Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $2,237 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,237

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $2,237 in Hamilton.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Hamilton $2,237

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $3,267 in Hamilton.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Hamilton $3,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $4,297 in Hamilton.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Hamilton $4,297

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 44% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 7% below, Hamilton is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.64

$17.65 CA$25.16

-49.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$247

$60.7 CA$86.5

-18.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.01

$11.96 CA$17.05

-22.91%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.70

$3.48 CA$4.96

-27.01%

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

$1.45 R$7.25

$2.15 CA$3.06

-32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.55

$1.64 CA$2.34

-44.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.31

$4.87 CA$6.95

-36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.75

$6.13 CA$8.74

-28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.32

$2.17 CA$3.09

-41.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.17

$2.23 CA$3.17

-17.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.05

$2.54 CA$3.62

-44.49%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.20

$3.20 CA$4.55

-11.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$62.7

$7.91 CA$11.27

58.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.81

$10.76 CA$15.34

-50.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

$13.64 CA$19.44

-21.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.67

$3.82 CA$5.45

-28.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.03

$1.21 CA$1.73

49.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.74

$4.04 CA$5.76

-61.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.90

$3.80 CA$5.42

-47.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.34

$2.33 CA$3.32

-36.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.20

$1.58 CA$2.25

-21.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.35

$2.17 CA$3.09

-41.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.79

$1.30 CA$1.85

-26.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.16

$12.33 CA$17.58

-75.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$50.8

$13.26 CA$18.90

-23.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.64

$2.45 CA$3.49

-29.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.19

$3.37 CA$4.81

-21.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.18

$2.49 CA$3.55

-58.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

$85.6 CA$122

-43.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.07

$3.40 CA$4.85

-46.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.07

$1.23 CA$1.75

-17.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.7

$23.37 CA$33.32

-56.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.35

$1.19 CA$1.70

6.72%

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

$24.3K R$121.4K

$27.5K CA$39.2K

-11.65%

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

$34.0K R$169.8K

$19.9K CA$28.3K

71.03%

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

$104 R$519

$149 CA$212

-30.27%

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

$16.16 R$80.7

$41.14 CA$58.7

-60.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$49.32 CA$70.3

-54.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

$37.18 CA$53.0

-2.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$239

$17.33 CA$24.71

175.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.19

$10.19 CA$14.52

-3.34%

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

$525 R$2,622

$597 CA$852

-12.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.8K

$16.2K CA$23.1K

2.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$334

$48.29 CA$68.8

38.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$311

$30.75 CA$43.83

102.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$505

$86.2 CA$123

17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$454

$115 CA$163

-20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,309

$1,263 CA$1,801

-47.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,110

$1,135 CA$1,617

-62.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,622

$2,006 CA$2,859

-23.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,035

$1,869 CA$2,664

-46.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

$2,659 CA$3,790

3.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

$2,694 CA$3,840

-23.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,396

$2,896 CA$4,128

-69.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

4.6

153.91%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Hamilton

$1.1K 50.2% 168% $712

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Hamilton

$327 14.5% 34.4% $84

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Hamilton

$271 12% 65.8% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Hamilton

$126 5.6% 12.9% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Hamilton

$240 10.6% 67.9% $97

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Hamilton

$105 4.7% 77.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Hamilton

$58 2.6% 2.8% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Sao Paulo and $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 229% 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 $61.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $327 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

06:34 6:34 AM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

519,949

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Hamilton 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Hamilton

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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 229% lower in Hamilton. 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: $663 in Sao Paulo versus $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $525 in Sao Paulo versus $597 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $2,237 in Hamilton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. 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 Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.