Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Shumen Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Shumen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,056 in Sao Paulo versus $873 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,681 in Sao Paulo versus $1,369 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,307 in Sao Paulo versus $1,866 in Shumen.

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 21% more expensive than Shumen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 21% lower, Shumen 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.36 R$36.83

$9.58 BGN 15.94

-23.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.91 R$195

$29.12 BGN 48.45

33.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 R$36.40

$9.01 BGN 14.98

-19.31%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$10.53

$1.70 BGN 2.83

23.53%

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

$1.21 R$6.05

$1.33 BGN 2.21

-9.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.14

$0.65 BGN 1.08

27.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 R$10.92

$2.07 BGN 3.44

5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$14.78

$2.27 BGN 3.78

29.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.30

$1.62 BGN 2.70

-34.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 R$8.81

$0.90 BGN 1.50

95.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.60

$1.97 BGN 3.28

-32.99%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.22

$3.11 BGN 5.18

-21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 R$56.4

$9.30 BGN 15.47

21.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 R$21.98

$5.58 BGN 9.29

-21.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$45.91

$11.47 BGN 19.08

-20.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 R$13.55

$1.70 BGN 2.83

59.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 R$9.60

$2.07 BGN 3.45

-7.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R$8.43

$1.99 BGN 3.31

-15.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.88

$2.27 BGN 3.77

-21.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.20

$1.50 BGN 2.49

-4.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.54

$1.31 BGN 2.18

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 R$5.06

$0.91 BGN 1.52

10.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.71

$0.81 BGN 1.34

-8.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 R$12.46

$3.65 BGN 6.07

-31.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 R$51.1

$7.30 BGN 12.14

39.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R$6.54

$1.02 BGN 1.70

28.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.00

$1.62 BGN 2.70

48.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 R$4.32

$0.88 BGN 1.47

-2.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.69 R$229

$26.63 BGN 44.31

71.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.32

$1.22 BGN 2.03

-13.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.79

$0.33 BGN 0.55

130.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.23 R$46.18

$13.14 BGN 21.86

-29.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.51

$1.49 BGN 2.48

-26.17%

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

$21.9K R$109.6K

$32.2K BGN 53.6K

-32.04%

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

$28.0K R$140.0K

$25.9K BGN 43.2K

7.81%

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

$54.6 R$273

$95.3 BGN 158

-42.68%

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

$13.23 R$66.2

$16.45 BGN 27.36

-19.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.26 R$101

$14.04 BGN 23.36

44.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.69 R$149

$39.97 BGN 66.5

-25.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.42 R$177

$11.66 BGN 19.40

203.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.02 R$40.14

$7.25 BGN 12.06

10.62%

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

$504 R$2,522

$232 BGN 386

117.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K R$75.9K

$10.6K BGN 17.6K

43.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.2 R$256

$54.9 BGN 91.4

-6.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.64 R$213

$42.37 BGN 70.5

0.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 R$393

$80.7 BGN 134

-2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.2 R$366

$72.0 BGN 120

1.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 R$3,286

$281 BGN 468

133.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 R$2,056

$189 BGN 314

117.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 R$6,325

$502 BGN 835

151.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 R$3,795

$331 BGN 550

129.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 R$14.0K

$1,308 BGN 2,176

113.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,036 R$10.2K

$1,031 BGN 1,716

97.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$855 R$4,278

$1,056 BGN 1,756

-19.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

4.57

152.95%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Shumen: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Sao Paulo and $281 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shumen pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Sao Paulo vs $29.00 in Shumen. Groceries flip the comparison at $219 vs $219, with Sao Paulo cheaper for home cooking.

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 Shumen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shumen is cheaper overall, especially in Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Shumen earns 24% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $657 in Sao Paulo versus $281 in Shumen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Shumen runs roughly 72% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $504 in Sao Paulo versus $232 in Shumen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $873 in Shumen versus $1,056 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shumen but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Shumen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shumen 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 Shumen 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 Shumen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.