Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Sioux City, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $2,192 in Sioux City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Sioux City, IA
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Sioux City, IA Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Sioux City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Sioux City, IA

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 Sioux City, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $2,192 in Sioux City, IA.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Sioux City, IA $2,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $3,334 in Sioux City, IA.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Sioux City, IA $3,334

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $4,477 in Sioux City, IA.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Sioux City, IA $4,477

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 43% less than in Sioux City, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 7% below, Sioux City, IA is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.51

$20.27 $20.27

-55.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$246

$54.2 $54.2

-8.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$45.87

$10.45 $10.45

-11.77%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.67

$6.02 $6.02

-57.81%

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

$1.45 R$7.23

$2.15 $2.15

-32.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.54

$1.77 $1.77

-48.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.26

$4.98 $4.98

-38.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.69

$5.90 $5.90

-26.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.31

$0.88 $0.88

44.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.14

$2.97 $2.97

-38.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.03

$3.23 $3.23

-56.35%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.16

$3.52 $3.52

-19.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$62.5

$8.35 $8.35

50.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.73

$7.58 $7.58

-29.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.4

$16.89 $16.89

-36.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.63

$4.80 $4.80

-42.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.00

$1.58 $1.58

14.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.72

$4.21 $4.21

-63.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.87

$3.95 $3.95

-49.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.32

$1.88 $1.88

-21.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.18

$4.78 $4.78

-74.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.33

$2.32 $2.32

-45.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.78

$2.17 $2.17

-55.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.12

$9.13 $9.13

-66.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$50.7

$15.11 $15.11

-32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.62

$1.68 $1.68

2.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.16

$2.96 $2.96

-10.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.16

$1.85 $1.85

-43.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$239

$47.11 $47.11

2.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.05

$1.99 $1.99

-8.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.06

$1.26 $1.26

-19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$50.6

$20.21 $20.21

-49.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.33

$0.87 $0.87

45.98%

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

$24.3K R$121.1K

$36.3K $36.3K

-32.92%

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

$34.0K R$169.3K

$24.9K $24.9K

36.83%

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

$104 R$517

$165 $165

-37.00%

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

$16.16 R$80.4

$52.4 $52.4

-69.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$112

$68.9 $68.9

-67.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$181

$98.8 $98.8

-63.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$238

$20.20 $20.20

136.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.04

$15.17 $15.17

-35.07%

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

$525 R$2,614

$1,089 $1,089

-51.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$82.5K

$11.8K $11.8K

40.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$333

$43.23 $43.23

54.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$310

$21.84 $21.84

185.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$503

$76.7 $76.7

31.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$452

$88.8 $88.8

2.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,299

$947 $947

-30.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,104

$945 $945

-55.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,600

$1,480 $1,480

3.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,020

$1,690 $1,690

-40.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.7K

$1,540 $1,540

78.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.3K

$1,535 $1,535

34.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,383

$3,593 $3,593

-75.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.57

77.78%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sioux City, IA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Sioux City, IA

$945 43.2% 124% $522

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Sioux City, IA

$344 15.7% 41.6% $101

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Sioux City, IA

$318 14.5% 94.9% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Sioux City, IA

$104 4.7% 28.2% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Sioux City, IA

$286 13.1% 101% $144

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Sioux City, IA

$63 2.9% 6.1% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Sioux City, IA

$129 5.9% 131% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Sao Paulo and $947 in Sioux City, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sioux City, IA pays 308% 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 $54.0 in Sioux City, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $344 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇺🇸 Sioux City, IA

🕒 Local time

04:43 4:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

85,797

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.201 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 4.98 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.58 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 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 Sioux City, IA 8,940 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Sioux City, IA

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 Sioux City, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 308% lower in Sioux City, IA. 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: $663 in Sao Paulo versus $947 in Sioux City, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 2% less than in Sioux City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $525 in Sao Paulo versus $1,089 in Sioux City, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $2,192 in Sioux City, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Sioux City, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Paulo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sioux City, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 76% less than in Sioux City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.