Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Manhattan, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Manhattan, KS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,249 in Manhattan, KS.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Manhattan, KS $2,249

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $3,271 in Manhattan, KS.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Manhattan, KS $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $4,292 in Manhattan, KS.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Manhattan, KS $4,292

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 45% less than in Manhattan, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 9% below, Manhattan, KS is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$15.10 $15.10

-41.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$81.1 $81.1

-39.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$12.10 $12.10

-27.27%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$5.41 $5.41

-53.97%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.97 $1.97

-27.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.47 $1.47

-42.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$5.10 $5.10

-41.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$9.19 $9.19

-52.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.88 $0.88

40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$3.25 $3.25

-41.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$6.28 $6.28

-77.23%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$4.48 $4.48

-37.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$11.77 $11.77

8.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$8.70 $8.70

-37.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$14.68 $14.68

-27.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$6.79 $6.79

-59.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$2.17 $2.17

-16.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$5.79 $5.79

-71.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$4.29 $4.29

-53.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$3.37 $3.37

-58.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$3.77 $3.77

-66.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.84 $1.84

-30.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$2.66 $2.66

-64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$9.57 $9.57

-68.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$17.24 $17.24

-42.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.71 $1.71

8.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.54 $2.54

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$60.8 $60.8

-19.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$4.88 $4.88

-62.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.91 $1.91

-48.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$34.39 $34.39

-70.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.92 $0.92

45.65%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$35.4K $35.4K

-30.98%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

32.67%

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

$104 R$529

$144 $144

-27.70%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$47.66 $47.66

-64.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$66.2 $66.2

-66.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$74.5 $74.5

-51.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$14.85 $14.85

-32.26%

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

$579 R$2,936

$833 $833

-30.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$11.4K $11.4K

49.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$48.15 $48.15

36.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$34.94 $34.94

74.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$89.5 $89.5

12.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$115 $115

-20.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$927 $927

-28.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$998 $998

-57.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$1,457 $1,457

3.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$1,452 $1,452

-29.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,366 $1,366

103.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$1,400 $1,400

43.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$3,433 $3,433

-73.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.33

84.52%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Manhattan, KS: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4% 133% $570

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Manhattan, KS

$404 18% 65.3% $160

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Manhattan, KS

$280 12.4% 75.4% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8% 9.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Manhattan, KS

$258 11.5% 80.2% $115

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.4% 25.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.6% 86.3% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $927 in Manhattan, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manhattan, KS pays 278% 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 $81.0 in Manhattan, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $404 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

03:47 3:47 AM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

1,694,251

💱 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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Manhattan, KS 8,690 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Manhattan, KS

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 Manhattan, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 82% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 278% lower in Manhattan, KS. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $927 in Manhattan, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Sao Paulo versus $833 in Manhattan, KS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Manhattan, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Manhattan, KS. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Manhattan, KS are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Manhattan, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.