Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Kaka

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $2,201 in Kaka, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. The total is higher in Kaka despite lower rent and utilities.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Kaka
Learn more

Kaka Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Kaka

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$2,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,201 in Kaka, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Kaka $2,201

A couple spends around $2,085 per month in Sao Paulo vs $3,296 in Kaka, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Kaka $3,296

A family of three spends $2,926 per month in Sao Paulo vs $4,391 in Kaka, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Kaka $4,391

Sao Paulo is about 43% cheaper than Kaka, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Paulo sits 7% below the global median, while Kaka is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.64

$31.81 TMT 107

-71.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$247

$85.5 TMT 287

-42.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.01

$12.84 TMT 43.13

-28.19%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.70

$6.59 TMT 22.13

-61.46%

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

$1.45 R$7.25

$1.58 TMT 5.31

-8.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.55

$0.83 TMT 2.79

9.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.31

$5.61 TMT 18.85

-45.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.75

$13.77 TMT 46.27

-68.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.32

$4.54 TMT 15.24

-72.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.17

$2.05 TMT 6.88

-10.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.05

$6.01 TMT 20.20

-76.54%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.20

$5.90 TMT 19.82

-51.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$62.7

$37.81 TMT 127

-66.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.81

$20.30 TMT 68.2

-73.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

$22.71 TMT 76.3

-52.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.67

$4.93 TMT 16.56

-44.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.03

$8.31 TMT 27.93

-78.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.74

$7.44 TMT 25.01

-79.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.90

$3.79 TMT 12.72

-47.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.34

$2.32 TMT 7.80

-36.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.20

$1.44 TMT 4.82

-13.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.35

$2.63 TMT 8.84

-51.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.79

$1.11 TMT 3.74

-13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.16

$26.04 TMT 87.5

-88.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$50.8

$41.38 TMT 139

-75.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.64

$5.06 TMT 17.01

-65.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.19

$2.82 TMT 9.49

-6.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.18

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.07

$2.79 TMT 9.37

-34.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.07

$0.89 TMT 2.98

14.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.7

$8.71 TMT 29.28

16.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.35

$0.41 TMT 1.39

209.76%

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

$24.3K R$121.4K

$43.3K TMT 145.5K

-43.85%

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

$34.0K R$169.8K

$56.1K TMT 188.6K

-39.40%

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

$104 R$519

$561 TMT 1,886

-81.49%

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

$16.16 R$80.7

$56.9 TMT 191

-71.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$102 TMT 344

-77.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$239

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.19

$8.35 TMT 28.06

17.96%

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

$525 R$2,622

$22.89 TMT 76.9

2194.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.8K

$24.5K TMT 82.2K

-32.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$334

$54.7 TMT 184

22.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$311

$114 TMT 384

-45.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$505

$357 TMT 1,201

-71.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$454

$190 TMT 638

-52.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,309

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,110

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,622

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,035

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

9.5

22.95%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kaka: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Kaka

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Kaka

$667 30.7% 174% $424

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Kaka

$437 20.1% 168% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Kaka

$322 14.8% 123% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Kaka

$721 33.2% 405% $578

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Kaka

$7.2 * 0.3% 87.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Kaka

$17 * 0.8% 70.2% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo versus $85.0 in Kaka. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $667 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇹🇲 Kaka

🕒 Local time

08:31 8:31 AM

16:31 4:31 PM

8 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

33,315

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 TMT = 0.298 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.36 TMT (1 TMT = 0.298 USD). 1 EUR = 3.77 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Kaka 12,960 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Kaka

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 Kaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaka costs about 77% more than Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,866 per month in Sao Paulo and $3,301 in Kaka. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,244 in Sao Paulo and $2,201 in Kaka. That's a gap of about 77%.

Kindergarten costs $525 per month in Sao Paulo and $22.89 in Kaka. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,244, than in Kaka at $2,201. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Kaka it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sao Paulo costs $1,244 versus $2,201 in Kaka. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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, Kaka makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.