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: $1,054 in Sao Paulo versus $891 in Shumen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Sao Paulo versus $1,377 in Shumen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,271 in Sao Paulo versus $1,864 in Shumen.

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 18% more expensive than in Shumen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 21% lower, Shumen 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.27 R$37.18

$9.76 BGN 16.23

-25.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.06 R$200

$29.74 BGN 49.47

31.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 R$36.31

$8.80 BGN 14.64

-19.20%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R$10.60

$1.66 BGN 2.77

24.70%

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

$1.21 R$6.17

$1.36 BGN 2.27

-11.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.35

$0.71 BGN 1.18

19.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 R$10.74

$2.07 BGN 3.44

1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 R$14.77

$2.32 BGN 3.86

24.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.43

$1.69 BGN 2.82

-37.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 R$9.51

$0.88 BGN 1.46

111.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.60

$1.96 BGN 3.25

-34.18%

Eggs

$2.36 R$12.08

$3.18 BGN 5.28

-25.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 R$56.1

$9.45 BGN 15.72

16.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.34 R$22.16

$5.82 BGN 9.69

-25.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R$47.48

$11.59 BGN 19.29

-19.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.44

$1.71 BGN 2.85

65.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.39

$2.12 BGN 3.53

-13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.31

$2.01 BGN 3.34

-18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 R$9.00

$2.28 BGN 3.79

-22.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.05

$1.51 BGN 2.51

-8.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.39

$1.31 BGN 2.18

-4.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 R$5.06

$0.95 BGN 1.58

4.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.73

$0.74 BGN 1.24

-1.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 R$12.67

$3.58 BGN 5.96

-30.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.78 R$50.0

$7.12 BGN 11.84

37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.98

$1.02 BGN 1.70

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 R$12.14

$1.59 BGN 2.65

49.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.80

$0.94 BGN 1.56

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.40 R$227

$26.34 BGN 43.82

68.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.67

$1.27 BGN 2.12

-12.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.65

$0.31 BGN 0.51

129.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.11 R$46.57

$12.84 BGN 21.36

-29.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.37

$1.53 BGN 2.55

-31.37%

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

$22.0K R$112.6K

$32.6K BGN 54.2K

-32.30%

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

$27.9K R$142.8K

$25.1K BGN 41.7K

11.46%

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

$53.8 R$275

$94.9 BGN 158

-43.36%

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

$13.21 R$67.5

$16.33 BGN 27.17

-19.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.27 R$104

$13.65 BGN 22.71

48.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.44 R$150

$39.03 BGN 64.9

-24.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 R$182

$11.87 BGN 19.74

200.08%

Cinema Ticket

$8.16 R$41.71

$7.02 BGN 11.68

16.24%

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

$505 R$2,583

$238 BGN 396

112.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K R$78.0K

$10.6K BGN 17.6K

44.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 R$260

$54.7 BGN 90.9

-6.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.52 R$217

$42.33 BGN 70.4

0.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 R$405

$83.8 BGN 139

-5.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.7 R$371

$71.5 BGN 119

1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,370

$278 BGN 462

137.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 R$2,089

$190 BGN 316

115.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 R$6,579

$495 BGN 823

160.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 R$3,837

$323 BGN 537

132.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,740 R$14.0K

$1,274 BGN 2,120

115.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,983 R$10.1K

$1,015 BGN 1,689

95.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$839 R$4,288

$1,019 BGN 1,696

-17.70%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Shumen: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $278 in Shumen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shumen pays 22% 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 $30.00 in Shumen. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $222, 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 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Shumen. 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: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $278 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 69% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $505 in Sao Paulo versus $238 in Shumen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $891 in Shumen versus $1,054 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 18% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.