Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,596

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $1,596

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,398 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $2,398

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $3,200 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $3,200

Sao Paulo is about 23% cheaper than Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Paulo sits 9% below the global median, while Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon is 18% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$11.94 ₡5,353

-26.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$44.58 ₡20.0K

10.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$10.82 ₡4,855

-18.67%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$4.03 ₡1,808

-38.21%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$2.38 ₡1,067

-40.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.83 ₡819

-53.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$3.37 ₡1,510

-11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$4.01 ₡1,800

8.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$2.08 ₡931

-40.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$3.16 ₡1,418

-39.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$2.43 ₡1,089

-41.15%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$3.07 ₡1,378

-8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$6.56 ₡2,942

94.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$7.76 ₡3,479

-30.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$14.16 ₡6,350

-24.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$2.59 ₡1,161

6.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.12 ₡504

61.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.29 ₡576

26.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.74 ₡781

14.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$2.60 ₡1,165

-46.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.97 ₡881

-35.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.69 ₡311

85.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$2.00 ₡898

-52.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$3.12 ₡1,398

-4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$15.10 ₡6,773

-34.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$2.86 ₡1,284

-35.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$3.71 ₡1,663

-31.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$1.30 ₡582

-16.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$43.11 ₡19.3K

13.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.84 ₡825

0.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.54 ₡693

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$8.50 ₡3,814

21.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.50 ₡674

-10.67%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$22.3K ₡10.0M

9.64%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$35.0K ₡15.7M

-3.15%

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

$104 R$529

$95.5 ₡42.8K

9.33%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$35.40 ₡15.9K

-52.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$32.86 ₡14.7K

-32.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$73.5 ₡33.0K

-51.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$7.71 ₡3,458

30.48%

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

$579 R$2,936

$972 ₡435.8K

-40.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$17.1K ₡7.7M

0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$64.6 ₡29.0K

1.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$25.92 ₡11.6K

135.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$97.0 ₡43.5K

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$54.5 ₡24.4K

69.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$690 ₡309.3K

-4.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$659 ₡295.6K

-35.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$1,981 ₡888.2K

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$1,135 ₡508.8K

-9.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$976 ₡437.6K

-6.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

8.62

35.50%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$659 41.3% 54% $231

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$299 18.8% 22.5% $55

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$218 13.7% 36.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$109 6.8% 24.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$164 10.3% 14.3% $20

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$58 3.6% 3.4% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$89 5.6% 59% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $690 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. 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 7% higher in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, 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 $45.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Sao Paulo vs $299 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon – so Sao Paulo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇷 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

15:31 3:31 PM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 5,690 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

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 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo, $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $2,394 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Sao Paulo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $579 per month in Sao Paulo and $972 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon at $1,596. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,235 in Sao Paulo to $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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