Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Perm

For one person, living is cheaper in Perm: $917 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Perm
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Perm Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Perm

🇷🇺 Russia

$917

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,244 per month in Sao Paulo vs $917 in Perm, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Perm $917

A couple spends around $2,085 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,387 in Perm, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Perm $1,387

A family of three spends $2,926 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,858 in Perm, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Perm $1,858

Sao Paulo costs about 36% more than Perm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sao Paulo and Perm are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 7% lower, Perm 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.87

$8.05 ₽684

11.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$248

$26.22 ₽2,229

88.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.25

$6.06 ₽515

52.15%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.77

$2.18 ₽186

16.51%

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

$1.45 R$7.29

$0.78 ₽66.7

85.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.57

$0.40 ₽33.93

127.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.39

$1.21 ₽103

153.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.87

$1.55 ₽131

181.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.36

$1.07 ₽91.3

18.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.22

$0.83 ₽70.8

121.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.08

$1.25 ₽106

12.80%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.27

$1.28 ₽109

121.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$63.0

$7.83 ₽666

60.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.95

$5.23 ₽445

2.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.8

$11.68 ₽993

-8.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.74

$2.15 ₽182

27.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.08

$2.10 ₽178

-13.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.78

$2.09 ₽178

-25.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.95

$2.29 ₽195

-13.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.38

$0.56 ₽47.90

162.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.23

$0.44 ₽37.10

181.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.38

$0.86 ₽73.0

47.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.82

$0.82 ₽69.4

17.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.24

$2.62 ₽222

16.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$51.1

$9.26 ₽787

10.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.69

$0.87 ₽74.0

98.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.26

$1.63 ₽139

61.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.20

$0.52 ₽44.51

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$241

$24.53 ₽2,085

96.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.12

$1.75 ₽149

4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.10

$0.45 ₽38.66

126.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$51.0

$4.16 ₽354

144.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.38

$0.81 ₽68.7

56.79%

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

$24.3K R$122.0K

$40.7K ₽3.5M

-40.18%

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

$34.0K R$170.6K

$39.3K ₽3.3M

-13.48%

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

$104 R$522

$128 ₽10.8K

-18.55%

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

$16.16 R$81.1

$5.68 ₽483

184.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$8.33 ₽708

171.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$182

$27.00 ₽2,295

34.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$240

$13.23 ₽1,125

261.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.45

$8.30 ₽706

18.67%

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

$525 R$2,635

$233 ₽19.8K

125.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$83.2K

$4,398 ₽373.9K

276.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$336

$53.3 ₽4,534

25.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$312

$32.85 ₽2,793

89.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$507

$61.9 ₽5,266

63.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$456

$69.9 ₽5,943

30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,326

$471 ₽40.0K

40.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,121

$265 ₽22.5K

59.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,662

$603 ₽51.3K

153.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,061

$479 ₽40.8K

110.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.8K

$2,358 ₽200.5K

16.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.4K

$1,543 ₽131.2K

34.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,419

$973 ₽82.7K

-9.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

23.33

-49.94%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Perm: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Perm

$265 29.4% 37.4% $158

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Perm

$199 22.1% 18.2% $44

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Perm

$123 13.6% 24.9% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Perm

$98 10.9% 32.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Perm

$142 15.7% 0.7% $1.1

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Perm

$31 3.4% 48.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Perm

$44 4.8% 22.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $663 in Sao Paulo versus $471 in Perm. 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 10% higher in Perm, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo versus $26.00 in Perm. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $199 – making Perm the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇷🇺 Perm

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

13:15 1:15 PM

8 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

1,026,908

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.02 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.36 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Perm 12,960 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Perm

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 Perm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sao Paulo is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,866 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,375 in Perm. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 22% more in Sao Paulo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $26.00 in Perm. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Perm, where all-in costs run around $917, than in Sao Paulo at $1,244. In Perm it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Perm – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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