Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Sari

For one person, living is cheaper in Sari: $885 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Sari
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Sari Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Sari

🇮🇷 Iran

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $885 in Sari.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Sari $885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,092 in Sari.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Sari $1,092

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,299 in Sari.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Sari $1,299

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 40% more expensive than in Sari, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Sari 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$3.83 $3.83

130.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$11.96 $11.96

312.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$3.90 $3.90

125.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 $0.85

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.29 $1.29

93.02%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.48 $0.48

195.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.56 $0.56

51.79%

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

$0.48 $0.48

158.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.61 $0.61

213.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$3.30 $3.30

-56.67%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.23 $1.23

128.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$4.55 $4.55

180.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$3.39 $3.39

59.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$9.16 $9.16

16.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$1.34 $1.34

105.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.88 $1.88

-3.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.19 $1.19

36.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.64 $0.64

212.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.54 $0.54

159.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.51 $0.51

149.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.54 $0.54

137.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.28 $0.28

239.29%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.78 $0.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$2.44 $2.44

22.54%

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$9.88 $9.88

393.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$0.51 $0.51

262.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$0.31 $0.31

219.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$3.08 $3.08

234.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.08 $0.08

1575.00%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$50.9K $50.9K

-52.04%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$44.8K $44.8K

-24.15%

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

$104 R$529

$12.89 $12.89

710.32%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$1.64 $1.64

918.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$3.78 $3.78

486.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$50.8 $50.8

-29.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$12.17 $12.17

288.50%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$0.97 $0.97

937.11%

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

$579 R$2,936

$50.8 $50.8

1039.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$805 $805

2021.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$26.52 $26.52

147.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$38.07 $38.07

60.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$116 $116

-13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$74.6 $74.6

23.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$799 $799

-17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$504 $504

-15.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$688 $688

120.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$404 $404

153.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$849 $849

226.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$516 $516

289.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$248 $248

266.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

24.79

-52.88%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sari: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Sari

$504 57% 17.8% $76

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Sari

$121 13.7% 50.4% $123

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Sari

$62 7% 61.2% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Sari

$115 13% 20.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Sari

$18 2.1% 87.2% $125

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Sari

$12 * 1.4% 80% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Sari

$53 6% 5.8% $3.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $799 in Sari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 266% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $12.00 in Sari for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $121 per month, with Sari cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇷 Sari

🕒 Local time

19:58 7:58 PM

02:28 2:28 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

300,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Sari 12,370 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Sari

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 Sari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sari is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 266% higher in Sao Paulo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $799 in Sari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sari runs roughly 394% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $579 in Sao Paulo versus $50.8 in Sari. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $885 in Sari versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sari but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Sari the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sari is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Sari are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Sari gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.