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

$512 R$2,739

$402 R$2,148

27.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K R$84.6K

$10.2K R$54.8K

54.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 R$322

$61.7 R$330

-2.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 R$306

$52.4 R$280

9.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 R$496

$82.2 R$439

12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 R$460

$73.5 R$393

17.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 R$3,376

$482 R$2,576

31.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,317

$287 R$1,533

51.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 R$7,238

$1,010 R$5,399

34.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 R$5,118

$752 R$4,021

27.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 R$13.3K

$1,943 R$10.4K

27.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,909 R$10.2K

$1,227 R$6,562

55.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$818 R$4,372

$534 R$2,854

53.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

10.81

8.05%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Campinas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$433 36.6%

Campinas

$287 30.1% 33.9% $147

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$227 19.2%

Campinas

$205 21.5% 9.6% $22

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$150 12.7%

Campinas

$151 15.8% 0.5% $0.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$134 11.4%

Campinas

$96 10.1% 28.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$133 11.3%

Campinas

$121 12.8% 9% $12

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$55 4.7%

Campinas

$50 5.3% 9.5% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$50 4.2%

Campinas

$42 4.4% 16.6% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $632 in Sao Paulo versus $482 in Campinas. 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 53% 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 $34 in Campinas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $205 – making Campinas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Campinas

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

Same time as Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

1,139,047

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Sao Paulo Campinas 84 km

From you

Sao Paulo
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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 Campinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 24% more than Campinas, 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 $1,775 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,428 in Campinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Campinas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $482 there versus $632 in Sao Paulo.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Sao Paulo, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Sao Paulo and $34 in Campinas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,183 in Sao Paulo and $952 in Campinas. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Campinas costs $952 versus $1,183 in Sao Paulo. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Campinas. 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.