Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Chone

For one person, living is cheaper in Chone: $732 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Chone
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Chone Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Chone

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $732 in Chone.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Chone $732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,240 in Chone.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Chone $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,748 in Chone.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Chone $1,748

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 69% more expensive than in Chone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Chone 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$3.77 $3.77

133.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$31.29 $31.29

57.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$5.91 $5.91

48.90%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$2.48 $2.48

0.40%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.86 $0.86

65.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.69 $0.69

23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$2.07 $2.07

43.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$4.08 $4.08

6.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.12 $1.12

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$1.52 $1.52

25.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.57 $1.57

-8.92%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.00 $2.00

40.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$6.64 $6.64

91.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$4.55 $4.55

18.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$6.32 $6.32

68.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$1.55 $1.55

77.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$0.97 $0.97

86.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.04 $1.04

56.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.03 $1.03

94.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.13 $1.13

23.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.03 $1.03

23.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.71 $0.71

80.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$1.08 $1.08

-12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$5.01 $5.01

-40.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$8.56 $8.56

16.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.63 $1.63

13.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.76 $2.76

-7.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.31 $0.31

251.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$17.28 $17.28

182.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.32 $1.32

40.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.23 $1.23

-19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$8.58 $8.58

19.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.86 $0.86

55.81%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$21.7K $21.7K

12.68%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$33.0K $33.0K

2.87%

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

$104 R$529

$41.43 $41.43

152.11%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$13.59 $13.59

22.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$25.32 $25.32

-12.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$33.32 $33.32

7.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$15.43 $15.43

206.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$6.33 $6.33

58.93%

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

$579 R$2,936

$207 $207

180.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$5,025 $5,025

239.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$55.5 $55.5

18.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$47.21 $47.21

29.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$109 $109

-7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$79.7 $79.7

15.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$319 $319

106.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$169 $169

153.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$788 $788

92.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$451 $451

127.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,272 $1,272

118.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$807 $807

148.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

10.05

16.22%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Chone

$169 23.1% 60.6% $259

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Chone

$177 24.2% 27.5% $67

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Chone

$102 14% 35.8% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Chone

$131 17.9% 8.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Chone

$80 11% 44% $63

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Chone

$26 3.6% 56.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Chone

$46 6.3% 17.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $319 in Chone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $31.00 in Chone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $177 per month, with Chone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇪🇨 Chone

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

22:43 10:43 PM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

44,751

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Chone 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Chone

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 Chone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Sao Paulo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,852 in Sao Paulo and $1,097 in Chone 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: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $319 in Chone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo versus $732 in Chone – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chone runs roughly 182% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $732 in Chone versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chone but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Chone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $732 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chone hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.