Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Ishim

For one person, living is cheaper in Ishim: $970 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sao Paulo
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,235
/mo nomad
Ishim
🇷🇺 Russia
$970
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $970 in Ishim, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $1,235
  • Ishim $970

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,504 in Ishim, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $2,073
  • Ishim $1,504

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,037 in Ishim, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $2,911
  • Ishim $2,037

Sao Paulo costs about 27% more than Ishim, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sao Paulo and Ishim are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 9% lower, Ishim 28% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sao Paulo
Ishim
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.81 R$44.68
$6.88 ₽575
28.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.37 R$250
$34.72 ₽2,898
42.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.80 R$44.63
$4.57 ₽382
92.56%
Cappuccino
$2.49 R$12.63
$2.79 ₽233
-10.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 R$7.19
$1.51 ₽126
-5.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 R$4.31
$0.73 ₽61.2
16.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.98 R$15.11
$2.01 ₽168
48.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 R$22.02
$3.00 ₽251
44.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
Ishim
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 R$6.28
$1.10 ₽91.7
12.73%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 R$9.66
$0.92 ₽76.8
107.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.43 R$7.25
$1.15 ₽96.0
24.35%
Eggs
$2.81 R$14.23
$1.24 ₽104
126.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.74 R$64.6
$8.77 ₽732
45.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.41 R$27.44
$5.03 ₽420
7.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.64 R$54.0
$10.11 ₽844
5.24%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 R$13.95
$1.81 ₽151
51.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 R$9.19
$1.72 ₽143
5.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 R$8.27
$1.73 ₽145
-5.78%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 R$10.16
$1.80 ₽150
11.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 R$7.10
$0.42 ₽35.10
233.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 R$6.43
$0.29 ₽24.49
337.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 R$6.47
$1.32 ₽110
-3.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 R$4.83
$0.79 ₽65.9
20.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99 R$15.15
$2.98 ₽248
0.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.96 R$50.5
$7.71 ₽643
29.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 R$9.37
$1.05 ₽87.3
76.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 R$12.90
$2.00 ₽167
27.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Sao Paulo
Ishim
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.09 R$5.50
$0.51 ₽42.25
113.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.78 R$247
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 R$9.39
$2.43 ₽203
-23.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 R$4.99
$0.37 ₽30.60
167.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.29 R$52.2
$5.87 ₽490
75.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 R$6.78
$0.80 ₽66.7
67.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K R$123.8K
$36.0K ₽3.0M
-32.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K R$172.1K
$32.0K ₽2.7M
6.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
Ishim
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 R$529
$118 ₽9,815
-11.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.71 R$84.7
$5.91 ₽493
182.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.18 R$112
$8.39 ₽700
164.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
Ishim
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.82 R$182
$34.89 ₽2,912
2.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$47.28 R$240
$23.12 ₽1,930
104.50%
Cinema Ticket
$10.06 R$51.0
$7.24 ₽604
38.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sao Paulo
Ishim
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$579 R$2,936
$341 ₽28.5K
69.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.1K R$86.6K
$6,400 ₽534.2K
166.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
Ishim
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.7 R$333
$79.5 ₽6,632
-17.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.0 R$309
$51.4 ₽4,288
18.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 R$509
$118 ₽9,835
-14.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.1 R$467
$102 ₽8,536
-9.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
Ishim
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$659 R$3,341
$448 ₽37.4K
47.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$428 R$2,170
$310 ₽25.8K
38.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,515 R$7,678
$874 ₽73.0K
73.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,026 R$5,201
$551 ₽46.0K
86.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,773 R$14.1K
$2,189 ₽182.7K
26.68%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,007 R$10.2K
$1,440 ₽120.1K
39.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sao Paulo
Ishim
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$909 R$4,609
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.68
25.7
-54.55%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ishim: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
$428
Ishim
$310 27.7% $118
Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
$244
Ishim
$188 23% $56
Eating Out
Sao Paulo
$159
Ishim
$127 20.2% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
$144
Ishim
$158 10% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
$143
Ishim
$132 8% $11
Getting Around
Sao Paulo
$60
Ishim
$6.3 * 89.5% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
$56
Ishim
$49 11.7% $6.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $448 in Ishim. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo versus $35.00 in Ishim. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $188 – making Ishim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Sao Paulo
🇷🇺 Ishim
🕒 Local time
00:37 12:37 AM
08:37 8:37 AM
8 h ahead of Sao Paulo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,451,999
64,010
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sao Paulo Ishim 13,770 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sao Paulo
  • Ishim

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 Ishim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ishim cheaper than Sao Paulo?
Yes – Sao Paulo is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,456 in Ishim. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ishim, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Sao Paulo or in Ishim?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $35.00 in Ishim. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Sao Paulo and in Ishim?
Groceries cost about 30% 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.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sao Paulo or in Ishim?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ishim, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Ishim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sao Paulo or Ishim more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ishim – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Sao Paulo or Ishim?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ishim. 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.

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