Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Juiz de Fora Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Juiz de Fora

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,188 in Sao Paulo versus $750 in Juiz de Fora.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,960 in Sao Paulo versus $1,182 in Juiz de Fora.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,732 in Sao Paulo versus $1,613 in Juiz de Fora.

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 58% more expensive than in Juiz de Fora, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 14% lower, Juiz de Fora 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.60 R$44.06

$5.83 R$29.88

47.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.05 R$251

$29.26 R$150

67.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$43.26

$6.74 R$34.56

25.22%

Cappuccino

$2.47 R$12.65

$1.64 R$8.42

50.61%

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

$1.34 R$6.87

$1.38 R$7.06

-2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.39

$0.61 R$3.12

40.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 R$14.76

$1.13 R$5.81

154.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 R$22.00

$2.28 R$11.67

88.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.79

$0.98 R$5.00

15.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 R$9.18

$1.51 R$7.75

18.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.03

$1.38 R$7.09

-0.72%

Eggs

$2.78 R$14.27

$1.95 R$10.01

42.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 R$59.7

$8.84 R$45.32

31.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.93 R$25.28

$3.41 R$17.48

44.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 R$53.0

$9.31 R$47.71

11.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$13.94

$1.87 R$9.61

45.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.21

$1.10 R$5.63

63.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 R$7.91

$0.95 R$4.87

62.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.26

$1.19 R$6.09

52.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.11

$0.66 R$3.41

110.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.38

$0.82 R$4.18

51.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 R$6.04

$0.55 R$2.82

114.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.33

$0.74 R$3.79

14.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R$15.02

$1.56 R$7.99

87.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.58 R$49.09

$5.88 R$30.12

62.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 R$8.30

$0.99 R$5.06

63.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.46

$1.37 R$7.03

91.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 R$5.37

$0.73 R$3.75

43.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.17 R$242

$31.54 R$162

49.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 R$8.68

$1.39 R$7.10

21.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.71

$0.70 R$3.61

31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 R$51.0

$8.02 R$41.10

24.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.43

$1.24 R$6.36

1.61%

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

$23.1K R$118.3K

$20.4K R$104.7K

13.02%

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

$32.2K R$165.0K

$30.2K R$154.7K

6.63%

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

$103 R$526

$58.4 R$299

75.93%

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

$15.65 R$80.2

$9.55 R$48.93

63.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.86 R$112

$18.18 R$93.2

20.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.14 R$180

$22.94 R$118

53.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.92 R$230

$26.78 R$137

67.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.62 R$49.32

$6.61 R$33.89

45.54%

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

$492 R$2,522

$137 R$701

259.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K R$81.0K

$2,596 R$13.3K

509.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 R$311

$68.0 R$348

-10.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 R$306

$81.3 R$417

-26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 R$471

$64.1 R$329

43.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.0 R$431

$46.96 R$241

78.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$642 R$3,289

$295 R$1,512

117.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 R$2,071

$189 R$970

113.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,460 R$7,485

$511 R$2,619

185.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$955 R$4,893

$321 R$1,643

197.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,706 R$13.9K

$964 R$4,941

180.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,014 R$10.3K

$581 R$2,979

246.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$889 R$4,557

$444 R$2,275

100.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.04

10.67

12.84%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: August 30, 2026

Last update for Juiz de Fora: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $642 in Sao Paulo and $295 in Juiz de Fora. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 100% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $29.00 in Juiz de Fora for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $170 per month, with Juiz de Fora cheaper across the board.

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 Juiz de Fora: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Juiz de Fora wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Sao Paulo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Juiz de Fora the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 100% higher in Sao Paulo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $642 in Sao Paulo versus $295 in Juiz de Fora. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Juiz de Fora – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,188 per month in Sao Paulo versus $750 in Juiz de Fora – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $750 in Juiz de Fora versus $1,188 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Juiz de Fora but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Juiz de Fora the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Juiz de Fora delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $750 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Juiz de Fora hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Juiz de Fora gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.