Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $654 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
Learn more

Machala Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$654

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $654 in Machala.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Machala $654

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,045 in Machala.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Machala $1,045

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,436 in Machala.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Machala $1,436

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 89% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Machala 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$2.69 $2.69

227.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$25.09 $25.09

96.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$5.21 $5.21

68.91%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$2.70 $2.70

-7.78%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.84 $0.84

69.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.75 $0.75

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$1.94 $1.94

53.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$3.80 $3.80

14.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.10 $1.10

12.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$1.05 $1.05

81.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$0.96 $0.96

48.96%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.50 $1.50

87.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$3.34 $3.34

281.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$4.12 $4.12

31.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$4.80 $4.80

121.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$1.54 $1.54

78.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$0.64 $0.64

182.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$0.74 $0.74

120.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.53 $0.53

277.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.38 $0.38

268.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.49 $0.49

159.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.37 $0.37

245.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.99 $0.99

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$4.39 $4.39

-31.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$7.59 $7.59

31.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.51 $1.51

22.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.11 $2.11

20.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.33 $0.33

230.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$22.38 $22.38

117.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.47 $1.47

25.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.80 $1.80

-45.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$7.98 $7.98

28.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.59 $0.59

127.12%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$18.1K $18.1K

34.84%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$21.9K $21.9K

55.19%

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

$104 R$529

$50.8 $50.8

105.49%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$15.01 $15.01

11.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$26.60 $26.60

-16.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$43.11 $43.11

-16.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$30.17 $30.17

56.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$4.91 $4.91

104.89%

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

$579 R$2,936

$133 $133

334.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$5,667 $5,667

201.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$65.9 $65.9

-0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$39.72 $39.72

53.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$79.8 $79.8

25.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$67.6 $67.6

36.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$193 $193

240.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$132 $132

224.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$349 $349

334.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$265 $265

287.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$458 $458

98.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

133.60%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Machala: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Machala

$132 20.2% 69.2% $296

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Machala

$136 20.7% 44.4% $108

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Machala

$93 14.3% 41.6% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Machala

$114 17.4% 20.7% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Machala

$92 14.1% 35.5% $51

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Machala

$34 5.2% 42.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Machala

$53 8.1% 5.3% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $193 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 99% 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 $25.00 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $136 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

01:54 1:54 AM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

231,260

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Machala 4,230 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Machala

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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 99% 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 $193 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25.00 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 $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo versus $654 in Machala – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $654 in Machala versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Machala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Machala is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Machala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.