Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $678 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $678 in Manta.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Manta $678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,157 in Manta.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Manta $1,157

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,636 in Manta.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Manta $1,636

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 82% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Manta 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$2.96 $2.96

197.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$52.2 $52.2

-5.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$5.39 $5.39

63.27%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$2.92 $2.92

-14.73%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.52 $0.52

173.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.38 $0.38

123.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$2.97 $2.97

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$3.72 $3.72

16.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.03 $1.03

20.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$1.91 $1.91

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$0.98 $0.98

45.92%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.13 $2.13

31.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$2.98 $2.98

327.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$2.98 $2.98

81.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$6.83 $6.83

55.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$0.97 $0.97

183.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$0.78 $0.78

132.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$0.71 $0.71

129.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.78 $0.78

156.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.52 $0.52

169.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.48 $0.48

164.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.69 $0.69

85.51%

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

$4.08 $4.08

-26.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$6.89 $6.89

44.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.03 $1.03

79.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.20 $2.20

15.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.50 $0.50

118.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.70 $1.70

8.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.74 $1.74

-43.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$9.27 $9.27

11.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.72 $0.72

86.11%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$20.7K $20.7K

18.13%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$30.8K $30.8K

10.22%

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

$104 R$529

$97.1 $97.1

7.54%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$11.13 $11.13

50.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$25.84 $25.84

-14.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$20.23 $20.23

77.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$34.58 $34.58

36.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$4.89 $4.89

105.73%

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

$579 R$2,936

$369 $369

56.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$5,783 $5,783

195.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$55.2 $55.2

18.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$40.87 $40.87

49.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$101 $101

-0.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$61.8 $61.8

49.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$303 $303

117.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$141 $141

202.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$917 $917

65.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$334 $334

206.99%

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

$474 $474

91.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

10.05

16.22%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Manta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Manta

$141 20.9% 67% $287

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Manta

$143 21.1% 41.5% $101

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Manta

$101 14.9% 36.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Manta

$116 17.2% 19% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Manta

$134 19.8% 6.4% $9.2

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Manta

$12 * 1.8% 79.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Manta

$30 4.4% 46.3% $26

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 $303 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 92% 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 $52.0 in Manta. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $143, with Manta cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

19:24 7:24 PM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

217,553

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Manta 4,450 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 92% 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 $303 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Sao Paulo versus $369 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $678 in Manta versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Manta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manta 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 Manta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 82% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.