Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Macaé

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $887 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
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Macaé Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $887 in Macaé.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Macaé $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Sao Paulo versus $1,495 in Macaé.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Macaé $1,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Sao Paulo versus $2,102 in Macaé.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Macaé $2,102

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 38% more expensive than in Macaé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 10% lower, Macaé 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$5.43 R$27.54

60.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$29.78 R$151

63.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$6.91 R$35.00

30.68%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$1.72 R$8.73

48.26%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$1.39 R$7.04

-2.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.63 R$3.18

44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$1.21 R$6.16

153.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$2.79 R$14.16

56.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$0.96 R$4.85

23.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$1.56 R$7.91

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.38 R$6.99

7.25%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$1.94 R$9.85

45.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$9.12 R$46.21

38.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$3.34 R$16.92

61.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$9.69 R$49.10

11.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$1.86 R$9.40

51.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$1.20 R$6.11

51.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$0.96 R$4.85

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$1.23 R$6.21

65.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$0.64 R$3.23

128.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$0.81 R$4.09

54.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$0.54 R$2.73

131.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$0.52 R$2.64

88.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$1.56 R$7.88

92.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$6.09 R$30.86

59.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$0.95 R$4.82

93.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$1.25 R$6.35

101.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$1.61 R$8.16

-33.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

$83.9 R$425

-43.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.41 R$7.14

28.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$0.79 R$4.03

27.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$7.92 R$40.16

29.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.29 R$6.53

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$21.5K R$109.0K

9.44%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$31.2K R$158.2K

10.61%

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

$104 R$527

$100.0 R$507

4.09%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$10.21 R$51.7

62.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$18.76 R$95.1

17.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$39.82 R$202

-8.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

$34.04 R$173

38.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$6.79 R$34.44

42.71%

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

$573 R$2,906

$648 R$3,283

-11.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$7,012 R$35.5K

141.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$63.1 R$320

5.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$32.02 R$162

90.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$66.9 R$339

47.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$46.66 R$237

95.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$370 R$1,873

77.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$241 R$1,221

73.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$886 R$4,490

72.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$669 R$3,392

48.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$1,270 R$6,436

110.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

$800 R$4,054

152.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

$799 R$4,049

12.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

10.67

9.47%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Macaé: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Macaé

$241 27.2% 42.4% $177

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Macaé

$169 19.1% 30.4% $74

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Macaé

$105 11.8% 34.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Macaé

$94 10.6% 34.3% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Macaé

$129 14.5% 9.6% $14

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Macaé

$96 10.8% 64% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Macaé

$53 6% 4.3% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Sao Paulo and $370 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 13% 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 $30.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $169 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Macaé

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

Same time as Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

246,391

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo and Macaé differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,222 vs $887 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $654 in Sao Paulo versus $370 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $30.00 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 $1,222 per month in Sao Paulo versus $887 in Macaé – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Macaé versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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 Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.