Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Sete Lagoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Sete Lagoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,204 in Sao Paulo versus $657 in Sete Lagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,001 in Sao Paulo versus $1,019 in Sete Lagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,798 in Sao Paulo versus $1,381 in Sete Lagoas.

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 83% more expensive than in Sete Lagoas, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 13% lower, Sete Lagoas 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.04 R$46.33

$5.64 R$28.90

60.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.25 R$247

$22.13 R$113

118.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 R$45.42

$5.25 R$26.93

68.76%

Cappuccino

$2.56 R$13.13

$0.57 R$2.90

349.12%

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

$1.36 R$6.99

$0.97 R$4.99

40.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.41

$0.60 R$3.07

43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 R$15.32

$1.19 R$6.11

151.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.48

$1.87 R$9.57

134.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.89

$0.91 R$4.66

26.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.40

$0.69 R$3.52

165.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.94

$1.38 R$7.10

-2.17%

Eggs

$2.78 R$14.23

$1.72 R$8.81

61.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 R$61.6

$5.71 R$29.30

110.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.08 R$26.05

$2.84 R$14.56

78.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 R$54.7

$7.57 R$38.81

40.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 R$13.56

$0.98 R$5.02

169.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.86

$1.14 R$5.85

51.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.11

$0.56 R$2.86

182.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.17

$1.00 R$5.14

79.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.76

$0.64 R$3.27

106.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.31

$0.55 R$2.84

123.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 R$6.03

$0.50 R$2.57

136.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R$4.69

$0.52 R$2.65

76.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.41

$1.56 R$7.99

92.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 R$50.9

$5.96 R$30.56

66.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 R$8.63

$0.56 R$2.87

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 R$13.86

$1.00 R$5.12

170.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.18

$0.92 R$4.72

9.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.53 R$239

$42.14 R$216

10.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 R$8.84

$0.41 R$2.08

319.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.18

$0.30 R$1.55

236.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$52.5

$7.83 R$40.15

30.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.23

$0.97 R$4.97

25.77%

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

$23.3K R$119.3K

$13.6K R$69.8K

70.79%

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

$33.4K R$171.4K

$23.4K R$120.1K

42.71%

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

$98.9 R$507

$48.50 R$249

103.92%

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

$15.59 R$79.9

$9.88 R$50.7

57.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.77 R$112

$18.47 R$94.7

17.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.34 R$176

$24.81 R$127

38.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.18 R$226

$26.87 R$138

64.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 R$51.3

$3.92 R$20.10

155.10%

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

$510 R$2,616

$115 R$592

342.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K R$81.1K

$2,502 R$12.8K

532.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 R$335

$9.54 R$48.91

584.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 R$319

$9.57 R$49.03

550.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.4 R$494

$38.98 R$200

147.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.3 R$443

$38.33 R$197

125.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$668 R$3,425

$346 R$1,773

93.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 R$2,098

$229 R$1,171

79.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 R$7,461

$652 R$3,341

123.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 R$4,774

$451 R$2,313

106.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,879 R$14.8K

$1,625 R$8,331

77.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,031 R$10.4K

$1,150 R$5,897

76.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$882 R$4,520

$430 R$2,206

104.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.04

10.67

12.84%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: September 6, 2026

Last update for Sete Lagoas: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $668 in Sao Paulo and $346 in Sete Lagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 105% 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: $48.00 in Sao Paulo vs $22.00 in Sete Lagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $235 vs $129 per month, with Sete Lagoas cheaper across the board.

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 Sete Lagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sete Lagoas is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 105% 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: $668 in Sao Paulo versus $346 in Sete Lagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sete Lagoas runs roughly 10% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $510 in Sao Paulo versus $115 in Sete Lagoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $657 in Sete Lagoas versus $1,204 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sete Lagoas but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Sete Lagoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sete Lagoas 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 Sete Lagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.