Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Kostanay

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostanay: $958 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Kostanay
Learn more

Kostanay Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Kostanay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $958 in Kostanay, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Kostanay $958

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,445 in Kostanay, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Kostanay $1,445

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,932 in Kostanay, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Kostanay $1,932

Sao Paulo costs about 29% more than Kostanay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sao Paulo and Kostanay are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 9% lower, Kostanay 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$5.42 ₸2,452

62.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$29.19 ₸13.2K

69.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$7.13 ₸3,223

23.42%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$2.20 ₸992

13.18%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.13 ₸509

25.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.91 ₸413

-6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$1.42 ₸644

109.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$2.68 ₸1,212

61.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.26 ₸570

-1.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.53 ₸240

260.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.07 ₸483

33.64%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.18 ₸988

28.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$10.47 ₸4,732

21.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$5.93 ₸2,682

-8.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$8.35 ₸3,774

27.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$1.58 ₸713

74.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$2.29 ₸1,033

-20.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.85 ₸835

-11.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$2.30 ₸1,040

-13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.58 ₸264

141.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.65 ₸294

95.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.20 ₸544

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.89 ₸404

6.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$2.50 ₸1,131

19.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$8.16 ₸3,689

22.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.10 ₸496

68.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.27 ₸1,025

11.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.34 ₸155

220.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$0.89 ₸403

107.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.09 ₸492

-9.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$5.84 ₸2,641

76.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.64 ₸288

109.38%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$30.8K ₸13.9M

-20.62%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$30.7K ₸13.9M

10.44%

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

$104 R$529

$78.5 ₸35.5K

33.02%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$11.07 ₸5,005

50.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$16.05 ₸7,253

38.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$47.87 ₸21.6K

-25.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$20.28 ₸9,167

133.14%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$4.20 ₸1,900

139.52%

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

$579 R$2,936

$213 ₸96.1K

172.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$6,512 ₸2.9M

162.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$94.6 ₸42.7K

-30.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$54.4 ₸24.6K

12.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$111 ₸50.1K

-9.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$91.7 ₸41.5K

0.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$394 ₸177.9K

67.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$316 ₸142.9K

35.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$600 ₸271.0K

152.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$481 ₸217.2K

113.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,183 ₸534.7K

134.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$929 ₸420.0K

116.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$658 ₸297.3K

38.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

18.5

-36.86%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Kostanay: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Kostanay

$316 33% 26.2% $112

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Kostanay

$202 21.1% 17.1% $42

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Kostanay

$112 11.7% 29.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Kostanay

$158 16.5% 10.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Kostanay

$106 11% 26.3% $38

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Kostanay

$7.7 * 0.8% 87.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Kostanay

$56 5.9% 0.6% $0.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $394 in Kostanay. 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 38% 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 $29.00 in Kostanay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $202 – making Kostanay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇰🇿 Kostanay

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

04:34 4:34 AM

9 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

264,446

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Kostanay 13,420 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Kostanay

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 Kostanay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 29% more than Kostanay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,437 in Kostanay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $29.00 in Kostanay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Sao Paulo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kostanay, where all-in costs run around $958, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Kostanay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kostanay costs $958 versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo. 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 Kostanay. 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.