Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Shymkent

For one person, living is cheaper in Shymkent: $809 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Shymkent
Learn more

Shymkent Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Shymkent

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$809

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $809 in Shymkent.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Shymkent $809

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $1,366 in Shymkent.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Shymkent $1,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $1,924 in Shymkent.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Shymkent $1,924

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 54% more expensive than in Shymkent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 7% lower, Shymkent 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.87

$11.06 ₸4,979

-19.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$248

$33.96 ₸15.3K

45.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.25

$6.48 ₸2,915

42.28%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.77

$2.50 ₸1,125

1.60%

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

$1.45 R$7.29

$1.08 ₸486

34.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.57

$0.50 ₸227

82.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.39

$1.06 ₸478

189.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.87

$1.30 ₸583

235.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.36

$1.45 ₸654

-12.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.22

$0.44 ₸198

318.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.08

$1.75 ₸787

-19.43%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.27

$1.65 ₸743

72.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$63.0

$10.07 ₸4,535

24.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.95

$5.11 ₸2,300

5.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.8

$8.41 ₸3,787

27.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.74

$1.19 ₸537

130.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.08

$2.17 ₸978

-16.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.78

$2.45 ₸1,101

-36.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.95

$1.35 ₸608

46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.38

$0.51 ₸229

188.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.23

$0.40 ₸181

210.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.38

$0.92 ₸416

38.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.82

$0.79 ₸355

21.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.24

$2.42 ₸1,091

25.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$51.1

$4.40 ₸1,981

131.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.69

$1.06 ₸479

63.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.26

$1.51 ₸682

74.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.20

$0.15 ₸68.0

593.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$241

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.12

$0.83 ₸375

119.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.10

$0.36 ₸163

183.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$51.0

$9.79 ₸4,408

3.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.38

$0.60 ₸271

111.67%

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

$24.3K R$122.0K

$27.8K ₸12.5M

-12.46%

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

$34.0K R$170.6K

$29.1K ₸13.1M

17.04%

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

$104 R$522

$47.16 ₸21.2K

120.40%

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

$16.16 R$81.1

$9.06 ₸4,078

78.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$15.10 ₸6,799

49.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$182

$38.81 ₸17.5K

-6.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$240

$8.55 ₸3,849

458.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.45

$5.63 ₸2,533

74.96%

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

$525 R$2,635

$56.9 ₸25.6K

822.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$83.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$336

$35.94 ₸16.2K

86.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$312

$33.11 ₸14.9K

88.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$507

$181 ₸81.6K

-44.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$456

$51.4 ₸23.1K

76.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,326

$333 ₸149.8K

99.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,121

$197 ₸88.8K

114.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,662

$693 ₸311.9K

120.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,061

$556 ₸250.3K

81.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.8K

$1,109 ₸499.1K

147.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.4K

$975 ₸439.0K

112.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,419

$437 ₸196.9K

101.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

18.25

-36.00%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Shymkent

$197 24.9% 53.3% $225

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Shymkent

$182 23% 25.3% $62

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Shymkent

$152 19.2% 6.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Shymkent

$136 17.2% 6.1% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Shymkent

$71 9% 50% $71

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Shymkent

$3.3 * 0.4% 94.5% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Shymkent

$50 6.3% 10.6% $5.9

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 $333 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 101% 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 $34.00 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $182 per month, with Shymkent cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇰🇿 Shymkent

🕒 Local time

02:47 2:47 AM

11:47 11:47 AM

9 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

1,222,055

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.98 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Shymkent 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Shymkent

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 Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shymkent is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 101% 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 $333 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $525 in Sao Paulo versus $56.9 in Shymkent. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shymkent – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $809 in Shymkent versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Shymkent 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 Shymkent 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 Shymkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.