Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and San Pedro

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $1,623 in San Pedro, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Pedro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

San Pedro

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,623

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in San Pedro

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

A single person spends $1,235 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,623 in San Pedro, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,235
San Pedro $1,623

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,725 in San Pedro, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,073
San Pedro $2,725

A family of three spends $2,911 per month in Sao Paulo vs $3,828 in San Pedro, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,911
San Pedro $3,828

Sao Paulo is about 24% cheaper than San Pedro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Paulo sits 9% below the global median, while San Pedro is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$9.42 BZD 18.84

-6.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$29.94 BZD 59.9

64.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$3.07 BZD 6.13

-18.89%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.33 BZD 2.66

6.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.49 BZD 2.98

-42.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$2.96 BZD 5.93

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$4.05 BZD 8.11

7.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$5.09 BZD 10.18

-75.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$2.46 BZD 4.91

-22.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$5.62 BZD 11.23

-74.56%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.87 BZD 3.73

50.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$11.55 BZD 23.11

10.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$12.95 BZD 25.90

-58.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$10.65 BZD 21.31

-0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$14.23 BZD 28.47

-80.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.09 BZD 2.17

66.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$7.72 BZD 15.44

-74.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$6.75 BZD 13.49

-79.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$3.70 BZD 7.40

-65.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.28 BZD 2.56

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$1.90 BZD 3.81

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$23.93 BZD 47.87

-58.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$3.77 BZD 7.54

-50.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$4.00 BZD 8.00

-36.50%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$5.01 BZD 10.03

-80.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.63 BZD 3.27

-17.79%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

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

$104 R$529

$177 BZD 355

-41.08%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$29.47 BZD 59.0

21.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

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

$579 R$2,936

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$992 BZD 1,984

-33.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$761 BZD 1,522

-43.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$2,768 BZD 5,537

-45.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$1,998 BZD 3,997

-48.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$2,724 BZD 5,450

1.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$1,645 BZD 3,291

22.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Pedro: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

San Pedro

–

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

San Pedro

–

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

San Pedro

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

San Pedro

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

San Pedro

–

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

San Pedro

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

San Pedro

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $659 in Sao Paulo versus $992 in San Pedro. 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 $30.00 in San Pedro. Groceries tell a different story – $244 in Sao Paulo vs $483 in San Pedro – so Sao Paulo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇧🇿 San Pedro

🕒 Local time

06:34 6:34 AM

03:34 3:34 AM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

15,456

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.445 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, 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).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.25 BZD (1 BZD = 0.445 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo San Pedro 6,430 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
San Pedro

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 San Pedro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pedro costs about 31% more than Sao Paulo, 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 $2,434 in San Pedro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,235 in Sao Paulo and $1,623 in San Pedro. That's a gap of about 31%.

Groceries cost about 98% more in San Pedro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Sao Paulo, where all-in costs run around $1,235, than in San Pedro at $1,623. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Pedro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Sao Paulo costs $1,235 versus $1,623 in San Pedro. 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 Sao Paulo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Pedro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.