Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Iquitos

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $663 in Iquitos, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Iquitos $663

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,185 in Iquitos, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Iquitos $1,185

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,707 in Iquitos, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Iquitos $1,707

Sao Paulo costs about 86% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sao Paulo and Iquitos are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 9% lower, Iquitos 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$4.31 PEN 14.81

104.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$38.44 PEN 132

28.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$7.30 PEN 25.06

20.55%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$3.57 PEN 12.26

-30.25%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.85 PEN 2.92

67.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.56 PEN 1.91

51.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$2.82 PEN 9.69

5.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$7.41 PEN 25.45

-41.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.76 PEN 6.05

-29.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$2.30 PEN 7.91

-16.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.56 PEN 8.80

9.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$3.28 PEN 11.26

64.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.89 PEN 3.07

6.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

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

$104 R$529

$34.73 PEN 119

200.75%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$11.34 PEN 38.95

47.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$8.74 PEN 30.03

153.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$29.05 PEN 99.8

23.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$8.75 PEN 30.06

440.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$5.64 PEN 19.37

78.37%

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

$579 R$2,936

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$2,789 PEN 9,576

512.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$87.7 PEN 301

-25.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$35.24 PEN 121

73.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$52.9 PEN 182

89.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$26.21 PEN 90.0

251.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$343 PEN 1,180

91.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$265 PEN 909

61.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$882 PEN 3,029

71.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$712 PEN 2,445

44.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$573 PEN 1,968

58.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $343 in Iquitos. 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 59% 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 $38.00 in Iquitos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $78.0 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

17:48 5:48 PM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

32,853

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Iquitos 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Iquitos

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 Iquitos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sao Paulo is pricier by about 86%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $994 in Iquitos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 213% 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 $38.00 in Iquitos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $663, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iquitos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. 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.