Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Sur

For one person, living is cheaper in Sur: $1,151 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sao Paulo outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Sao Paulo
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,235
/mo nomad
Sur
🇴🇲 Oman
$1,151
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $1,151 in Sur.

  • Sao Paulo $1,235
  • Sur $1,151

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,657 in Sur.

  • Sao Paulo $2,073
  • Sur $1,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $2,163 in Sur.

  • Sao Paulo $2,911
  • Sur $2,163

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 7% more expensive than in Sur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Sur 15% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sao Paulo
Sur
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.81 R$44.68
$3.99 OMR 1.54
120.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.37 R$250
$26.52 OMR 10.21
86.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.80 R$44.63
$7.60 OMR 2.93
15.79%
Cappuccino
$2.49 R$12.63
$4.98 OMR 1.92
-50.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 R$7.19
$0.74 OMR 0.29
91.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.85 R$4.31
$0.25 OMR 0.10
240.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.98 R$15.11
$12.86 OMR 4.95
-76.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 R$22.02
$13.11 OMR 5.05
-66.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
Sur
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 R$6.28
$1.59 OMR 0.61
-22.01%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 R$9.66
$1.24 OMR 0.48
54.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.43 R$7.25
$1.74 OMR 0.67
-17.82%
Eggs
$2.81 R$14.23
$1.96 OMR 0.75
43.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.74 R$64.6
$7.43 OMR 2.86
71.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.41 R$27.44
$6.90 OMR 2.66
-21.59%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.64 R$54.0
$8.96 OMR 3.45
18.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.75 R$13.95
$2.31 OMR 0.89
19.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 R$9.19
$1.34 OMR 0.52
35.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.63 R$8.27
$1.07 OMR 0.41
52.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 R$10.16
$0.80 OMR 0.31
150.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 R$7.10
$0.76 OMR 0.29
84.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 R$6.43
$0.53 OMR 0.20
139.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 R$6.47
$1.52 OMR 0.59
-15.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95 R$4.83
$0.54 OMR 0.21
75.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.99 R$15.15
$6.39 OMR 2.46
-53.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.96 R$50.5
$15.37 OMR 5.92
-35.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.85 R$9.37
$5.90 OMR 2.27
-68.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 R$12.90
$10.29 OMR 3.96
-75.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Sao Paulo
Sur
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.09 R$5.50
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.78 R$247
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.85 R$9.39
$3.34 OMR 1.29
-44.61%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.99 R$4.99
$2.63 OMR 1.01
-62.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.29 R$52.2
$7.60 OMR 2.93
35.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 R$6.78
$0.57 OMR 0.22
135.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K R$123.8K
$25.2K OMR 9,710
-3.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.9K R$172.1K
$22.3K OMR 8,603
51.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
Sur
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$104 R$529
$80.7 OMR 31.07
29.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.71 R$84.7
$23.85 OMR 9.18
-29.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.18 R$112
$69.6 OMR 26.81
-68.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
Sur
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.82 R$182
$84.9 OMR 32.70
-57.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$47.28 R$240
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.06 R$51.0
$10.47 OMR 4.03
-3.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sao Paulo
Sur
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$579 R$2,936
$285 OMR 110
103.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.1K R$86.6K
$6,440 OMR 2,479
165.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
Sur
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.7 R$333
$56.3 OMR 21.67
16.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.0 R$309
$42.84 OMR 16.49
42.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 R$509
$89.5 OMR 34.47
12.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.1 R$467
$86.4 OMR 33.26
6.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
Sur
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$659 R$3,341
$263 OMR 101
150.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$428 R$2,170
$271 OMR 104
58.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,515 R$7,678
$473 OMR 182
220.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,026 R$5,201
$387 OMR 149
165.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,773 R$14.1K
$562 OMR 217
393.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,007 R$10.2K
$529 OMR 204
279.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sao Paulo
Sur
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$909 R$4,609
$2,638 OMR 1,015
-65.53%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.68
5.25
122.48%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sur: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sao Paulo
$428
Sur
$271 36.8% $157
Groceries & Markets
Sao Paulo
$244
Sur
$251 2.9% $7
Eating Out
Sao Paulo
$159
Sur
$209 31.1% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Sao Paulo
$144
Sur
$124 13.8% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Paulo
$143
Sur
$174 21.5% $31
Getting Around
Sao Paulo
$60
Sur
$16 * 72.5% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Sao Paulo
$56
Sur
$106 89.3% $50

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 $659 in Sao Paulo and $263 in Sur. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sur pays 190% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $27.00 in Sur. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $251, with Sao Paulo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Sao Paulo
🇴🇲 Sur
🕒 Local time
06:12 6:12 AM
13:12 1:12 PM
7 h ahead of Sao Paulo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,451,999
120,000
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

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).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sao Paulo Sur 12,550 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sao Paulo
  • Sur

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 Sur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sur cheaper than Sao Paulo?
Sur is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and transport. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Sao Paulo or Sur?
On paper, salaries run 190% lower in Sur. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Sao Paulo and Sur?
Rent for a central apartment: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $263 in Sur. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $579 in Sao Paulo versus $285 in Sur. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Sao Paulo or in Sur?
Dining out is cheaper in Sur – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Sao Paulo or in Sur?
At $1,151 in Sur versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sur but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Sur the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Sao Paulo or Sur more family-friendly?
For families, Sur 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.
Which city is safer, Sao Paulo or Sur?
Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Sur are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Sur gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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