Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Janesville, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,656 in Janesville, WI, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sao Paulo
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,235
/mo nomad
Janesville, WI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,656
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Janesville, WI

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,656 in Janesville, WI, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $1,235
  • Janesville, WI $2,656

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $3,942 in Janesville, WI, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $2,073
  • Janesville, WI $3,942

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $5,229 in Janesville, WI, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $2,911
  • Janesville, WI $5,229

Sao Paulo is about 54% cheaper than Janesville, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Paulo sits 9% below the global median, while Janesville, WI is 97% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sao Paulo
Janesville, WI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.81 R$44.68
$21.23 $21.23
-58.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.37 R$250
$91.8 $91.8
-46.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.80 R$44.63
$12.85 $12.85
-31.52%
Cappuccino
$2.49 R$12.63
$5.58 $5.58
-55.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 R$7.19
$2.62 $2.62
-45.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 R$4.31
$2.33 $2.33
-63.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.98 R$15.11
$7.18 $7.18
-58.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 R$22.02
$9.05 $9.05
-52.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
Janesville, WI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 R$6.28
$0.76 $0.76
63.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 R$9.66
$1.79 $1.79
6.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.43 R$7.25
$5.16 $5.16
-72.29%
Eggs
$2.81 R$14.23
$4.92 $4.92
-42.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.74 R$64.6
$14.21 $14.21
-10.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.41 R$27.44
$14.42 $14.42
-62.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.64 R$54.0
$18.68 $18.68
-43.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 R$13.95
$5.16 $5.16
-46.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 R$9.19
$1.99 $1.99
-9.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 R$8.27
$4.24 $4.24
-61.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 R$10.16
$4.78 $4.78
-58.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 R$7.10
$2.69 $2.69
-47.96%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 R$6.43
$2.76 $2.76
-53.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 R$6.47
$2.25 $2.25
-43.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 R$4.83
$3.12 $3.12
-69.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99 R$15.15
$10.05 $10.05
-70.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.96 R$50.5
$15.12 $15.12
-34.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 R$9.37
$2.62 $2.62
-29.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 R$12.90
$3.48 $3.48
-27.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Sao Paulo
Janesville, WI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.09 R$5.50
$1.94 $1.94
-43.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.78 R$247
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 R$9.39
$3.31 $3.31
-44.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 R$4.99
$1.39 $1.39
-28.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.29 R$52.2
$24.49 $24.49
-57.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 R$6.78
$1.19 $1.19
12.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K R$123.8K
$36.5K $36.5K
-33.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K R$172.1K
$25.5K $25.5K
33.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
Janesville, WI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 R$529
$190 $190
-45.16%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.71 R$84.7
$67.8 $67.8
-75.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.18 R$112
$60.6 $60.6
-63.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
Janesville, WI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.82 R$182
$42.08 $42.08
-14.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$47.28 R$240
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.06 R$51.0
$17.67 $17.67
-43.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sao Paulo
Janesville, WI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$579 R$2,936
$1,562 $1,562
-62.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.1K R$86.6K
$31.3K $31.3K
-45.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
Janesville, WI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.7 R$333
$66.8 $66.8
-1.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.0 R$309
$50.7 $50.7
20.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 R$509
$99.0 $99.0
1.38%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.1 R$467
$141 $141
-34.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
Janesville, WI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$659 R$3,341
$1,600 $1,600
-58.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$428 R$2,170
$1,306 $1,306
-67.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,515 R$7,678
$2,464 $2,464
-38.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,026 R$5,201
$2,156 $2,156
-52.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,773 R$14.1K
$2,706 $2,706
2.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,007 R$10.2K
$2,445 $2,445
-17.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sao Paulo
Janesville, WI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$909 R$4,609
$3,717 $3,717
-75.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.68
6.77
72.53%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Janesville, WI: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
$428
Janesville, WI
$1.3K 205% $878
Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
$244
Janesville, WI
$425 74.2% $181
Eating Out
Sao Paulo
$159
Janesville, WI
$349 119% $190
Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
$144
Janesville, WI
$161 12.1% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
$143
Janesville, WI
$319 123% $176
Getting Around
Sao Paulo
$60
Janesville, WI
$18 * 69.9% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
$56
Janesville, WI
$77 38.4% $22

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 $1,600 in Janesville, WI. 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 309% higher in Janesville, WI, 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 $92.0 in Janesville, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $425 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Sao Paulo
🇺🇸 Janesville, WI
🕒 Local time
15:44 3:44 PM
13:44 1:44 PM
2 h behind Sao Paulo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,451,999
63,575
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Sao Paulo Janesville, WI 8,550 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sao Paulo
  • Janesville, WI

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 Janesville, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sao Paulo and in Janesville, WI compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo, $2,656 in Janesville, WI – roughly 115% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Sao Paulo compared to Janesville, WI?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $3,984 in Janesville, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sao Paulo and Janesville, WI?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $92.0 in Janesville, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 74% more in Janesville, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Janesville, WI at $2,656. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Janesville, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sao Paulo and Janesville, WI?
It depends on your priorities. Sao Paulo has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,235 in Sao Paulo to $2,656 in Janesville, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sao Paulo or Janesville, WI safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Sao Paulo and Janesville, WI?
If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Janesville, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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