Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Ithaca, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
Learn more

Ithaca, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Ithaca, NY

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Ithaca, NY $2,941

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $3,792 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Ithaca, NY $3,792

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $4,642 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Ithaca, NY $4,642

Sao Paulo is about 58% cheaper than Ithaca, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Paulo sits 9% below the global median, while Ithaca, NY is 118% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$22.16 $22.16

-60.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$81.1 $81.1

-39.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$11.22 $11.22

-21.57%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$5.04 $5.04

-50.60%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$2.68 $2.68

-47.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$2.03 $2.03

-58.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$4.88 $4.88

-38.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$9.29 $9.29

-53.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.01 $1.01

22.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$3.34 $3.34

-42.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$7.20 $7.20

-80.14%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$4.10 $4.10

-31.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$14.42 $14.42

-11.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$6.75 $6.75

-19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$15.31 $15.31

-30.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$4.73 $4.73

-41.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.69 $1.69

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$5.45 $5.45

-70.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$4.70 $4.70

-57.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$3.27 $3.27

-57.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$3.58 $3.58

-64.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$2.32 $2.32

-44.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$2.06 $2.06

-53.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$9.09 $9.09

-67.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$14.03 $14.03

-29.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.83 $1.83

1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$3.85 $3.85

-34.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$1.96 $1.96

-44.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$45.65 $45.65

6.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$5.01 $5.01

-63.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.42 $1.42

-30.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$29.94 $29.94

-65.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.06 $1.06

26.42%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$36.4K $36.4K

-32.87%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

35.62%

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

$104 R$529

$164 $164

-36.40%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$47.70 $47.70

-64.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$51.0 $51.0

-56.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$35.26 $35.26

1.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$10.84 $10.84

-7.20%

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

$579 R$2,936

$1,466 $1,466

-60.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$16.9K $16.9K

1.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$46.46 $46.46

41.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$40.18 $40.18

51.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$78.8 $78.8

27.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$106 $106

-13.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$2,183 $2,183

-69.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$1,714 $1,714

-75.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$2,728 $2,728

-44.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$1,844 $1,844

-44.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$2,196 $2,196

26.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$2,149 $2,149

-6.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$3,464 $3,464

-73.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.46

80.80%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ithaca, NY: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 58.3% 300% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Ithaca, NY

$387 13.1% 58.3% $142

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Ithaca, NY

$333 11.3% 109% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Ithaca, NY

$122 4.2% 14.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Ithaca, NY

$263 8.9% 83.4% $120

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Ithaca, NY

$66 2.2% 9.5% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Ithaca, NY

$57 1.9% 1.8% $1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $2,183 in Ithaca, NY. 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 281% higher in Ithaca, NY, 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 $81.0 in Ithaca, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $387 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🕒 Local time

23:30 11:30 PM

22:30 10:30 PM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

22,283

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Ithaca, NY 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Ithaca, NY

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 Ithaca, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo, $2,941 in Ithaca, NY – roughly 138% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $4,412 in Ithaca, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $81.0 in Ithaca, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,235 in Sao Paulo and $2,941 in Ithaca, NY. That's a gap of about 138%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Ithaca, NY at $2,941. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ithaca, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Sao Paulo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,235 in Sao Paulo to $2,941 in Ithaca, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.