Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Tehran

For one person, living is cheaper in Tehran: $625 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Tehran
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Tehran Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Tehran

🇮🇷 Iran

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $625 in Tehran.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Tehran $625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $1,071 in Tehran.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Tehran $1,071

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $1,516 in Tehran.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Tehran $1,516

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 99% more expensive than in Tehran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 7% lower, Tehran 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.87

$3.66 $3.66

144.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$248

$17.96 $17.96

175.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.25

$3.96 $3.96

132.83%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.69 $0.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.77

$1.39 $1.39

82.73%

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

$1.45 R$7.29

$0.49 $0.49

195.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.57

$1.65 $1.65

-44.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.39

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.87

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.36

$0.70 $0.70

81.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.22

$0.62 $0.62

196.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.08

$3.48 $3.48

-59.48%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.27

$1.23 $1.23

130.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$63.0

$4.29 $4.29

192.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.95

$3.45 $3.45

55.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.8

$10.40 $10.40

3.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.74

$1.40 $1.40

95.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.08

$1.87 $1.87

-3.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.78

$1.20 $1.20

29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.95

$0.67 $0.67

195.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.38

$0.54 $0.54

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.23

$0.47 $0.47

163.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.38

$0.58 $0.58

118.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.82

$0.28 $0.28

242.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.24

$2.56 $2.56

18.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$51.1

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.69

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.26

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.20

$0.11 $0.11

845.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$241

$5.46 $5.46

780.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.12

$0.52 $0.52

250.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.10

$0.29 $0.29

251.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$51.0

$3.02 $3.02

236.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.38

$0.10 $0.10

1170.00%

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

$24.3K R$122.0K

$50.0K $50.0K

-51.39%

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

$34.0K R$170.6K

$44.5K $44.5K

-23.62%

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

$104 R$522

$12.91 $12.91

705.11%

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

$16.16 R$81.1

$1.64 $1.64

885.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$3.79 $3.79

496.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$182

$24.40 $24.40

48.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$240

$13.24 $13.24

260.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.45

$1.96 $1.96

402.55%

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

$525 R$2,635

$106 $106

393.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$83.2K

$2,548 $2,548

550.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$336

$26.42 $26.42

153.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$312

$37.23 $37.23

67.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$507

$117 $117

-13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$456

$75.0 $75.0

21.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,326

$420 $420

57.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,121

$267 $267

58.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,662

$941 $941

62.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,061

$637 $637

58.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.8K

$1,238 $1,238

121.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.4K

$708 $708

192.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,419

$211 $211

317.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

24.79

-52.88%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Tehran: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Tehran

$267 42.4% 36.8% $155

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Tehran

$128 20.3% 47.4% $115

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Tehran

$66 10.5% 59.3% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Tehran

$115 18.2% 20.5% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Tehran

$18 2.9% 87.1% $124

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Tehran

$7.9 1.3% 86.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Tehran

$28 4.5% 49.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Sao Paulo and $420 in Tehran. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 318% 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 $18.00 in Tehran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $128 per month, with Tehran cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇷 Tehran

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

09:53 9:53 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

8,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 10, 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 Tehran 12,200 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Tehran

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 Tehran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tehran is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 318% higher in Sao Paulo, 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: $663 in Sao Paulo versus $420 in Tehran. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tehran runs roughly 781% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $525 in Sao Paulo versus $106 in Tehran. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $625 in Tehran versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tehran but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Tehran the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tehran 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.

Expats usually find Tehran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.