Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $551 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Shiraz
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Shiraz Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Shiraz

🇮🇷 Iran

$551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $551 in Shiraz.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Shiraz $551

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $810 in Shiraz.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Shiraz $810

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $1,069 in Shiraz.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Shiraz $1,069

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 126% more expensive than in Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 7% lower, Shiraz 59% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.64

$4.62 $4.62

93.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$247

$13.16 $13.16

275.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.01

$3.92 $3.92

135.20%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 $1.03

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.70

$1.17 $1.17

117.09%

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

$1.45 R$7.25

$0.66 $0.66

119.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.75

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.32

$0.67 $0.67

89.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.17

$0.41 $0.41

348.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.05

$1.90 $1.90

-25.79%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.20

$1.22 $1.22

132.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$62.7

$2.35 $2.35

434.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.81

$2.95 $2.95

82.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

$9.81 $9.81

9.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.67

$1.12 $1.12

144.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.03

$1.54 $1.54

17.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.74

$0.89 $0.89

74.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.90

$0.55 $0.55

260.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.34

$0.55 $0.55

167.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.20

$0.55 $0.55

125.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.35

$0.51 $0.51

149.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.79

$0.17 $0.17

464.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.87 $0.87

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.16

$3.04 $3.04

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$50.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.64

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.19

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.18

$0.11 $0.11

845.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

$3.09 $3.09

1456.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.07

$0.38 $0.38

378.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.07

$0.21 $0.21

385.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.7

$3.44 $3.44

195.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.35

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

$24.3K R$121.4K

$66.0K $66.0K

-63.13%

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

$34.0K R$169.8K

$53.1K $53.1K

-35.98%

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

$104 R$519

$23.64 $23.64

339.68%

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

$16.16 R$80.7

$2.06 $2.06

684.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$17.07 $17.07

32.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

$18.96 $18.96

91.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$239

$13.51 $13.51

253.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.19

$1.98 $1.98

397.47%

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

$525 R$2,622

$104 $104

405.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.8K

$2,421 $2,421

584.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$334

$22.81 $22.81

193.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$311

$18.49 $18.49

236.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$505

$95.2 $95.2

6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$454

$56.0 $56.0

62.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,309

$291 $291

128.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,110

$217 $217

95.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,622

$537 $537

184.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,035

$321 $321

214.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

$1,164 $1,164

135.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

$503 $503

311.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,396

$243 $243

263.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

24.3

-51.93%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Shiraz

$217 40% 48.7% $206

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Shiraz

$103 18.9% 57.8% $141

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Shiraz

$65 * 12.1% 59.9% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Shiraz

$87 16% 40% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Shiraz

$43 7.9% 70% $100

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Shiraz

$5 0.9% 91.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Shiraz

$23 4.2% 59% $33

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 $663 in Sao Paulo and $291 in Shiraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 263% 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 $13.00 in Shiraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $103 per month, with Shiraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇷 Shiraz

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

15:59 3:59 PM

6 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

1,565,572

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Shiraz 12,110 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Shiraz

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 Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shiraz is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 263% 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: $663 in Sao Paulo versus $291 in Shiraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shiraz runs roughly 1457% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $525 in Sao Paulo versus $104 in Shiraz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $551 in Shiraz versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiraz but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Shiraz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shiraz 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 Shiraz 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 Shiraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.