Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Castanhal Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Castanhal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,044 in Sao Paulo versus $761 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,646 in Sao Paulo versus $1,241 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,247 in Sao Paulo versus $1,722 in Castanhal.

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 37% more expensive than in Castanhal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 22% lower, Castanhal 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 R$37.42

$5.44 R$27.53

36.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.30 R$199

$26.54 R$134

48.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 R$37.50

$6.35 R$32.11

16.69%

Cappuccino

$2.08 R$10.50

$1.74 R$8.81

19.54%

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

$1.19 R$6.02

$1.11 R$5.64

7.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.61

$0.63 R$3.18

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.12

$1.78 R$8.98

23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 R$14.74

$2.65 R$13.40

9.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.12

$0.94 R$4.73

7.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.30

$1.49 R$7.54

23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.83

$1.14 R$5.78

18.42%

Eggs

$2.46 R$12.42

$2.02 R$10.23

21.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 R$55.7

$8.10 R$40.96

36.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 R$21.14

$3.54 R$17.90

18.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 R$45.52

$7.18 R$36.32

25.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.21

$2.13 R$10.79

31.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.63

$1.30 R$6.57

46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R$8.48

$1.20 R$6.06

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.26

$1.46 R$7.37

25.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.18

$1.14 R$5.77

24.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.56

$1.06 R$5.36

22.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 R$4.70

$0.73 R$3.71

27.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.72

$0.66 R$3.32

12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 R$12.38

$2.17 R$10.99

12.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 R$49.02

$7.22 R$36.51

34.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$6.66

$1.21 R$6.13

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 R$11.48

$2.05 R$10.36

10.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.71

$0.86 R$4.33

8.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.14 R$223

$39.11 R$198

12.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.38

$1.05 R$5.32

0.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.86

$0.70 R$3.53

8.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.34 R$47.23

$6.47 R$32.71

44.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.39

$1.04 R$5.24

2.88%

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

$21.6K R$109.3K

$20.8K R$105.4K

3.63%

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

$28.2K R$142.7K

$27.1K R$137.2K

4.03%

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

$54.8 R$277

$61.4 R$311

-10.76%

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

$12.95 R$65.5

$13.63 R$69.0

-4.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.17 R$102

$19.17 R$97.0

5.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.79 R$146

$22.76 R$115

26.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.79 R$181

$21.32 R$108

67.87%

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 R$41.08

$6.27 R$31.70

29.51%

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

$489 R$2,471

$274 R$1,387

78.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K R$78.3K

$6,500 R$32.9K

138.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 R$257

$48.10 R$243

5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 R$215

$42.65 R$216

-0.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 R$400

$74.6 R$377

5.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 R$369

$64.0 R$324

14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 R$3,347

$319 R$1,612

107.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 R$2,064

$216 R$1,094

88.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 R$6,388

$587 R$2,969

115.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,825

$427 R$2,157

77.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 R$13.7K

$1,704 R$8,618

59.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,946 R$9,845

$1,325 R$6,703

46.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 R$4,384

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

10.92

5.86%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: July 22, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $662 in Sao Paulo and $319 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Sao Paulo vs $27.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $172 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Castanhal wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Sao Paulo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castanhal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,566 in Sao Paulo and $1,141 in Castanhal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $662 in Sao Paulo versus $319 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $39.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,044 per month in Sao Paulo versus $761 in Castanhal – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $761 in Castanhal versus $1,044 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castanhal but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Castanhal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Castanhal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $761 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Castanhal hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Castanhal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.