Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Montgomery, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
Learn more

Montgomery, AL Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,354

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Montgomery, AL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Montgomery, AL $2,354

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $3,197 in Montgomery, AL.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Montgomery, AL $3,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $4,039 in Montgomery, AL.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Montgomery, AL $4,039

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 48% less than in Montgomery, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 9% below, Montgomery, AL is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$16.11 $16.11

-45.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$55.6 $55.6

-11.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$10.30 $10.30

-14.56%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$5.36 $5.36

-53.54%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$2.62 $2.62

-45.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$2.07 $2.07

-58.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$4.37 $4.37

-31.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$4.89 $4.89

-11.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.85 $0.85

45.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$3.59 $3.59

-46.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$2.05 $2.05

-30.24%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$3.14 $3.14

-10.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$7.96 $7.96

60.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$7.39 $7.39

-26.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$14.27 $14.27

-25.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$3.98 $3.98

-30.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.28 $1.28

41.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.96 $1.96

-16.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$4.16 $4.16

-51.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$3.11 $3.11

-54.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$2.66 $2.66

-52.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$2.09 $2.09

-38.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$2.18 $2.18

-56.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$8.89 $8.89

-66.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$15.07 $15.07

-33.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.94 $1.94

-4.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$3.86 $3.86

-34.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$2.04 $2.04

-46.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$45.02 $45.02

8.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$2.53 $2.53

-26.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.60 $1.60

-38.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$25.54 $25.54

-59.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.90 $0.90

48.89%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$31.7K $31.7K

-23.06%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

30.83%

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

$104 R$529

$309 $309

-66.22%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$50.7 $50.7

-67.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$72.5 $72.5

-69.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$37.83 $37.83

-5.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$28.52 $28.52

65.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$9.81 $9.81

2.55%

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

$579 R$2,936

$1,380 $1,380

-58.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$13.7K $13.7K

24.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$48.94 $48.94

34.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$35.52 $35.52

71.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$86.2 $86.2

16.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$96.5 $96.5

-4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$1,287 $1,287

-48.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$1,084 $1,084

-60.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$1,589 $1,589

-4.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$1,455 $1,455

-29.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,368 $1,368

102.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$1,309 $1,309

53.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$3,632 $3,632

-74.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.54

78.59%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Montgomery, AL: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Montgomery, AL

$1.1K 46% 153% $656

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Montgomery, AL

$322 13.7% 31.7% $77

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Montgomery, AL

$274 11.7% 72.1% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Montgomery, AL

$120 5.1% 16.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Montgomery, AL

$432 18.4% 202% $289

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Montgomery, AL

$64 2.7% 6.4% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Montgomery, AL

$57 2.4% 2.7% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $1,287 in Montgomery, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montgomery, AL pays 299% 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 $56.0 in Montgomery, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $322 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

05:43 5:43 AM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

200,603

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Montgomery, AL 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Montgomery, AL

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 Montgomery, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo and Montgomery, AL differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,235 vs $2,354 including rent). Sao Paulo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 299% lower in Montgomery, AL. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $1,287 in Montgomery, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Paulo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $56.0 in Montgomery, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL – a 91% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Montgomery, AL. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Montgomery, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.