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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,186 in Sao Paulo versus $749 in Teresina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,958 in Sao Paulo versus $1,208 in Teresina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,730 in Sao Paulo versus $1,667 in Teresina.

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 58% more expensive than in Teresina, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 13% lower, Teresina 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.62 R$44.42

$5.93 R$30.56

45.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.80 R$246

$19.55 R$101

144.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.51 R$43.83

$6.00 R$30.91

41.83%

Cappuccino

$2.50 R$12.87

$2.08 R$10.70

20.19%

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

$1.37 R$7.08

$1.05 R$5.43

30.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.14

$0.76 R$3.92

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.84 R$14.65

$1.55 R$7.99

83.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 R$22.49

$3.01 R$15.50

45.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.18

$1.40 R$7.22

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 R$9.35

$2.22 R$11.46

-18.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.15

$1.42 R$7.34

-2.11%

Eggs

$2.70 R$13.92

$4.29 R$22.10

-37.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 R$59.9

$7.58 R$39.07

53.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 R$27.02

$4.09 R$21.06

28.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.61 R$54.7

$6.56 R$33.80

61.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 R$13.98

$1.93 R$9.95

40.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$8.81

$0.88 R$4.53

94.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.06

$0.88 R$4.54

77.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.42

$1.29 R$6.63

41.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 R$7.02

$1.08 R$5.58

25.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.35

$0.88 R$4.55

39.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 R$6.07

$0.50 R$2.56

136.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.32

$1.48 R$7.62

-43.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 R$15.24

$3.12 R$16.06

-5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.80 R$50.5

$9.13 R$47.03

7.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 R$8.60

$1.45 R$7.46

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 R$13.75

$2.74 R$14.12

-2.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.15

$0.95 R$4.92

5.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.38 R$244

$44.40 R$229

6.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 R$8.90

$1.52 R$7.82

13.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 R$5.07

$0.80 R$4.14

22.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 R$50.5

$8.08 R$41.60

21.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.51

$1.16 R$5.97

8.62%

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

$23.0K R$118.4K

$22.8K R$117.3K

1.01%

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

$33.5K R$172.6K

$32.2K R$166.1K

3.92%

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

$96.7 R$498

$73.9 R$380

30.90%

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

$15.73 R$81.1

$10.28 R$53.0

53.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.43 R$110

$17.29 R$89.1

23.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.21 R$171

$20.78 R$107

59.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.18 R$228

$12.40 R$63.9

256.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.45 R$48.69

$7.75 R$39.95

21.94%

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

$507 R$2,612

$568 R$2,926

-10.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K R$80.1K

$7,246 R$37.3K

114.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 R$330

$41.84 R$216

53.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 R$313

$29.25 R$151

107.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 R$502

$75.2 R$387

29.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.7 R$447

$48.26 R$249

79.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 R$3,374

$159 R$819

312.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 R$2,107

$150 R$774

172.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 R$7,037

$398 R$2,051

243.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 R$4,816

$428 R$2,203

118.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,792 R$14.4K

$1,342 R$6,915

108.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,002 R$10.3K

$751 R$3,868

166.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 R$4,360

$382 R$1,970

121.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.04

11.06

8.86%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: September 13, 2026

Last update for Teresina: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in Sao Paulo and $159 in Teresina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 121% 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: $48.00 in Sao Paulo vs $20.00 in Teresina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $233 vs $203 per month, with Teresina cheaper across the board.

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 Teresina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Teresina is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 121% 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: $655 in Sao Paulo versus $159 in Teresina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Teresina runs roughly 7% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $507 in Sao Paulo versus $568 in Teresina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $749 in Teresina versus $1,186 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Teresina but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Teresina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Teresina 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 Teresina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.