Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Rasht

For one person, living is cheaper in Rasht: $476 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Rasht
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Rasht Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Rasht

🇮🇷 Iran

$476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $476 in Rasht, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Rasht $476

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $737 in Rasht, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Rasht $737

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $998 in Rasht, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Rasht $998

Sao Paulo costs about 159% more than Rasht, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sao Paulo and Rasht are more affordable than the global median – Sao Paulo 9% lower, Rasht 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$3.72 $3.72

136.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$16.25 $16.25

203.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$4.03 $4.03

118.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.37 $1.37

81.75%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.50 $0.50

184.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.01 $1.01

-15.84%

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

$0.55 $0.55

125.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.52 $0.52

267.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.89 $1.89

-24.34%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.28 $1.28

119.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$4.43 $4.43

187.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$2.46 $2.46

119.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$9.43 $9.43

12.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$0.75 $0.75

266.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.35 $1.35

34.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$0.72 $0.72

126.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.50 $0.50

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.44 $0.44

218.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.51 $0.51

149.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.37 $0.37

245.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.24 $0.24

295.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.26 $0.26

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$1.62 $1.62

84.57%

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

$0.17 $0.17

541.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$10.81 $10.81

351.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$0.51 $0.51

262.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$0.21 $0.21

371.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$1.47 $1.47

600.00%

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

$49.9K $49.9K

-51.06%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$44.2K $44.2K

-23.26%

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

$104 R$529

$12.97 $12.97

705.32%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$1.62 $1.62

931.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$3.78 $3.78

486.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$17.97 $17.97

99.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$11.83 $11.83

299.66%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$1.02 $1.02

886.27%

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

$579 R$2,936

$82.7 $82.7

600.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$2,607 $2,607

555.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$16.23 $16.23

304.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$24.73 $24.73

146.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$112 $112

-10.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$74.8 $74.8

23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$210 $210

213.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$157 $157

173.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$389 $389

289.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$213 $213

381.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,226 $1,226

126.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$618 $618

224.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$210 $210

333.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

-38.53%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Rasht: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Rasht

$157 32.9% 63.4% $271

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Rasht

$101 21.3% 58.6% $143

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Rasht

$64 13.5% 59.6% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Rasht

$102 21.5% 28.8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Rasht

$18 3.9% 87.2% $125

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Rasht

$13 2.7% 78.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Rasht

$20 4.2% 64.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $210 in Rasht. 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 334% higher in Sao Paulo, 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 $16.00 in Rasht. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $244 vs $101 – making Rasht the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇷 Rasht

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

09:19 9:19 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

679,995

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.71 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Rasht 12,090 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
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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 Rasht: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo costs about 159% more than Rasht, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $714 in Rasht. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 142% more in Sao Paulo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $16.00 in Rasht. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rasht, where all-in costs run around $476, than in Sao Paulo at $1,235. In Rasht 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. Rasht costs $476 versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Rasht. 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.