Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Craiova

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,183 a month against $1,217 in Craiova, rent and utilities included – about $410 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Craiova outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

57

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,183

/mo nomad

Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Sao Paulo versus $1,217 in Craiova.

Sao Paulo $1,183
Craiova $1,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,948 in Sao Paulo versus $1,869 in Craiova.

Sao Paulo $1,948
Craiova $1,869

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,713 in Sao Paulo versus $2,520 in Craiova.

Sao Paulo $2,713
Craiova $2,520

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 3% less than in Craiova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 13% lower, Craiova 11% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.15 R$43.88

$7.14 RON 34.15

14.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.78 R$252

$41.37 RON 198

13.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 R$44.36

$7.45 RON 35.64

10.60%

Cappuccino

$2.41 R$12.98

$2.71 RON 12.98

-11.07%

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

$1.32 R$7.11

$2.23 RON 10.65

-40.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.55

$1.77 RON 8.46

-51.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.78 R$14.95

$2.24 RON 10.71

24.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 R$22.37

$3.51 RON 16.80

18.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$6.17

$1.27 RON 6.09

-9.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 R$9.08

$0.82 RON 3.93

106.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$7.25

$1.42 RON 6.77

-4.93%

Eggs

$2.69 R$14.49

$3.26 RON 15.57

-17.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 R$63.4

$7.21 RON 34.51

63.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 R$26.73

$6.47 RON 30.95

-23.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.10 R$54.3

$11.49 RON 55.0

-12.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 R$13.78

$0.95 RON 4.53

169.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 R$9.38

$1.50 RON 7.16

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.76

$1.45 RON 6.94

-0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.82

$1.80 RON 8.62

1.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.95

$0.76 RON 3.65

69.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.28

$0.89 RON 4.28

31.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R$6.58

$0.73 RON 3.51

67.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 R$4.78

$0.77 RON 3.67

15.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.75 R$14.81

$6.59 RON 31.51

-58.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.27 R$49.89

$6.34 RON 30.33

46.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$9.29

$1.20 RON 5.76

44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 R$12.79

$1.46 RON 7.00

63.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 R$5.51

$0.88 RON 4.20

15.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.02 R$242

$25.16 RON 120

78.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 R$9.23

$0.61 RON 2.93

181.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R$4.81

$0.65 RON 3.09

36.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.52 R$51.2

$6.37 RON 30.49

49.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.61

$1.90 RON 9.11

-35.26%

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

$22.3K R$120.1K

$28.9K RON 138.1K

-22.71%

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

$32.5K R$174.8K

$25.8K RON 123.6K

25.75%

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

$98.2 R$528

$216 RON 1,036

-54.65%

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

$15.47 R$83.3

$9.24 RON 44.23

67.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.73 R$112

$11.57 RON 55.4

79.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.85 R$171

$38.59 RON 185

-17.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.21 R$238

$21.52 RON 103

105.44%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 R$48.83

$7.28 RON 34.81

24.59%

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

$512 R$2,757

$411 RON 1,964

24.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K R$85.2K

$8,047 RON 38.5K

96.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 R$324

$62.9 RON 301

-4.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.2 R$308

$50.6 RON 242

13.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 R$500

$82.8 RON 396

12.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 R$463

$103 RON 495

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 R$3,399

$532 RON 2,544

18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,333

$418 RON 2,002

3.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 R$7,286

$910 RON 4,352

48.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 R$5,153

$829 RON 3,966

15.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 R$13.3K

$2,703 RON 12.9K

-8.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,909 R$10.3K

$1,988 RON 9,509

-3.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$818 R$4,401

$914 RON 4,374

-10.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.84

70.76%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Craiova: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$433 36.6%

Craiova

$418 34.4% 3.5% $15

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$227 19.2%

Craiova

$194 16% 14.3% $32

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$150 12.7%

Craiova

$146 12% 2.4% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$134 11.4%

Craiova

$237 19.5% 76.6% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$133 11.3%

Craiova

$135 11.1% 1.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$55 4.7%

Craiova

$33 2.7% 41.2% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$50 4.2%

Craiova

$53 4.4% 6.3% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $632 in Sao Paulo and $532 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Craiova pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Sao Paulo vs $41 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $194 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇷🇴 Craiova

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

08:34 8:34 AM

5 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

269,506

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.166 EUR

1 RON = 0.209 USD

1 RON = 0.187 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.78 RON (1 RON = 0.209 USD). 1 EUR = 5.34 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Craiova 10,390 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Craiova

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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Craiova. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sao Paulo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Sao Paulo. 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: $632 in Sao Paulo versus $532 in Craiova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,183 per month in Sao Paulo versus $1,217 in Craiova – Sao Paulo is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 44% less than in Sao Paulo. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Sao Paulo gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Sao Paulo wins on affordability, Craiova on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.