Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Medicine Hat

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $1,806 in Medicine Hat, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
Learn more

Medicine Hat Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Medicine Hat

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,806 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Medicine Hat $1,806

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,707 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Medicine Hat $2,707

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $3,608 in Medicine Hat, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Medicine Hat $3,608

Sao Paulo is about 32% cheaper than Medicine Hat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Paulo sits 9% below the global median, while Medicine Hat is 34% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$14.42 CA$20.39

-38.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$70.9 CA$100

-30.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$9.84 CA$13.91

-10.57%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$3.65 CA$5.16

-31.78%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.91 CA$2.70

-25.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.74 CA$2.46

-51.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$4.87 CA$6.88

-38.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$3.81 CA$5.39

13.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.52 CA$2.14

-18.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$1.73 CA$2.45

10.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$3.41 CA$4.82

-58.06%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$3.04 CA$4.30

-7.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$9.36 CA$13.23

36.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$10.75 CA$15.19

-49.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$12.84 CA$18.15

-17.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$3.16 CA$4.47

-12.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.45 CA$2.05

24.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$2.87 CA$4.06

-43.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$3.57 CA$5.05

-43.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$2.63 CA$3.71

-46.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.46 CA$2.07

-13.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$2.62 CA$3.71

-51.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$1.54 CA$2.17

-38.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$11.29 CA$15.96

-73.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$12.62 CA$17.84

-21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$2.45 CA$3.46

-24.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$3.14 CA$4.44

-19.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$2.25 CA$3.18

-51.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$49.74 CA$70.3

-1.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$3.22 CA$4.56

-42.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.33 CA$1.88

-25.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$27.09 CA$38.30

-62.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.00 CA$1.42

34.00%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$27.7K CA$39.2K

-11.91%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$18.5K CA$26.2K

83.08%

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

$104 R$529

$163 CA$231

-35.96%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$38.36 CA$54.2

-56.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$50.9 CA$71.9

-56.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$53.1 CA$75.1

-32.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$35.70 CA$50.5

32.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$13.95 CA$19.72

-27.89%

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

$579 R$2,936

$782 CA$1,105

-25.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$15.6K CA$22.0K

9.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$50.9 CA$72.0

28.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$26.16 CA$36.98

133.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$66.9 CA$94.6

50.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$65.9 CA$93.2

39.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$800 CA$1,131

-17.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$759 CA$1,073

-43.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$1,338 CA$1,891

13.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$1,226 CA$1,733

-16.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,314 CA$1,858

111.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$1,905 CA$2,693

5.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$2,951 CA$4,171

-69.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

4.51

158.98%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medicine Hat: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Medicine Hat

$759 42% 77.2% $331

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Medicine Hat

$316 17.5% 29.4% $72

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Medicine Hat

$235 13% 47.5% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Medicine Hat

$94 5.2% 34.2% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Medicine Hat

$252 14% 76% $109

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Medicine Hat

$69 3.8% 14.5% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Medicine Hat

$81 4.5% 44.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $800 in Medicine Hat. 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 225% higher in Medicine Hat, 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 $71.0 in Medicine Hat. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $316 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

10:41 10:41 AM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

56,997

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, 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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Medicine Hat 10,320 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Medicine Hat

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 Medicine Hat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medicine Hat costs about 46% more than Sao Paulo, 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 $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $2,710 in Medicine Hat. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,235 in Sao Paulo and $1,806 in Medicine Hat. That's a gap of about 46%.

Public transport costs about 2% less in Sao Paulo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Medicine Hat at $1,806. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medicine Hat it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sao Paulo costs $1,235 versus $1,806 in Medicine Hat. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medicine Hat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.