Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $929 in Portsmouth.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Portsmouth $929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $1,626 in Portsmouth.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Portsmouth $1,626

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $2,323 in Portsmouth.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Portsmouth $2,323

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 34% more expensive than in Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 7% lower, Portsmouth 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.64

$5.50 EC$14.84

62.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$247

$56.2 EC$152

-11.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.01

$6.83 EC$18.44

34.99%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.70

$2.67 EC$7.20

-4.87%

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

$1.45 R$7.25

$2.19 EC$5.91

-33.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.55

$1.87 EC$5.05

-51.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.31

$2.53 EC$6.84

21.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.75

$3.73 EC$10.07

16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.32

$2.86 EC$7.72

-55.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.17

$2.23 EC$6.03

-17.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.05

$2.01 EC$5.43

-29.85%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.20

$6.50 EC$17.55

-56.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$62.7

$2.66 EC$7.17

372.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.81

$5.48 EC$14.80

-2.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.67

$7.21 EC$19.46

-62.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.03

$2.57 EC$6.93

-29.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.74

$4.00 EC$10.81

-61.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.90

$4.14 EC$11.17

-52.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.34

$2.90 EC$7.84

-49.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.20

$2.78 EC$7.51

-55.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.35

$1.82 EC$4.91

-30.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.79

$1.90 EC$5.13

-49.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.16

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$50.8

$11.32 EC$30.56

-9.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.64

$1.87 EC$5.06

-7.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.19

$2.67 EC$7.20

-1.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.18

$0.75 EC$2.03

38.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.07

$3.67 EC$9.90

-50.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.07

$3.68 EC$9.93

-72.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.35

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

$24.3K R$121.4K

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

$34.0K R$169.8K

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

$104 R$519

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

$16.16 R$80.7

$40.78 EC$110

-60.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$63.9 EC$172

-64.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

$36.97 EC$99.8

-1.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$239

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.19

$11.11 EC$30.01

-11.34%

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

$525 R$2,622

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$334

$55.9 EC$151

19.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$311

$23.90 EC$64.5

160.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$505

$56.0 EC$151

80.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$454

$65.9 EC$178

37.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,309

$258 EC$696

157.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,110

$223 EC$602

89.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,622

$670 EC$1,808

128.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,035

$617 EC$1,667

63.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,396

$626 EC$1,691

40.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Sao Paulo and $258 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 41% 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 Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $290 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

06:54 6:54 AM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

3,633

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Portsmouth 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Sao Paulo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $663 in Sao Paulo versus $258 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Sao Paulo pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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

At $929 in Portsmouth versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Portsmouth is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Portsmouth are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.