Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Duque de Caxias Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Duque de Caxias

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,188 per month in Sao Paulo vs $790 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,960 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,344 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,732 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,898 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

Sao Paulo costs about 50% more than Duque de Caxias, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Sao Paulo and Duque de Caxias are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 14% lower, Duque de Caxias 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.60 R$44.06

$6.82 R$34.94

26.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.05 R$251

$38.93 R$200

26.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$43.26

$7.57 R$38.81

11.49%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R$12.65

$2.21 R$11.34

11.76%

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

$1.34 R$6.87

$1.49 R$7.66

-10.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.39

$0.99 R$5.08

-13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 R$14.76

$2.25 R$11.54

28.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 R$22.00

$3.34 R$17.11

28.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.79

$1.14 R$5.84

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 R$9.18

$1.99 R$10.21

-10.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.03

$1.10 R$5.65

24.55%

Eggs

$2.78 R$14.27

$2.25 R$11.54

23.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 R$59.7

$8.88 R$45.50

31.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 R$25.28

$4.23 R$21.68

16.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 R$53.0

$9.60 R$49.22

7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$13.94

$2.70 R$13.83

0.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.21

$1.81 R$9.27

-0.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R$7.91

$1.58 R$8.12

-2.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.26

$1.76 R$9.00

2.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.11

$1.22 R$6.26

13.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.38

$0.99 R$5.09

25.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 R$6.04

$0.68 R$3.49

73.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.33

$0.67 R$3.43

26.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R$15.02

$2.64 R$13.54

10.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 R$49.09

$7.78 R$39.88

23.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 R$8.30

$1.11 R$5.69

45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.46

$2.52 R$12.89

4.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 R$5.37

$0.91 R$4.68

15.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.17 R$242

$42.81 R$219

10.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 R$8.68

$1.22 R$6.27

38.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.71

$1.34 R$6.86

-31.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 R$51.0

$8.90 R$45.62

11.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.43

$1.27 R$6.49

-0.79%

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

$23.1K R$118.3K

$22.8K R$116.6K

1.42%

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

$32.2K R$165.0K

$32.2K R$165.2K

-0.14%

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

$103 R$526

$44.70 R$229

129.69%

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

$15.65 R$80.2

$10.89 R$55.8

43.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.86 R$112

$18.20 R$93.3

20.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.14 R$180

$25.43 R$130

38.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.92 R$230

$26.97 R$138

66.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 R$49.32

$7.68 R$39.35

25.26%

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

$492 R$2,522

$417 R$2,139

17.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K R$81.0K

$7,525 R$38.6K

110.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 R$311

$40.16 R$206

50.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 R$306

$46.75 R$240

27.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 R$471

$92.8 R$476

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 R$431

$81.0 R$415

3.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 R$3,289

$287 R$1,473

123.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 R$2,071

$165 R$846

144.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 R$7,485

$756 R$3,877

93.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 R$4,893

$441 R$2,261

116.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 R$13.9K

$1,235 R$6,327

119.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,014 R$10.3K

$553 R$2,832

264.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$889 R$4,557

$294 R$1,506

202.63%

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 Duque de Caxias: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $642 in Sao Paulo versus $287 in Duque de Caxias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 203% higher in Sao Paulo, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo versus $39.00 in Duque de Caxias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $203 – making Duque de Caxias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Duque de Caxias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 50% more than Duque de Caxias, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,782 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,184 in Duque de Caxias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 13% more in Sao Paulo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $39.00 in Duque de Caxias. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Duque de Caxias, where all-in costs run around $790, than in Sao Paulo at $1,188. In Duque de Caxias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Duque de Caxias costs $790 versus $1,188 in Sao Paulo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Duque de Caxias. 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.