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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,044 in Sao Paulo versus $783 in Dourados.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,646 in Sao Paulo versus $1,235 in Dourados.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,247 in Sao Paulo versus $1,687 in Dourados.

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 33% more expensive than in Dourados, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 22% lower, Dourados 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.40 R$37.54

$5.55 R$28.16

33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.30 R$199

$27.36 R$139

43.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 R$37.62

$6.13 R$31.13

20.88%

Cappuccino

$2.08 R$10.53

$1.74 R$8.86

19.54%

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

$1.19 R$6.04

$1.08 R$5.49

10.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.62

$0.66 R$3.33

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.15

$1.85 R$9.41

18.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 R$14.79

$2.66 R$13.51

9.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.14

$1.00 R$5.08

1.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.33

$1.49 R$7.57

23.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.18 R$6.01

14.41%

Eggs

$2.46 R$12.46

$1.96 R$9.96

25.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.02 R$55.9

$8.19 R$41.55

34.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 R$21.21

$3.63 R$18.42

15.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 R$45.67

$7.09 R$35.98

26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.26

$2.07 R$10.49

35.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 R$9.67

$1.26 R$6.41

50.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R$8.51

$1.20 R$6.11

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.30

$1.47 R$7.44

24.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.21

$1.14 R$5.79

24.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.58

$1.10 R$5.59

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 R$4.72

$0.69 R$3.51

34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.74

$0.65 R$3.32

13.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 R$12.42

$2.16 R$10.98

13.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.69 R$49.18

$7.35 R$37.31

31.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$6.68

$1.22 R$6.19

8.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 R$11.52

$2.07 R$10.51

9.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.73

$0.87 R$4.41

6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.14 R$224

$37.78 R$192

16.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.40

$1.11 R$5.62

-4.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.88

$0.71 R$3.60

7.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.34 R$47.38

$6.54 R$33.19

42.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.41

$1.08 R$5.47

-0.93%

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

$21.6K R$109.6K

$21.0K R$106.5K

2.90%

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

$28.2K R$143.2K

$27.7K R$140.5K

1.96%

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

$54.8 R$278

$59.9 R$304

-8.40%

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

$12.95 R$65.7

$13.75 R$69.8

-5.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.17 R$102

$18.68 R$94.8

7.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.79 R$146

$22.32 R$113

28.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.79 R$182

$21.83 R$111

63.95%

Cinema Ticket

$8.12 R$41.22

$6.18 R$31.36

31.39%

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

$489 R$2,479

$271 R$1,374

80.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K R$78.6K

$6,463 R$32.8K

139.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 R$257

$49.24 R$250

3.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 R$216

$41.89 R$213

1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 R$401

$75.2 R$382

5.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 R$370

$64.9 R$330

12.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 R$3,358

$315 R$1,598

110.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$408 R$2,071

$219 R$1,114

85.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 R$6,409

$573 R$2,909

120.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,837

$433 R$2,196

74.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,710 R$13.8K

$1,686 R$8,559

60.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,946 R$9,877

$1,074 R$5,449

81.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$867 R$4,398

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 Dourados: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $662 in Sao Paulo and $315 in Dourados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Sao Paulo vs $27.00 in Dourados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $173 per month, with Dourados 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 Dourados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dourados wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Sao Paulo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dourados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,566 in Sao Paulo and $1,175 in Dourados 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 $315 in Dourados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Dourados – 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.

At $783 in Dourados versus $1,044 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Dourados but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Dourados the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dourados delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $783 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dourados hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Dourados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.