Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Cary, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,842 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 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
138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Cary, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,842 in Cary, NC.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Cary, NC $2,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $4,173 in Cary, NC.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Cary, NC $4,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $5,505 in Cary, NC.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Cary, NC $5,505

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 57% less than in Cary, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 9% below, Cary, NC is 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$19.35 $19.35

-54.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$99.3 $99.3

-50.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$10.42 $10.42

-15.55%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$5.06 $5.06

-50.79%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$2.03 $2.03

-30.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.85 $1.85

-54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$4.51 $4.51

-33.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$6.39 $6.39

-32.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.04 $1.04

19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$5.51 $5.51

-65.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$6.18 $6.18

-76.86%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$4.02 $4.02

-30.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$17.74 $17.74

-28.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$16.62 $16.62

-67.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$17.96 $17.96

-40.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$6.25 $6.25

-56.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.93 $1.93

-6.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$3.75 $3.75

-56.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$6.90 $6.90

-71.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$3.25 $3.25

-56.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$4.17 $4.17

-69.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$2.97 $2.97

-56.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$2.38 $2.38

-60.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$10.06 $10.06

-70.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$9.71 $9.71

2.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$2.33 $2.33

-20.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$4.04 $4.04

-37.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$2.53 $2.53

-56.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$78.7 $78.7

-38.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.93 $0.93

44.09%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$28.7K $28.7K

18.44%

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

$104 R$529

$179 $179

-41.60%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$47.18 $47.18

-64.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$67.6 $67.6

-67.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$77.8 $77.8

-53.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$21.88 $21.88

116.09%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$15.26 $15.26

-34.08%

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

$579 R$2,936

$1,455 $1,455

-60.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$65.9 $65.9

-0.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$32.18 $32.18

89.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$119 $119

-15.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$137 $137

-32.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$1,904 $1,904

-65.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$1,407 $1,407

-69.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$2,710 $2,710

-44.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$2,162 $2,162

-52.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$2,859 $2,859

-2.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$2,643 $2,643

-24.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$6,032 $6,032

-84.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.42

81.93%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5% 229% $979

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Cary, NC

$486 17.1% 99.1% $242

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Cary, NC

$298 10.5% 86.6% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Cary, NC

$160 5.6% 11.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Cary, NC

$294 10.3% 105% $150

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1% 48.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Cary, NC

$108 3.8% 93.7% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 563% 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 $99.0 in Cary, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $486 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🕒 Local time

08:49 8:49 AM

07:49 7:49 AM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

176,987

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Cary, NC 7,410 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Cary, NC

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 Cary, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 130% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 563% lower in Cary, NC. 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 $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Sao Paulo versus $1,455 in Cary, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,842 in Cary, NC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. 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 Cary, NC, 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 130% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.