Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Maracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Maracay: $729 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Maracay
Learn more

Maracay Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Maracay

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$729

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Sao Paulo vs $729 in Maracay, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Maracay $729

A couple spends around $2,085 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,242 in Maracay, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Maracay $1,242

A family of three spends $2,926 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,755 in Maracay, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Maracay $1,755

Sao Paulo costs about 71% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sao Paulo and Maracay are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 7% lower, Maracay 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.59

$4.85 VES 4,245

84.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$247

$33.14 VES 29.0K

49.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$45.96

$7.63 VES 6,669

20.84%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.69

$1.68 VES 1,472

51.19%

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

$1.45 R$7.24

$1.17 VES 1,023

23.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.54

$1.20 VES 1,054

-24.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.29

$1.23 VES 1,075

149.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.73

$3.02 VES 2,641

44.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.32

$2.68 VES 2,346

-52.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.16

$2.29 VES 2,006

-19.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.04

$1.03 VES 900

36.89%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.18

$2.62 VES 2,294

8.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$62.6

$6.53 VES 5,709

92.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.78

$5.74 VES 5,016

-6.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

$8.54 VES 7,467

25.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.65

$4.28 VES 3,739

-35.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.02

$1.97 VES 1,722

-8.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.74

$2.22 VES 1,937

-30.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.89

$2.37 VES 2,069

-16.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.34

$2.32 VES 2,027

-36.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.19

$2.20 VES 1,921

-43.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.34

$1.58 VES 1,386

-19.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.79

$2.30 VES 2,013

-58.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.15

$2.48 VES 2,173

22.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$50.8

$10.15 VES 8,877

0.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.63

$1.16 VES 1,018

49.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.18

$1.70 VES 1,487

55.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.17

$0.48 VES 419

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

$19.78 VES 17.3K

143.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.06

$2.94 VES 2,575

-38.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.07

$2.71 VES 2,368

-62.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.6

$10.01 VES 8,759

1.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.34

$0.69 VES 603

84.06%

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

$24.3K R$121.3K

$25.2K VES 22.0M

-3.39%

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

$34.0K R$169.6K

$38.5K VES 33.7M

-11.76%

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

$104 R$518

$12.43 VES 10.9K

736.20%

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

$16.16 R$80.6

$11.57 VES 10.1K

39.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$38.31 VES 33.5K

-41.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

$29.71 VES 26.0K

22.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$238

$14.89 VES 13.0K

220.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.13

$4.08 VES 3,569

141.42%

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

$525 R$2,619

$74.6 VES 65.2K

604.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.7K

$5,979 VES 5.2M

177.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$334

$52.4 VES 45.8K

27.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$310

$37.16 VES 32.5K

67.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$504

$83.0 VES 72.6K

21.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$453

$93.6 VES 81.8K

-2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,305

$228 VES 199.5K

190.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,108

$108 VES 94.7K

290.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,614

$569 VES 497.5K

168.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,029

$278 VES 243.0K

263.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

$448 VES 391.8K

512.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

$198 VES 172.8K

946.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,391

$210 VES 183.3K

320.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

21.5

-45.67%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Maracay: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Maracay

$108 14.7% 74.4% $314

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Maracay

$267 36.2% 9.7% $24

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Maracay

$104 14.1% 36.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Maracay

$120 16.3% 17.1% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Maracay

$62 8.5% 56.3% $80

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Maracay

$38 5.2% 35.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Maracay

$38 5.1% 32.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $663 in Sao Paulo versus $228 in Maracay. 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 320% 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 $33.00 in Maracay. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Sao Paulo vs $267 in Maracay – so Sao Paulo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇻🇪 Maracay

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

23:37 11:37 PM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

425,606

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.201 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 875 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 980 VES (1,000 VES = 1.02 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Maracay 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Maracay

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 Maracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 71% more than Maracay, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,866 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,093 in Maracay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Sao Paulo – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $33.00 in Maracay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Maracay, where all-in costs run around $729, than in Sao Paulo at $1,244. In Maracay 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. Maracay costs $729 versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Maracay. 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.