Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Sint Nicolaas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas: $139 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Sint Nicolaas

🇦🇼 Aruba

$139

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Sint Nicolaas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $139 in Sint Nicolaas.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Sint Nicolaas $139

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $334 in Sint Nicolaas.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Sint Nicolaas $334

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $529 in Sint Nicolaas.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Sint Nicolaas $529

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 797% more expensive than in Sint Nicolaas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 7% lower, Sint Nicolaas 90% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.64

$16.76 AWG 30.00

-46.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$247

$44.87 AWG 80.3

10.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.01

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.70

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

$1.45 R$7.25

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.55

$1.09 AWG 1.95

-16.51%

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

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.17

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.05

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.20

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$62.7

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.81

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.67

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.03

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.74

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.90

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.34

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.20

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.79

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.16

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.07

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.07

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.35

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

$24.3K R$121.4K

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

$34.0K R$169.8K

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

$104 R$519

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

$16.16 R$80.7

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$239

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.19

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

$525 R$2,622

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$334

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$311

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$505

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$454

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,309

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,110

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,622

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,035

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sint Nicolaas: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Sint Nicolaas

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $45.00 in Sint Nicolaas for two.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇦🇼 Sint Nicolaas

🕒 Local time

03:53 3:53 AM

02:53 2:53 AM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

18,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.498 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, 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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.498 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Sint Nicolaas 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Sint Nicolaas

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 Sint Nicolaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sint Nicolaas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 797% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,866 in Sao Paulo and $208 in Sint Nicolaas to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Sint Nicolaas – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,244 per month in Sao Paulo versus $139 in Sint Nicolaas – a 797% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $139 in Sint Nicolaas versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sint Nicolaas but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Sint Nicolaas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sint Nicolaas 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 Sint Nicolaas 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 Sint Nicolaas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 797% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.