Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Quetzaltenango

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetzaltenango: $1,148 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Quetzaltenango
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Quetzaltenango Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Quetzaltenango

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$1,148

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,148 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Quetzaltenango $1,148

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,444 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Quetzaltenango $1,444

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,741 in Quetzaltenango, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Quetzaltenango $1,741

Sao Paulo costs about 8% more than Quetzaltenango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Sao Paulo and Quetzaltenango are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 9% lower, Quetzaltenango 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$6.78 Q 51.9

29.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$49.64 Q 380

-0.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$7.66 Q 58.6

14.88%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$3.26 Q 24.91

-23.62%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.15 Q 8.77

23.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.91 Q 6.97

-6.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$3.35 Q 25.60

-11.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$4.66 Q 35.65

-6.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$2.01 Q 15.36

-38.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$2.66 Q 20.33

-28.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$2.13 Q 16.30

-32.86%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.51 Q 19.16

11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$6.44 Q 49.23

97.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$7.96 Q 60.9

-32.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$12.86 Q 98.3

-17.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$2.86 Q 21.90

-3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.70 Q 13.02

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$2.92 Q 22.30

-44.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.64 Q 12.55

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.55 Q 11.81

-9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$2.19 Q 16.71

-42.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.69 Q 5.31

85.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$1.19 Q 9.10

-20.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$3.35 Q 25.64

-10.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$8.09 Q 61.9

23.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.72 Q 13.18

7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.71 Q 20.70

-6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$5.15 Q 39.38

-64.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.73 Q 13.22

-42.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$10.56 Q 80.8

-2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.38 Q 10.57

-2.90%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$27.5K Q 210.6K

-11.36%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$25.3K Q 193.3K

34.30%

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

$104 R$529

$72.7 Q 556

43.59%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$13.06 Q 99.9

27.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$46.29 Q 354

-52.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$32.89 Q 251

8.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$6.35 Q 48.54

58.43%

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

$579 R$2,936

$342 Q 2,611

69.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$6,757 Q 51.7K

152.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$50.0 Q 382

31.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$46.61 Q 356

30.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$110 Q 844

-9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$112 Q 857

-17.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$397 Q 3,037

65.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$398 Q 3,046

7.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

11.62

0.52%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Quetzaltenango: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Quetzaltenango

$398 34.7% 6.9% $30

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Quetzaltenango

$264 23% 7.9% $19

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Quetzaltenango

$151 13.1% 5.5% $8.8

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Quetzaltenango

$144 12.5% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Quetzaltenango

$132 11.5% 7.8% $11

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Quetzaltenango

$14 * 1.2% 77% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Quetzaltenango

$46 4% 18.5% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $397 in Quetzaltenango. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo versus $50.0 in Quetzaltenango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $264 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇬🇹 Quetzaltenango

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

500,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, 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).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Quetzaltenango 6,480 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Quetzaltenango

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 Quetzaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 8% more than Quetzaltenango, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,852 per month in Sao Paulo and $1,722 in Quetzaltenango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quetzaltenango, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,235 in Sao Paulo and $1,148 in Quetzaltenango. That's a gap of about 8%.

Kindergarten costs $579 per month in Sao Paulo and $342 in Quetzaltenango. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Quetzaltenango, where all-in costs run around $1,148, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Quetzaltenango it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sao Paulo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Quetzaltenango costs $1,148 versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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