Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Mary

For one person, living is cheaper in Mary: $474 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Mary

🇹🇲 Turkmenistan

$474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $474 in Mary.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Mary $474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $705 in Mary.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Mary $705

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $936 in Mary.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Mary $936

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 163% more expensive than in Mary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 7% lower, Mary 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.87

$11.60 TMT 38.88

-22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$248

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.25

$8.30 TMT 27.79

11.08%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.77

$8.78 TMT 29.42

-71.07%

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

$1.45 R$7.29

$12.63 TMT 42.31

-88.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.57

$1.41 TMT 4.72

-35.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.39

$14.48 TMT 48.50

-78.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.87

$11.57 TMT 38.77

-62.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.36

$2.89 TMT 9.67

-56.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.22

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.08

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.27

$6.81 TMT 22.80

-58.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$63.0

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.95

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.8

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.74

$2.23 TMT 7.48

22.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.08

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.78

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.95

$1.38 TMT 4.61

43.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.38

$2.05 TMT 6.87

-28.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.23

$1.73 TMT 5.81

-28.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.38

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.82

$1.16 TMT 3.90

-17.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.24

$16.92 TMT 56.7

-82.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$51.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.20

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$241

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.12

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.10

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$51.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.38

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

$24.3K R$122.0K

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

$34.0K R$170.6K

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

$104 R$522

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

$16.16 R$81.1

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$182

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.45

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

$525 R$2,635

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$83.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$336

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$312

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$507

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$456

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,326

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,121

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,662

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,061

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.4K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,419

$208 TMT 698

322.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mary: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Mary

–

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Mary

–

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Mary

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Mary

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Mary

–

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Mary

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Mary

–

Cost Breakdown

Sao Paulo pays 323% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇹🇲 Mary

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

10:41 10:41 AM

8 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

123,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Turkmenistani Manat TMT m

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 TMT = 0.299 USD

1 TMT = 0.266 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.76 TMT (1 TMT = 0.266 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Mary 13,150 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Mary

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 Mary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mary wins on cost – living expenses run 163% lower than in Sao Paulo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mary the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 323% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Sao Paulo versus $474 in Mary – a 163% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $474 in Mary versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mary but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Mary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mary delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $474 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mary hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Mary 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 Mary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.