Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Quincy, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $4,192 in Quincy, MA, rent and utilities included – about $35,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sao Paulo
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,222
/mo nomad
Quincy, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,192
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Quincy, MA

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Sao Paulo vs $4,192 in Quincy, MA, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $1,222
  • Quincy, MA $4,192

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Sao Paulo vs $5,805 in Quincy, MA, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $2,044
  • Quincy, MA $5,805

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Sao Paulo vs $7,419 in Quincy, MA, rent included.

  • Sao Paulo $2,867
  • Quincy, MA $7,419

Sao Paulo is about 71% cheaper than Quincy, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Sao Paulo sits 10% below the global median, while Quincy, MA is 209% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sao Paulo
Quincy, MA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.71 R$44.15
$30.05 $30.05
-71.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$48.61 R$246
$121 $121
-59.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.03 R$45.77
$12.14 $12.14
-25.62%
Cappuccino
$2.55 R$12.94
$5.14 $5.14
-50.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 R$6.83
$2.83 $2.83
-52.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 R$4.63
$2.45 $2.45
-62.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.07 R$15.55
$7.14 $7.14
-57.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 R$22.21
$8.16 $8.16
-46.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
Quincy, MA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 R$6.05
$1.23 $1.23
-3.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.80 R$9.14
$4.12 $4.12
-56.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 R$7.51
$5.25 $5.25
-71.81%
Eggs
$2.82 R$14.31
$4.85 $4.85
-41.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.61 R$63.9
$11.40 $11.40
10.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.40 R$27.36
$14.95 $14.95
-63.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.76 R$54.6
$17.74 $17.74
-39.35%
Apples (1kg)
$2.82 R$14.28
$6.56 $6.56
-57.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.82 R$9.25
$2.05 $2.05
-11.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 R$8.14
$6.83 $6.83
-76.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 R$10.28
$6.73 $6.73
-69.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.46 R$7.40
$3.52 $3.52
-58.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.25 R$6.35
$4.10 $4.10
-69.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 R$6.32
$2.93 $2.93
-57.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 R$4.98
$1.55 $1.55
-36.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.00 R$15.18
$13.37 $13.37
-77.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.71 R$49.22
$14.20 $14.20
-31.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 R$9.32
$2.06 $2.06
-10.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 R$12.80
$4.13 $4.13
-38.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Sao Paulo
Quincy, MA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.07 R$5.41
$2.40 $2.40
-55.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$47.26 R$240
$110 $110
-56.90%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 R$9.16
$2.66 $2.66
-31.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.01 R$5.14
$1.71 $1.71
-40.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.24 R$51.9
$25.31 $25.31
-59.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 R$6.52
$1.14 $1.14
13.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.5K R$119.3K
$27.4K $27.4K
-14.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.5K R$174.9K
$26.8K $26.8K
28.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
Quincy, MA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 R$527
$241 $241
-56.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.60 R$84.1
$56.1 $56.1
-70.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.04 R$112
$83.4 $83.4
-73.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
Quincy, MA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.43 R$185
$80.3 $80.3
-54.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$47.29 R$240
$50.8 $50.8
-6.95%
Cinema Ticket
$9.69 R$49.12
$14.94 $14.94
-35.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sao Paulo
Quincy, MA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$573 R$2,906
$1,811 $1,811
-68.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K R$85.8K
$9,875 $9,875
71.46%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
Quincy, MA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.3 R$336
$65.0 $65.0
1.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.1 R$310
$39.30 $39.30
55.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.8 R$501
$99.4 $99.4
-0.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$91.4 R$463
$98.8 $98.8
-7.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
Quincy, MA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$654 R$3,316
$3,060 $3,060
-78.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$418 R$2,120
$2,565 $2,565
-83.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,524 R$7,724
$4,612 $4,612
-66.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$992 R$5,028
$3,629 $3,629
-72.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,670 R$13.5K
$3,197 $3,197
-16.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,019 R$10.2K
$1,263 $1,263
59.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sao Paulo
Quincy, MA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$900 R$4,563
$6,070 $6,070
-85.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.68
6.64
75.90%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Quincy, MA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
$418
Quincy, MA
$2.6K 513% $2.1K
Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
$243
Quincy, MA
$458 88.4% $215
Eating Out
Sao Paulo
$161
Quincy, MA
$412 156% $251
Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
$143
Quincy, MA
$136 4.7% $6.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
$143
Quincy, MA
$380 167% $238
Getting Around
Sao Paulo
$58
Quincy, MA
$130 123% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
$56
Quincy, MA
$110 97.5% $54

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $654 in Sao Paulo versus $3,060 in Quincy, MA. 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 574% higher in Quincy, MA, 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 $121 in Quincy, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $243 vs $458 – making Sao Paulo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Sao Paulo
🇺🇸 Quincy, MA
🕒 Local time
18:22 6:22 PM
17:22 5:22 PM
1 h behind Sao Paulo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,451,999
92,271
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sao Paulo Quincy, MA 7,730 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sao Paulo
  • Quincy, MA

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 Quincy, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quincy, MA cheaper than Sao Paulo?
Yes – Quincy, MA is pricier by about 243%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Sao Paulo and $6,287 in Quincy, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Sao Paulo and in Quincy, MA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,222 in Sao Paulo and $4,192 in Quincy, MA. That's a gap of about 243%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 132% less in Sao Paulo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sao Paulo or in Quincy, MA?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,222, than in Quincy, MA at $4,192. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Quincy, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sao Paulo or Quincy, MA more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sao Paulo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Sao Paulo or Quincy, MA?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Quincy, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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