Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Skardu

For one person, living is cheaper in Skardu: $426 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Skardu
Learn more

Skardu Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Skardu

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $426 in Skardu.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Skardu $426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Sao Paulo versus $636 in Skardu.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Skardu $636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Sao Paulo versus $847 in Skardu.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Skardu $847

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 187% more expensive than in Skardu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 10% lower, Skardu 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$1.84 PKR 509

373.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$11.31 PKR 3,132

329.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$4.65 PKR 1,286

94.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 PKR 753

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 PKR 1,415

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$1.68 PKR 464

51.79%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$0.31 PKR 84.5

335.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.18 PKR 50.3

405.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$0.86 PKR 238

38.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$0.59 PKR 164

205.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.16 PKR 320

27.59%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$1.20 PKR 333

135.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$5.40 PKR 1,494

133.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$2.50 PKR 691

116.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$5.02 PKR 1,389

114.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$1.10 PKR 305

156.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$0.54 PKR 149

237.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$0.79 PKR 220

102.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$0.55 PKR 153

269.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$0.28 PKR 76.3

421.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$0.35 PKR 97.5

257.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$0.46 PKR 127

171.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$0.38 PKR 104

157.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.59 PKR 441

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 PKR 295

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 PKR 563

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$2.10 PKR 580

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$0.16 PKR 45.37

568.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

$9.06 PKR 2,509

421.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.24 PKR 343

45.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$0.71 PKR 196

42.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$1.83 PKR 506

459.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.18 PKR 327

9.32%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$19.1K PKR 5.3M

23.48%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

31.61%

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

$104 R$527

$87.8 PKR 24.3K

18.47%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$3.60 PKR 996

361.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$13.36 PKR 3,697

64.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$15.33 PKR 4,243

137.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

$7.98 PKR 2,208

492.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$4.88 PKR 1,351

98.57%

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

$573 R$2,906

$47.71 PKR 13.2K

1101.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$1,082 PKR 299.5K

1464.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$19.16 PKR 5,304

245.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$24.54 PKR 6,793

149.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$59.7 PKR 16.5K

65.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$34.15 PKR 9,451

167.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$128 PKR 35.4K

412.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$78.3 PKR 21.7K

434.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$250 PKR 69.3K

508.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$139 PKR 38.4K

614.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$1,070 PKR 296.0K

149.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

$494 PKR 136.8K

308.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

-10.15%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Skardu: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Skardu

$78 18.4% 81.3% $340

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Skardu

$90 21.2% 62.9% $153

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Skardu

$51 11.9% 68.4% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Skardu

$62 14.5% 56.7% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Skardu

$105 24.6% 26.6% $38

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Skardu

$15 3.4% 75.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Skardu

$25 5.9% 55% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Sao Paulo and $128 in Skardu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $11.00 in Skardu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $90.0 per month, with Skardu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇵🇰 Skardu

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

03:15 3:15 AM

8 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

260,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Skardu 14,350 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Skardu

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 Skardu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skardu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 187% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,833 in Sao Paulo and $638 in Skardu 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $654 in Sao Paulo versus $128 in Skardu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Skardu runs roughly 422% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $573 in Sao Paulo versus $47.71 in Skardu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $426 in Skardu versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skardu but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Skardu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Skardu 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 Skardu 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 Skardu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.