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: $1,188 in Sao Paulo versus $855 in Castanhal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,960 in Sao Paulo versus $1,348 in Castanhal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,732 in Sao Paulo versus $1,842 in Castanhal.

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 39% more expensive than in Castanhal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 14% lower, Castanhal 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.60 R$44.06

$5.84 R$29.94

47.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.05 R$251

$26.48 R$136

85.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$43.26

$7.35 R$37.67

14.83%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R$12.65

$1.95 R$9.97

26.67%

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

$1.34 R$6.87

$1.29 R$6.61

3.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.39

$0.78 R$4.00

10.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 R$14.76

$1.94 R$9.93

48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 R$22.00

$2.94 R$15.06

45.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.79

$1.17 R$5.97

-3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 R$9.18

$1.64 R$8.41

9.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.03

$1.21 R$6.19

13.22%

Eggs

$2.78 R$14.27

$2.15 R$11.04

29.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 R$59.7

$8.59 R$44.00

35.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 R$25.28

$4.06 R$20.78

21.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 R$53.0

$8.34 R$42.74

23.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$13.94

$2.36 R$12.07

15.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.21

$1.42 R$7.28

26.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R$7.91

$1.17 R$5.97

31.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.26

$1.45 R$7.43

24.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.11

$1.15 R$5.91

20.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.38

$1.13 R$5.80

9.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 R$6.04

$0.79 R$4.02

49.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.33

$0.74 R$3.79

14.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R$15.02

$2.32 R$11.90

26.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 R$49.09

$8.58 R$43.98

11.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 R$8.30

$1.32 R$6.75

22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.46

$2.20 R$11.25

19.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 R$5.37

$0.98 R$5.04

7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.17 R$242

$48.65 R$249

-3.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 R$8.68

$1.27 R$6.49

33.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.71

$0.96 R$4.93

-4.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 R$51.0

$7.38 R$37.80

34.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.43

$1.20 R$6.17

5.00%

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

$23.1K R$118.3K

$25.7K R$131.7K

-10.20%

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

$32.2K R$165.0K

$35.4K R$181.5K

-9.08%

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

$103 R$526

$71.8 R$368

43.05%

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

$15.65 R$80.2

$11.43 R$58.6

36.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.86 R$112

$21.25 R$109

2.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.14 R$180

$25.25 R$129

39.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.92 R$230

$26.30 R$135

70.80%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 R$49.32

$6.83 R$34.98

40.85%

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

$492 R$2,522

$292 R$1,496

68.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K R$81.0K

$6,550 R$33.6K

141.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 R$311

$52.8 R$270

14.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 R$306

$48.60 R$249

22.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 R$471

$91.4 R$468

0.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 R$431

$71.3 R$365

17.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 R$3,289

$307 R$1,573

109.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 R$2,071

$235 R$1,206

71.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 R$7,485

$706 R$3,621

106.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 R$4,893

$445 R$2,281

114.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 R$13.9K

$1,549 R$7,936

74.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,014 R$10.3K

$1,114 R$5,712

80.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$889 R$4,557

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.04

11.12

8.27%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Sao Paulo and $307 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $26.00 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $191 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 39% 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 $1,782 in Sao Paulo and $1,282 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: $642 in Sao Paulo versus $307 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 $26.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,188 per month in Sao Paulo versus $855 in Castanhal – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $855 in Castanhal versus $1,188 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 $855 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 39% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.