Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and New Britain, CT

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $2,541 in New Britain, CT, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sao Paulo
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,222
/mo nomad
New Britain, CT
🇺🇸 United States
$2,541
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in New Britain, CT

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 New Britain, CT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,541 in New Britain, CT, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $1,222
  • New Britain, CT $2,541

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Sao Paulo vs $3,946 in New Britain, CT, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $2,044
  • New Britain, CT $3,946

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Sao Paulo vs $5,351 in New Britain, CT, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $2,867
  • New Britain, CT $5,351

Sao Paulo is about 52% cheaper than New Britain, CT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Paulo sits 10% below the global median, while New Britain, CT is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sao Paulo
New Britain, CT
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.71 R$44.15
$17.99 $17.99
-51.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.61 R$246
$94.5 $94.5
-48.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.03 R$45.77
$13.67 $13.67
-33.94%
Cappuccino
$2.55 R$12.94
$5.58 $5.58
-54.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 R$6.83
$2.85 $2.85
-52.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 R$4.63
$2.74 $2.74
-66.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.07 R$15.55
$4.96 $4.96
-38.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 R$22.21
$7.98 $7.98
-45.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
New Britain, CT
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 R$6.05
$1.07 $1.07
11.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.80 R$9.14
$3.90 $3.90
-53.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 R$7.51
$5.29 $5.29
-72.02%
Eggs
$2.82 R$14.31
$4.88 $4.88
-42.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.61 R$63.9
$11.40 $11.40
10.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.40 R$27.36
$14.42 $14.42
-62.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.76 R$54.6
$17.45 $17.45
-38.34%
Apples (1kg)
$2.82 R$14.28
$6.86 $6.86
-58.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.82 R$9.25
$1.81 $1.81
0.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 R$8.14
$6.65 $6.65
-75.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 R$10.28
$5.62 $5.62
-63.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 R$7.40
$2.72 $2.72
-46.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.25 R$6.35
$4.45 $4.45
-71.91%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 R$6.32
$3.05 $3.05
-59.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 R$4.98
$1.92 $1.92
-48.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 R$15.18
$13.75 $13.75
-78.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.71 R$49.22
$13.54 $13.54
-28.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 R$9.32
$2.15 $2.15
-14.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 R$12.80
$4.27 $4.27
-40.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Sao Paulo
New Britain, CT
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.07 R$5.41
$1.75 $1.75
-38.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.26 R$240
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 R$9.16
$2.83 $2.83
-36.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 R$5.14
$1.88 $1.88
-46.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.24 R$51.9
$29.54 $29.54
-65.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 R$6.52
$1.03 $1.03
25.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.5K R$119.3K
$27.9K $27.9K
-15.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K R$174.9K
$27.1K $27.1K
27.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
New Britain, CT
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 R$527
$318 $318
-67.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.60 R$84.1
$104 $104
-84.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.04 R$112
$54.2 $54.2
-59.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
New Britain, CT
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.43 R$185
$41.15 $41.15
-11.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$47.29 R$240
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.69 R$49.12
$14.74 $14.74
-34.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sao Paulo
New Britain, CT
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$573 R$2,906
$1,014 $1,014
-43.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K R$85.8K
$30.5K $30.5K
-44.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
New Britain, CT
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.3 R$336
$57.5 $57.5
15.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.1 R$310
$38.53 $38.53
58.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.8 R$501
$81.4 $81.4
21.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 R$463
$98.4 $98.4
-7.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
New Britain, CT
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$654 R$3,316
$1,119 $1,119
-41.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$418 R$2,120
$1,088 $1,088
-61.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,524 R$7,724
$2,522 $2,522
-39.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$992 R$5,028
$2,172 $2,172
-54.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,670 R$13.5K
$2,664 $2,664
0.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,019 R$10.2K
$2,617 $2,617
-22.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sao Paulo
New Britain, CT
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$900 R$4,563
$3,980 $3,980
-77.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.68
5
133.60%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for New Britain, CT: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
$418
New Britain, CT
$1.1K 160% $670
Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
$243
New Britain, CT
$448 84% $204
Eating Out
Sao Paulo
$161
New Britain, CT
$315 96.2% $154
Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
$143
New Britain, CT
$124 13.1% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
$143
New Britain, CT
$476 234% $333
Getting Around
Sao Paulo
$58
New Britain, CT
$19 * 67.1% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
$56
New Britain, CT
$71 26.5% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $654 in Sao Paulo versus $1,119 in New Britain, CT. 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 342% higher in New Britain, CT, 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 $95.0 in New Britain, CT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $448 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Sao Paulo
🇺🇸 New Britain, CT
🕒 Local time
06:04 6:04 AM
05:04 5:04 AM
1 h behind Sao Paulo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,451,999
73,206
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 23, 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 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sao Paulo New Britain, CT 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sao Paulo
  • New Britain, CT

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 New Britain, CT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Britain, CT cheaper than Sao Paulo?
Yes – New Britain, CT is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Sao Paulo and $3,811 in New Britain, CT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Sao Paulo and in New Britain, CT?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,222 in Sao Paulo and $2,541 in New Britain, CT. That's a gap of about 108%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $573 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,014 in New Britain, CT. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sao Paulo or in New Britain, CT?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,222, than in New Britain, CT at $2,541. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Britain, CT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sao Paulo or New Britain, CT more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sao Paulo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New Britain, CT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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