Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Karaganda

For one person, living is cheaper in Karaganda: $926 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Karaganda
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Karaganda Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Karaganda

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$926

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $926 in Karaganda, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Karaganda $926

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,492 in Karaganda, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Karaganda $1,492

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,058 in Karaganda, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Karaganda $2,058

Sao Paulo costs about 33% more than Karaganda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sao Paulo and Karaganda are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 9% lower, Karaganda 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$9.85 ₸4,452

-10.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$35.09 ₸15.9K

40.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$5.43 ₸2,453

62.06%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.92 ₸869

29.69%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.91 ₸413

56.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.64 ₸290

32.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$1.36 ₸617

119.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$2.80 ₸1,267

55.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.34 ₸605

-7.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.49 ₸222

289.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.32 ₸597

8.33%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.79 ₸808

56.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$13.12 ₸5,929

-2.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$5.40 ₸2,442

0.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$11.19 ₸5,060

-4.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$1.49 ₸673

84.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.89 ₸856

-4.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$2.87 ₸1,299

-43.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$2.17 ₸979

-7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.67 ₸301

108.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.59 ₸267

115.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.03 ₸467

24.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.69 ₸310

37.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$2.25 ₸1,016

32.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$8.43 ₸3,813

18.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.35 ₸610

37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.12 ₸957

19.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.21 ₸94.9

419.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$15.75 ₸7,119

209.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.26 ₸568

46.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.20 ₸541

-17.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$3.31 ₸1,496

210.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.56 ₸254

139.29%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$22.0K ₸10.0M

10.72%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$31.9K ₸14.4M

6.26%

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

$104 R$529

$72.2 ₸32.7K

44.59%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$10.01 ₸4,523

66.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$11.86 ₸5,360

87.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$46.00 ₸20.8K

-22.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$18.82 ₸8,505

151.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$5.34 ₸2,416

88.39%

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

$579 R$2,936

$135 ₸60.8K

330.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$58.9 ₸26.6K

11.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$57.8 ₸26.1K

5.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$79.1 ₸35.8K

26.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$85.6 ₸38.7K

7.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$394 ₸178.2K

67.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$273 ₸123.2K

57.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$738 ₸333.5K

105.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$536 ₸242.3K

91.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,053 ₸476.1K

163.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$711 ₸321.5K

182.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$569 ₸257.3K

59.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

19.25

-39.32%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Karaganda: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Karaganda

$273 29.5% 36.3% $155

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Karaganda

$215 23.2% 11.9% $29

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Karaganda

$137 14.8% 14.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Karaganda

$127 13.7% 11.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Karaganda

$94 10.2% 34.3% $49

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Karaganda

$24 2.6% 60.2% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Karaganda

$57 6.1% 1.4% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $394 in Karaganda. 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 60% higher in Sao Paulo, 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 $35.00 in Karaganda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $215 – making Karaganda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇰🇿 Karaganda

🕒 Local time

03:07 3:07 AM

12:07 12:07 PM

9 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

520,486

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Karaganda 14,100 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Karaganda

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 Karaganda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo, $926 in Karaganda – roughly 33% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,389 in Karaganda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 210% less in Karaganda. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $579 per month in Sao Paulo and $135 in Karaganda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Karaganda, where all-in costs run around $926, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Karaganda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo 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 $926 in Karaganda to $1,235 in Sao Paulo. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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