Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Qom

For one person, living is cheaper in Qom: $436 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Qom
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Qom Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Qom

🇮🇷 Iran

$436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $436 in Qom.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Qom $436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $843 in Qom.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Qom $843

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,250 in Qom.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Qom $1,250

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 183% more expensive than in Qom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Qom 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$2.94 $2.94

199.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$17.19 $17.19

187.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$4.04 $4.04

117.82%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.03 $1.03

141.75%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.42 $0.42

238.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.66 $1.66

-48.80%

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

$0.53 $0.53

133.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.56 $0.56

241.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.70 $1.70

-15.88%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.06 $1.06

165.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$2.77 $2.77

359.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$3.24 $3.24

66.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$7.37 $7.37

44.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$0.84 $0.84

227.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.39 $1.39

30.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$0.95 $0.95

71.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.43 $0.43

365.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.46 $0.46

204.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.47 $0.47

170.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.26 $0.26

392.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.24 $0.24

295.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.84 $0.84

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 $0.44

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$1.23 $1.23

143.09%

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

$0.15 $0.15

626.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$14.33 $14.33

240.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$0.26 $0.26

611.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$0.27 $0.27

266.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$0.99 $0.99

939.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.10 $0.10

1240.00%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$49.1K $49.1K

-50.31%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$44.3K $44.3K

-23.39%

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

$104 R$529

$13.13 $13.13

695.51%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$1.28 $1.28

1205.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$3.72 $3.72

496.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$8.64 $8.64

314.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$9.81 $9.81

381.96%

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

$107 $107

443.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$2,622 $2,622

551.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$14.98 $14.98

338.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$13.07 $13.07

366.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$101 $101

-1.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$50.9 $50.9

81.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$239 $239

175.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$160 $160

166.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$576 $576

162.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$561 $561

82.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$898 $898

208.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$604 $604

232.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$214 $214

325.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

20.33

-42.55%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Qom: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Qom

$160 36.7% 62.5% $268

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Qom

$93 21.4% 61.8% $151

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Qom

$56 12.9% 64.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Qom

$81 18.6% 43.5% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Qom

$18 4.2% 87.4% $125

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Qom

$17 3.8% 72.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Qom

$11 2.4% 81% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $239 in Qom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 325% 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 $17.00 in Qom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $93.0 per month, with Qom cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇷 Qom

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

1,075,000

💱 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 Qom 12,120 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Qom

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 Qom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qom wins on cost – living expenses run 183% lower than in Sao Paulo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Qom the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 325% 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 $239 in Qom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Qom – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo versus $436 in Qom – a 183% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $436 in Qom versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qom but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Qom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Qom delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $436 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Qom hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Qom 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 Qom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.