Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Qazvin

For one person, living is cheaper in Qazvin: $645 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Qazvin
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Qazvin Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Qazvin

🇮🇷 Iran

$645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $645 in Qazvin.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Qazvin $645

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $926 in Qazvin.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Qazvin $926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,207 in Qazvin.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Qazvin $1,207

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 92% more expensive than in Qazvin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Qazvin 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$3.64 $3.64

142.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$17.67 $17.67

179.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$3.49 $3.49

152.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.27 $1.27

96.06%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.41 $0.41

246.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.73 $1.73

-50.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.48 $0.48

158.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.29 $0.29

558.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$2.64 $2.64

-45.83%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$0.93 $0.93

202.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$4.43 $4.43

187.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$1.99 $1.99

171.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$7.68 $7.68

38.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$0.48 $0.48

472.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$0.98 $0.98

84.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$0.69 $0.69

136.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.49 $0.49

308.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.48 $0.48

191.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.51 $0.51

149.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.49 $0.49

161.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.29 $0.29

227.59%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.79 $0.79

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$2.56 $2.56

16.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.13 $0.13

738.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$9.42 $9.42

417.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$0.21 $0.21

780.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$0.31 $0.31

219.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$1.98 $1.98

419.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.09 $0.09

1388.89%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$43.1K $43.1K

-43.32%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$43.5K $43.5K

-22.02%

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

$104 R$529

$13.08 $13.08

698.55%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$1.57 $1.57

964.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$3.60 $3.60

516.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$12.46 $12.46

187.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$9.82 $9.82

381.47%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$0.99 $0.99

916.16%

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

$579 R$2,936

$30.46 $30.46

1801.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$737 $737

2216.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$26.96 $26.96

143.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$27.94 $27.94

118.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$99.2 $99.2

1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$50.3 $50.3

83.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$509 $509

29.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$355 $355

20.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$712 $712

112.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$490 $490

109.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,167 $1,167

137.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$530 $530

278.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$313 $313

190.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

-35.11%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Qazvin: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Qazvin

$355 55.1% 17% $73

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Qazvin

$90 13.9% 63.3% $155

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Qazvin

$63 9.8% 60.2% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Qazvin

$92 14.3% 35.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Qazvin

$18 2.8% 87.3% $125

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Qazvin

$12 1.8% 80.5% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Qazvin

$14 2.2% 74.2% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $509 in Qazvin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 191% 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 $18.00 in Qazvin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $90.0 per month, with Qazvin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇷 Qazvin

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

04:25 4:25 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

402,748

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

USD 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Qazvin 12,100 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Qazvin

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 Qazvin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo and Qazvin differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,235 vs $645 including rent). Qazvin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 191% 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: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $509 in Qazvin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 173% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Qazvin – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $645 in Qazvin versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Qazvin but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Qazvin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Qazvin 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 Qazvin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.