Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Tbilisi Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Tbilisi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,060 in Sao Paulo versus $1,218 in Tbilisi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,663 in Sao Paulo versus $1,854 in Tbilisi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,266 in Sao Paulo versus $2,491 in Tbilisi.

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 13% less than in Tbilisi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 21% lower, Tbilisi 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.17 R$35.68

$10.78 ₾29.00

-33.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.10 R$200

$43.10 ₾116

-6.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.28 R$36.24

$8.27 ₾22.24

-11.97%

Cappuccino

$2.11 R$10.52

$2.95 ₾7.94

-28.47%

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

$1.24 R$6.18

$0.76 ₾2.05

63.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.13

$0.42 ₾1.13

97.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 R$10.82

$2.24 ₾6.03

-3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 R$14.50

$2.87 ₾7.71

1.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.30

$1.93 ₾5.19

-45.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 R$9.20

$0.68 ₾1.84

172.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.75

$1.85 ₾4.97

-26.49%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.13

$2.49 ₾6.69

-2.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.05 R$55.0

$7.54 ₾20.27

46.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 R$20.75

$6.35 ₾17.09

-34.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 R$45.90

$9.43 ₾25.38

-2.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 R$13.80

$1.18 ₾3.16

134.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 R$9.42

$1.58 ₾4.26

19.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 R$8.38

$1.86 ₾5.00

-9.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 R$9.20

$2.24 ₾6.03

-17.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$6.96

$0.66 ₾1.79

112.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.38

$0.68 ₾1.83

88.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 R$5.05

$1.18 ₾3.17

-13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.43

$0.66 ₾1.77

4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.59 R$12.92

$3.07 ₾8.25

-15.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 R$50.7

$7.56 ₾20.34

34.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R$6.72

$1.52 ₾4.08

-11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 R$11.70

$2.29 ₾6.15

2.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 R$4.55

$0.35 ₾0.95

160.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.34 R$221

$14.79 ₾39.78

199.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.30

$1.45 ₾3.90

-26.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R$3.70

$0.73 ₾1.97

1.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.39 R$46.77

$7.35 ₾19.78

27.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.29

$1.09 ₾2.93

-2.75%

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

$21.3K R$105.9K

$18.4K ₾49.5K

15.47%

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

$28.4K R$141.5K

$20.3K ₾54.5K

40.15%

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

$55.7 R$277

$73.3 ₾197

-24.05%

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

$13.39 R$66.7

$11.72 ₾31.53

14.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.49 R$102

$17.87 ₾48.08

14.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 R$146

$61.2 ₾165

-52.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.80 R$173

$16.34 ₾43.94

112.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.91 R$39.40

$6.59 ₾17.73

20.03%

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

$499 R$2,487

$261 ₾702

91.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K R$77.1K

$5,156 ₾13.9K

200.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 R$253

$76.1 ₾205

-33.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.45 R$211

$43.83 ₾118

-3.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$396

$121 ₾325

-34.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.1 R$359

$113 ₾304

-36.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 R$3,349

$696 ₾1,873

-3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 R$2,050

$456 ₾1,226

-9.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 R$6,313

$1,301 ₾3,500

-2.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$747 R$3,719

$768 ₾2,067

-2.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,895 R$14.4K

$2,500 ₾6,725

15.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,164 R$10.8K

$1,432 ₾3,853

51.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$893 R$4,449

$653 ₾1,756

36.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.56

11.89

-2.78%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: April 14, 2026

Last update for Tbilisi: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $673 in Sao Paulo and $696 in Tbilisi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40 in Sao Paulo vs $43 in Tbilisi. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $203, with Tbilisi cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tbilisi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Sao Paulo pays 37% more on average, 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: $673 in Sao Paulo versus $696 in Tbilisi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 200% less than in Tbilisi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $499 in Sao Paulo versus $261 in Tbilisi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,060 in Sao Paulo versus $1,218 in Tbilisi, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Tbilisi. 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 Tbilisi, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Sao Paulo and Tbilisi 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 Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Tbilisi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.