Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Mardan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $492 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $492 in Mardan.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Mardan $492

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $768 in Mardan.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Mardan $768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,045 in Mardan.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Mardan $1,045

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 151% more expensive than in Mardan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Mardan 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$3.54 PKR 980

148.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$23.75 PKR 6,572

107.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$5.44 PKR 1,506

61.76%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 PKR 1,023

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 PKR 1,885

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$2.72 PKR 753

-8.46%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.32 PKR 89.6

343.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.23 PKR 63.8

269.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.91 PKR 252

36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.72 PKR 199

165.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.28 PKR 354

11.72%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.16 PKR 320

142.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$2.82 PKR 781

351.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$3.14 PKR 870

72.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$3.89 PKR 1,076

173.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$0.93 PKR 258

195.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$0.71 PKR 196

154.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.07 PKR 296

52.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.38 PKR 104

426.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.27 PKR 73.8

418.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.36 PKR 99.1

252.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.28 PKR 77.1

357.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.37 PKR 103

156.76%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 495

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PKR 651

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$1.83 PKR 507

63.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.16 PKR 43.24

581.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$10.19 PKR 2,821

378.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.25 PKR 346

48.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$0.69 PKR 192

43.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$1.58 PKR 436

551.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.06 PKR 292

26.42%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

12.17%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$24.6K PKR 6.8M

37.93%

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

$104 R$529

$101 PKR 27.9K

3.78%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$5.88 PKR 1,628

184.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$16.89 PKR 4,674

31.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$16.54 PKR 4,578

116.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$7.15 PKR 1,978

561.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$4.42 PKR 1,224

127.60%

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

$579 R$2,936

$75.8 PKR 21.0K

664.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$1,028 PKR 284.5K

1561.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$25.76 PKR 7,131

154.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$34.46 PKR 9,537

77.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$94.6 PKR 26.2K

6.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$40.80 PKR 11.3K

125.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$127 PKR 35.0K

421.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$75.6 PKR 20.9K

465.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$253 PKR 69.9K

499.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$149 PKR 41.3K

586.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$830 PKR 229.7K

234.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$443 PKR 122.7K

352.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

13.08

-10.70%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mardan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Mardan

$76 15.4% 82.3% $352

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Mardan

$84 17.1% 65.6% $160

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Mardan

$80 16.2% 50.2% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Mardan

$88 17.9% 38.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Mardan

$123 25.1% 13.9% $20

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Mardan

$16 3.2% 74.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Mardan

$25 5.2% 54.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $127 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $24.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $84.0 per month, with Mardan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇵🇰 Mardan

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

09:24 9:24 AM

8 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

358,604

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Mardan 14,020 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Mardan

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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 151% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,852 in Sao Paulo and $737 in Mardan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $127 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Sao Paulo versus $75.8 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 191% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $492 in Mardan versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mardan 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 Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 151% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.