Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Santa Teresa

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $1,546 in Santa Teresa, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Santa Teresa
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Santa Teresa Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Santa Teresa

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Santa Teresa

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

A single person spends $1,222 per month in Sao Paulo vs $1,546 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Santa Teresa $1,546

A couple spends around $2,044 per month in Sao Paulo vs $2,318 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Santa Teresa $2,318

A family of three spends $2,867 per month in Sao Paulo vs $3,090 in Santa Teresa, rent included.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Santa Teresa $3,090

Sao Paulo is about 21% cheaper than Santa Teresa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sao Paulo sits 10% below the global median, while Santa Teresa is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$10.08 ₡4,519

-13.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$43.44 ₡19.5K

11.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$9.24 ₡4,144

-2.27%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$3.73 ₡1,673

-31.64%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$1.97 ₡883

-31.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$1.66 ₡745

-45.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$3.00 ₡1,344

2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$4.58 ₡2,055

-4.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.98 ₡887

-39.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$2.90 ₡1,301

-37.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$2.21 ₡990

-33.03%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$2.93 ₡1,312

-3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$9.91 ₡4,446

27.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$9.31 ₡4,173

-42.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$13.64 ₡6,116

-21.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$4.61 ₡2,068

-38.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$1.52 ₡681

19.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$4.23 ₡1,898

-62.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$3.07 ₡1,377

-33.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$3.20 ₡1,437

-54.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$2.63 ₡1,180

-52.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$1.04 ₡466

20.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$2.81 ₡1,258

-65.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$5.08 ₡2,277

-40.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$14.20 ₡6,368

-31.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$2.36 ₡1,058

-22.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$2.56 ₡1,149

-1.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$1.00 ₡449

7.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.81 ₡810

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$1.87 ₡837

-45.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$8.00 ₡3,589

28.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.45 ₡652

-11.03%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$37.2K ₡16.7M

-36.68%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$32.8K ₡14.7M

5.22%

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

$104 R$527

$84.7 ₡38.0K

22.91%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$26.18 ₡11.7K

-36.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$49.65 ₡22.3K

-55.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$50.6 ₡22.7K

-28.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

$23.98 ₡10.8K

97.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$8.87 ₡3,976

9.24%

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

$573 R$2,906

$573 ₡256.9K

0.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$12.6K ₡5.6M

34.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$62.9 ₡28.2K

5.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$51.1 ₡22.9K

19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$127 ₡56.9K

-22.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$107 ₡47.9K

-14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$700 ₡314.1K

-6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$605 ₡271.4K

-30.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$1,462 ₡655.5K

4.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$970 ₡435.0K

2.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

10.17

14.85%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santa Teresa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Santa Teresa

$605 39.1% 44.7% $187

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Santa Teresa

$349 22.6% 43.5% $106

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Santa Teresa

$192 12.4% 19.5% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Santa Teresa

$156 10.1% 9.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Santa Teresa

$160 10.4% 12.5% $18

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Santa Teresa

$15 * 1% 74.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Santa Teresa

$68 4.4% 22.4% $13

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $654 in Sao Paulo versus $700 in Santa Teresa. 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 $43.00 in Santa Teresa. Groceries tell a different story – $243 in Sao Paulo vs $349 in Santa Teresa – so Sao Paulo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇷 Santa Teresa

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

09:36 9:36 AM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

3,099

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Santa Teresa 5,580 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Santa Teresa

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 Santa Teresa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Teresa is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,833 per month in Sao Paulo and $2,319 in Santa Teresa. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Sao Paulo and $43.00 in Santa Teresa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Santa Teresa, 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 $1,222, than in Santa Teresa at $1,546. In Sao Paulo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Teresa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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, Santa Teresa makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.