Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Jhelum

For one person, living is cheaper in Jhelum: $382 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
19

Cost of Living Index in Jhelum
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Jhelum Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Jhelum

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$382

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $382 in Jhelum.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Jhelum $382

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $584 in Jhelum.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Jhelum $584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $785 in Jhelum.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Jhelum $785

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 223% more expensive than in Jhelum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Jhelum 72% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$1.79 PKR 496

392.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$10.87 PKR 3,005

354.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$5.30 PKR 1,467

66.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 PKR 709

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 PKR 592

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.51 PKR 418

64.90%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.47 PKR 129

202.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.30 PKR 81.9

183.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.68 PKR 187

82.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.62 PKR 170

208.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.25 PKR 347

14.40%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.25 PKR 346

124.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$2.72 PKR 753

368.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$2.38 PKR 659

127.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$2.61 PKR 721

307.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$1.11 PKR 307

147.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$0.35 PKR 96.7

417.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$0.62 PKR 171

162.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.59 PKR 162

238.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.30 PKR 83.3

366.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.35 PKR 96.3

262.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.42 PKR 116

204.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.43 PKR 120

120.93%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 PKR 517

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 PKR 143

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 PKR 658

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$1.42 PKR 392

110.56%

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

$0.18 PKR 49.23

505.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$9.15 PKR 2,532

433.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.05 PKR 291

76.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.10 PKR 305

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$2.82 PKR 781

264.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.18 PKR 326

13.56%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

5.59%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$23.1K PKR 6.4M

47.02%

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

$104 R$529

$66.5 PKR 18.4K

57.02%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$5.75 PKR 1,591

190.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$14.71 PKR 4,069

50.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$15.14 PKR 4,188

136.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$8.50 PKR 2,352

456.24%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$7.07 PKR 1,955

42.29%

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

$579 R$2,936

$26.62 PKR 7,362

2076.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$1,986 PKR 549.4K

760.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$18.84 PKR 5,211

248.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$26.91 PKR 7,444

126.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$54.4 PKR 15.0K

84.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$30.21 PKR 8,357

204.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$114 PKR 31.6K

477.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$66.7 PKR 18.5K

541.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$263 PKR 72.8K

475.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$135 PKR 37.4K

658.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$956 PKR 264.6K

189.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$551 PKR 152.4K

264.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.83

-1.27%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Jhelum: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Jhelum

$67 17.5% 84.4% $361

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Jhelum

$72 18.9% 70.4% $172

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Jhelum

$51 13.5% 67.8% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Jhelum

$59 15.4% 59.2% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Jhelum

$87 22.8% 39.3% $56

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Jhelum

$16 4.3% 72.6% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Jhelum

$29 7.7% 47.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $114 in Jhelum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $11.00 in Jhelum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $72.0 per month, with Jhelum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇵🇰 Jhelum

🕒 Local time

11:30 11:30 AM

19:30 7:30 PM

8 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

190,425

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, 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).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.62 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.22 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Jhelum 14,160 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Jhelum

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 Jhelum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jhelum is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 223% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,852 in Sao Paulo and $573 in Jhelum to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $114 in Jhelum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 238% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Jhelum – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $382 in Jhelum versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jhelum but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Jhelum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jhelum is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Jhelum are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jhelum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 223% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.