Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Coatzacoalcos

For one person, living is cheaper in Coatzacoalcos: $1,156 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $950 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Coatzacoalcos
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Coatzacoalcos Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Coatzacoalcos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,156

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,156 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Coatzacoalcos $1,156

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,845 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Coatzacoalcos $1,845

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,535 in Coatzacoalcos, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Coatzacoalcos $2,535

Sao Paulo costs about 7% more than Coatzacoalcos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sao Paulo and Coatzacoalcos are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 9% lower, Coatzacoalcos 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$11.20 MX$207

-21.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$43.55 MX$805

13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$8.70 MX$161

1.15%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$3.97 MX$73.3

-37.28%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.21 MX$22.43

17.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.05 MX$19.47

-19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$2.73 MX$50.4

9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$4.32 MX$79.8

0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.59 MX$29.34

-22.01%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$2.93 MX$54.2

-34.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.64 MX$30.24

-12.80%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.78 MX$51.4

1.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$9.00 MX$166

41.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$8.74 MX$162

-38.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$12.36 MX$228

-13.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$2.45 MX$45.33

12.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.51 MX$27.86

19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.97 MX$36.49

-17.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.73 MX$31.97

15.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.79 MX$33.14

-21.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.93 MX$35.75

-34.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.55 MX$28.69

-17.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.99 MX$18.37

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$4.66 MX$86.2

-35.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$10.11 MX$187

-1.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.79 MX$33.09

3.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$3.17 MX$58.7

-19.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.56 MX$10.43

94.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$2.61 MX$48.31

-29.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.82 MX$33.65

-45.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$11.93 MX$220

-13.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.26 MX$23.37

6.35%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$20.5K MX$378.1K

19.31%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$23.2K MX$427.9K

46.59%

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

$104 R$529

$52.7 MX$974

98.12%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$25.25 MX$467

-33.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$30.28 MX$560

-26.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$30.66 MX$567

16.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$21.77 MX$402

117.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$5.56 MX$103

80.94%

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

$579 R$2,936

$240 MX$4,438

141.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$4,095 MX$75.7K

317.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$51.1 MX$945

28.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$44.31 MX$819

37.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$88.6 MX$1,637

13.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$76.9 MX$1,421

19.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$661 MX$12.2K

-0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$408 MX$7,542

4.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$1,158 MX$21.4K

30.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$770 MX$14.2K

33.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,883 MX$34.8K

47.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$1,026 MX$19.0K

95.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.3

3.36%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Coatzacoalcos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Coatzacoalcos

$408 35.3% 4.7% $20

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Coatzacoalcos

$271 23.5% 11.1% $27

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Coatzacoalcos

$195 16.8% 22% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Coatzacoalcos

$117 10.2% 18.3% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Coatzacoalcos

$108 9.4% 24.5% $35

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Coatzacoalcos

$14 * 1.2% 76.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Coatzacoalcos

$42 3.6% 25.3% $14

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $661 in Coatzacoalcos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo versus $44.00 in Coatzacoalcos. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Sao Paulo vs $271 in Coatzacoalcos – so Sao Paulo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇲🇽 Coatzacoalcos

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

212,540

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Coatzacoalcos 6,960 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Coatzacoalcos

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 Coatzacoalcos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sao Paulo is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,733 in Coatzacoalcos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Coatzacoalcos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $44.00 in Coatzacoalcos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Sao Paulo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Coatzacoalcos, where all-in costs run around $1,156, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Coatzacoalcos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Coatzacoalcos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Coatzacoalcos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sao Paulo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.