Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Tena

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $831 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $831 in Tena.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Tena $831

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,425 in Tena.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Tena $1,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $2,018 in Tena.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Tena $2,018

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 48% more expensive than in Tena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Tena 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$6.03 $6.03

46.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$54.9 $54.9

-10.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$7.61 $7.61

15.64%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$3.39 $3.39

-26.55%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.38 $1.38

2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.10 $1.10

-22.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$3.45 $3.45

-13.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$6.09 $6.09

-28.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.15 $1.15

7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$1.53 $1.53

24.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.56 $1.56

-8.33%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.16 $2.16

30.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$6.41 $6.41

98.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$5.63 $5.63

-3.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$7.77 $7.77

36.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$2.22 $2.22

23.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.18 $1.18

53.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.27 $1.27

28.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.13 $1.13

76.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.19 $1.19

17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.07 $1.07

18.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.92 $0.92

39.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$1.05 $1.05

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$5.87 $5.87

-49.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$9.91 $9.91

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.59 $1.59

16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$3.17 $3.17

-19.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.33 $0.33

230.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$16.94 $16.94

187.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.51 $1.51

22.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$0.76 $0.76

30.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$9.95 $9.95

3.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.80 $0.80

67.50%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

14.79%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$28.5K $28.5K

19.07%

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

$104 R$529

$29.16 $29.16

258.20%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$17.66 $17.66

-5.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$28.72 $28.72

-22.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$32.43 $32.43

10.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$15.44 $15.44

206.22%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$6.45 $6.45

55.97%

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

$579 R$2,936

$226 $226

155.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$8,840 $8,840

93.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$69.8 $69.8

-5.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$50.4 $50.4

21.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$114 $114

-11.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$106 $106

-13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$300 $300

119.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$186 $186

130.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$728 $728

108.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$417 $417

146.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,120 $1,120

147.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$717 $717

179.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

10.12

15.42%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Tena

$186 22.3% 56.7% $243

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Tena

$197 23.8% 19.2% $47

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Tena

$151 18.2% 5.2% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Tena

$153 18.4% 6.5% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Tena

$76 9.1% 47.3% $68

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Tena

$24 2.8% 60.7% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Tena

$45 5.5% 19% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $300 in Tena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $55.0 in Tena. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $197, with Tena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇪🇨 Tena

🕒 Local time

23:41 11:41 PM

21:41 9:41 PM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

16,669

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Tena 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Tena

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 Tena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tena is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,852 in Sao Paulo and $1,247 in Tena 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: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $300 in Tena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Tena runs roughly 188% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $579 in Sao Paulo versus $226 in Tena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $831 in Tena versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tena but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Tena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tena 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 Tena 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 Tena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.