Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Semey

For one person, living is cheaper in Semey: $712 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Semey
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Semey Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Semey

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $712 in Semey.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Semey $712

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,147 in Semey.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Semey $1,147

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,581 in Semey.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Semey $1,581

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 73% more expensive than in Semey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Semey 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$5.00 ₸2,261

76.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$21.88 ₸9,891

125.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$5.48 ₸2,477

60.58%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.69 ₸764

47.34%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.79 ₸357

79.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.48 ₸216

77.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$0.85 ₸384

250.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$1.37 ₸621

216.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.99 ₸449

25.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.37 ₸165

416.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.86 ₸839

-23.12%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.51 ₸681

86.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$5.36 ₸2,424

137.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$3.74 ₸1,691

44.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$5.28 ₸2,388

101.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$1.21 ₸547

127.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.73 ₸782

4.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.82 ₸821

-10.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.67 ₸756

19.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.42 ₸189

233.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.56 ₸255

126.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.32 ₸595

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.99 ₸445

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$2.51 ₸1,134

19.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$7.13 ₸3,221

39.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.37 ₸617

35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.20 ₸993

15.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.23 ₸104

373.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$17.26 ₸7,802

182.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.30 ₸588

42.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.15 ₸519

-13.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$6.52 ₸2,949

57.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.68 ₸305

97.06%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$25.4K ₸11.5M

-3.70%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$25.9K ₸11.7M

31.20%

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

$104 R$529

$32.84 ₸14.8K

218.06%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$9.06 ₸4,095

84.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$19.03 ₸8,604

16.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$42.09 ₸19.0K

-14.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$10.97 ₸4,959

330.99%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$4.55 ₸2,058

121.10%

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

$579 R$2,936

$135 ₸61.1K

328.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$4,484 ₸2.0M

280.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$28.65 ₸13.0K

129.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$25.32 ₸11.4K

141.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$98.0 ₸44.3K

2.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$74.0 ₸33.5K

24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$340 ₸153.6K

93.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$230 ₸103.8K

86.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$615 ₸278.1K

146.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$487 ₸220.1K

110.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,094 ₸494.4K

153.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$869 ₸392.9K

130.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

19.25

-39.32%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Semey: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Semey

$230 32.3% 46.3% $198

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Semey

$155 21.7% 36.7% $90

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Semey

$89 12.5% 44.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Semey

$102 14.3% 29.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Semey

$61 8.6% 57.5% $82

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Semey

$25 3.5% 57.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Semey

$51 7.2% 8.5% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $340 in Semey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $22.00 in Semey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $155 per month, with Semey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇰🇿 Semey

🕒 Local time

07:19 7:19 AM

16:19 4:19 PM

9 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

310,456

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, 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).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Semey 14,590 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Semey

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 Semey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Semey is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,852 in Sao Paulo and $1,068 in Semey to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $340 in Semey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Semey runs roughly 183% 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 $135 in Semey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $712 in Semey versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Semey but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Semey the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Semey 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.

Expats usually find Semey gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.