Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Qapshaghay

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,085 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,085

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $1,085 in Qapshaghay.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Qapshaghay $1,085

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Sao Paulo versus $1,623 in Qapshaghay.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Qapshaghay $1,623

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Sao Paulo versus $2,161 in Qapshaghay.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Qapshaghay $2,161

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 13% more expensive than in Qapshaghay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 10% lower, Qapshaghay 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$10.91 ₸4,930

-20.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$22.55 ₸10.2K

115.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$6.49 ₸2,932

39.14%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$1.73 ₸782

47.40%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$0.99 ₸445

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.69 ₸310

31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$1.37 ₸619

124.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$1.35 ₸611

224.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.72 ₸778

-30.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$0.48 ₸216

275.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$2.08 ₸940

-28.85%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$2.48 ₸1,121

13.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$12.49 ₸5,646

0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$6.49 ₸2,934

-16.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$10.71 ₸4,841

0.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$1.79 ₸809

57.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$2.39 ₸1,079

-23.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$3.03 ₸1,369

-47.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$2.79 ₸1,262

-27.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$0.80 ₸363

82.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$0.55 ₸249

127.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$1.60 ₸723

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$1.04 ₸471

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$1.63 ₸736

84.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$11.11 ₸5,021

-12.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$1.26 ₸572

46.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$2.48 ₸1,119

1.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$0.16 ₸70.2

568.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

$17.23 ₸7,791

174.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$0.87 ₸393

108.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$0.70 ₸315

44.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$4.03 ₸1,822

154.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$0.56 ₸254

130.36%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

4.38%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$29.7K ₸13.4M

16.09%

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

$104 R$527

$90.0 ₸40.7K

15.55%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$10.64 ₸4,809

56.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$18.21 ₸8,232

21.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$41.59 ₸18.8K

-12.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$6.82 ₸3,083

42.08%

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

$573 R$2,906

$146 ₸66.2K

291.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$4,474 ₸2.0M

278.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$91.5 ₸41.4K

-27.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$45.71 ₸20.7K

33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$143 ₸64.5K

-30.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$132 ₸59.6K

-30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$450 ₸203.3K

45.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$312 ₸141.1K

34.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$721 ₸325.8K

111.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$487 ₸220.2K

103.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$1,085 ₸490.3K

146.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

$872 ₸394.4K

131.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

20.65

-43.44%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Qapshaghay

$312 28.8% 25.4% $106

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Qapshaghay

$248 22.8% 1.8% $4.3

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Qapshaghay

$144 13.2% 10.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Qapshaghay

$185 17.1% 29.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Qapshaghay

$119 11% 16.7% $24

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Qapshaghay

$22 2.1% 62% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1% 1% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Sao Paulo and $450 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $23.00 in Qapshaghay. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $248, with Sao Paulo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🕒 Local time

10:22 10:22 AM

19:22 7:22 PM

9 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

42,167

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Qapshaghay 14,460 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Qapshaghay

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 Qapshaghay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qapshaghay wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Sao Paulo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Qapshaghay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,833 in Sao Paulo and $1,627 in Qapshaghay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $654 in Sao Paulo versus $450 in Qapshaghay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $573 in Sao Paulo versus $146 in Qapshaghay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Sao Paulo pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,085 in Qapshaghay versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qapshaghay but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Qapshaghay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Qapshaghay delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,085 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Qapshaghay hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Qapshaghay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.