Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Perth Amboy, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $2,684 in Perth Amboy, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Perth Amboy, NJ
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Perth Amboy, NJ Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Perth Amboy, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Perth Amboy, NJ

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 Perth Amboy, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $2,684 in Perth Amboy, NJ.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Perth Amboy, NJ $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Sao Paulo versus $3,774 in Perth Amboy, NJ.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Perth Amboy, NJ $3,774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Sao Paulo versus $4,865 in Perth Amboy, NJ.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Perth Amboy, NJ $4,865

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 54% less than in Perth Amboy, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 10% below, Perth Amboy, NJ is 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$19.32 $19.32

-54.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$78.5 $78.5

-38.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$13.14 $13.14

-31.28%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$6.28 $6.28

-59.39%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$2.52 $2.52

-46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$1.51 $1.51

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$8.90 $8.90

-65.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$7.13 $7.13

-38.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.14 $1.14

4.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$2.23 $2.23

-19.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$6.16 $6.16

-75.97%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$2.93 $2.93

-3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$13.68 $13.68

-7.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$10.45 $10.45

-48.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$19.90 $19.90

-45.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$5.96 $5.96

-52.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$3.51 $3.51

-48.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$4.33 $4.33

-63.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$5.22 $5.22

-61.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$1.40 $1.40

4.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$1.40 $1.40

-10.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$1.46 $1.46

-14.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$2.99 $2.99

-67.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$14.80 $14.80

-79.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$12.21 $12.21

-20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$1.84 $1.84

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$3.62 $3.62

-30.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$1.81 $1.81

-40.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$3.04 $3.04

-40.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$2.11 $2.11

-52.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$42.43 $42.43

-75.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.04 $1.04

24.04%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$27.7K $27.7K

-15.09%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$25.5K $25.5K

35.21%

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

$104 R$527

$170 $170

-38.93%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$24.07 $24.07

-31.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$49.71 $49.71

-55.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$41.11 $41.11

-11.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$17.68 $17.68

-45.19%

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

$573 R$2,906

$2,026 $2,026

-71.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$16.2K $16.2K

4.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$33.62 $33.62

97.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$40.44 $40.44

51.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$77.1 $77.1

28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$96.4 $96.4

-5.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$1,617 $1,617

-59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$1,480 $1,480

-71.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$2,211 $2,211

-31.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$2,137 $2,137

-53.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$2,753 $2,753

-3.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

$2,425 $2,425

-16.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

$3,323 $3,323

-72.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.8

71.76%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Perth Amboy, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$1.5K 55.1% 254% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$407 15.2% 67.3% $164

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$344 12.8% 114% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$111 4.2% 22% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$244 9.1% 71.1% $101

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$21 * 0.8% 64.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Perth Amboy, NJ

$76 2.9% 37% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Sao Paulo and $1,617 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Perth Amboy, NJ pays 269% 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 $78.0 in Perth Amboy, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $407 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇺🇸 Perth Amboy, NJ

🕒 Local time

18:35 6:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

48,607

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Perth Amboy, NJ 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Perth Amboy, NJ

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 Perth Amboy, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo wins on cost – living expenses run 120% lower than in Perth Amboy, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Paulo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 269% lower in Perth Amboy, NJ. 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: $654 in Sao Paulo versus $1,617 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $573 in Sao Paulo versus $2,026 in Perth Amboy, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Paulo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $78.0 in Perth Amboy, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $2,684 in Perth Amboy, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Perth Amboy, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sao Paulo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,222 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sao Paulo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Perth Amboy, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.