Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $1,933 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $1,933 in Escazu.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Escazu $1,933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $2,966 in Escazu.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Escazu $2,966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $3,999 in Escazu.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Escazu $3,999

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 36% less than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 9% below, Escazu is 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$12.23 ₡5,486

-27.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$62.1 ₡27.9K

-20.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$11.48 ₡5,146

-23.34%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$4.56 ₡2,045

-45.39%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$2.72 ₡1,218

-47.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.85 ₡828

-54.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$3.36 ₡1,505

-11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$4.47 ₡2,006

-2.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$2.32 ₡1,040

-46.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$3.12 ₡1,397

-38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$2.49 ₡1,117

-42.57%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$3.59 ₡1,611

-21.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$10.61 ₡4,757

20.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$10.22 ₡4,581

-47.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$13.94 ₡6,252

-23.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$5.13 ₡2,301

-46.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.62 ₡726

11.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$3.16 ₡1,416

-48.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$3.07 ₡1,378

-34.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$3.79 ₡1,698

-63.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$3.73 ₡1,674

-65.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.04 ₡465

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$1.70 ₡762

-44.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$5.53 ₡2,479

-45.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$18.39 ₡8,249

-45.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.66 ₡745

11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.68 ₡1,202

-5.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$1.09 ₡491

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$2.06 ₡923

-10.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.57 ₡704

-36.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$8.76 ₡3,927

17.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.48 ₡664

-9.46%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

8.90%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$35.2K ₡15.8M

-3.52%

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

$104 R$529

$94.6 ₡42.4K

10.47%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$29.81 ₡13.4K

-43.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$60.1 ₡27.0K

-63.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$108 ₡48.6K

-66.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$10.15 ₡4,550

365.81%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$7.81 ₡3,502

28.81%

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

$579 R$2,936

$457 ₡204.9K

26.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

1.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$71.1 ₡31.9K

-7.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$55.7 ₡25.0K

9.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$131 ₡58.6K

-23.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$130 ₡58.4K

-29.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$834 ₡373.9K

-20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$845 ₡378.8K

-49.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$1,961 ₡879.3K

-22.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$1,508 ₡676.4K

-31.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,407 ₡630.8K

97.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$972 ₡435.7K

106.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$1,746 ₡782.8K

-47.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

8.62

35.50%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Escazu

$845 43.7% 97.3% $417

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Escazu

$361 18.7% 47.6% $116

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Escazu

$231 12% 44.8% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Escazu

$174 9% 21.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Escazu

$184 9.5% 28.7% $41

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Escazu

$14 * 0.7% 76.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Escazu

$124 6.4% 122% $68

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $834 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 92% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $62.0 in Escazu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $361 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

01:19 1:19 AM

22:19 10:19 PM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

11,984

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Escazu 5,520 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Escazu. 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: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $834 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo versus $1,933 in Escazu – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $1,933 in Escazu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Escazu. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Paulo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Escazu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Escazu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.