Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Kish

For one person, living is cheaper in Kish: $561 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Kish
Learn more

Kish Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Kish

🇮🇷 Iran

$561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $561 in Kish.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Kish $561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $879 in Kish.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Kish $879

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,197 in Kish.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Kish $1,197

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 120% more expensive than in Kish, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Kish 58% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$5.52 $5.52

59.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$15.35 $15.35

221.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$4.39 $4.39

100.46%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 $0.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.19 $1.19

109.24%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.50 $0.50

184.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.01 $1.01

-15.84%

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

$0.65 $0.65

90.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.55 $0.55

247.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$2.04 $2.04

-29.90%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.23 $1.23

128.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$4.47 $4.47

185.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$3.14 $3.14

72.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$9.27 $9.27

14.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$0.92 $0.92

198.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.50 $1.50

20.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$0.92 $0.92

77.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.62 $0.62

222.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.52 $0.52

169.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.52 $0.52

144.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.48 $0.48

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.28 $0.28

239.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 $0.46

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$2.38 $2.38

25.63%

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

$0.15 $0.15

626.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$8.30 $8.30

487.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$0.38 $0.38

386.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$0.27 $0.27

266.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$2.71 $2.71

279.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.09 $0.09

1388.89%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$54.6K $54.6K

-55.30%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$49.1K $49.1K

-30.83%

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

$104 R$529

$13.43 $13.43

677.74%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$1.57 $1.57

964.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$3.31 $3.31

570.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$20.31 $20.31

76.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$12.66 $12.66

273.46%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$2.07 $2.07

385.99%

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

$579 R$2,936

$113 $113

412.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$2,256 $2,256

657.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$22.42 $22.42

192.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$28.14 $28.14

116.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$111 $111

-9.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$69.4 $69.4

32.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$286 $286

130.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$215 $215

98.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$800 $800

89.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$358 $358

186.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,300 $1,300

113.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$563 $563

256.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$413 $413

120.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

24.3

-51.93%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kish: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Kish

$215 38.4% 49.7% $213

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Kish

$110 19.7% 54.9% $134

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Kish

$78 13.9% 51.3% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Kish

$104 18.5% 27.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Kish

$18 3.3% 87.2% $125

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Kish

$11 1.9% 82.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Kish

$24 4.4% 56.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $286 in Kish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 120% 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 $15.00 in Kish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $110 per month, with Kish cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇷 Kish

🕒 Local time

19:11 7:11 PM

01:41 1:41 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

24,819

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Kish 12,150 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Kish

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 Kish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo and Kish differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,235 vs $561 including rent). Kish is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 120% 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: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $286 in Kish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kish – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $561 in Kish versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kish but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Kish the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.