Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Timbo

For one person, living is cheaper in Timbo: $764 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Timbo
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Timbo Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Timbo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$764

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $764 in Timbo.

Sao Paulo $1,222
Timbo $764

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Sao Paulo versus $1,250 in Timbo.

Sao Paulo $2,044
Timbo $1,250

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Sao Paulo versus $1,737 in Timbo.

Sao Paulo $2,867
Timbo $1,737

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 60% more expensive than in Timbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 10% lower, Timbo 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$4.90 R$24.82

77.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$39.89 R$202

21.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$3.93 R$19.90

129.77%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$2.05 R$10.41

24.39%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$1.07 R$5.44

26.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.71 R$3.60

28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$1.89 R$9.57

62.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$2.35 R$11.93

86.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$0.93 R$4.69

27.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

$1.47 R$7.47

22.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$0.93 R$4.72

59.14%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$1.80 R$9.11

56.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

$7.84 R$39.76

60.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

$3.60 R$18.24

50.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

$7.74 R$39.26

39.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

$1.83 R$9.29

54.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$0.72 R$3.65

152.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

$0.83 R$4.20

92.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

$1.34 R$6.81

51.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

$0.86 R$4.35

69.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$0.78 R$3.96

60.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

$0.63 R$3.18

98.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$0.83 R$4.20

18.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$1.63 R$8.25

84.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

$4.99 R$25.28

94.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$1.12 R$5.68

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$2.06 R$10.44

22.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

$1.03 R$5.24

3.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

$44.44 R$225

6.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.31 R$6.65

38.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

$0.83 R$4.20

21.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

$6.11 R$30.95

67.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.02 R$5.19

26.47%

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

$22.8K R$115.7K

3.15%

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

$27.3K R$138.4K

26.44%

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

$104 R$527

$57.6 R$292

80.66%

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

$16.60 R$84.1

$12.86 R$65.2

29.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

$23.62 R$120

-6.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

$25.78 R$131

41.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

$27.38 R$139

72.72%

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

$5.84 R$29.62

65.92%

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

$573 R$2,906

$238 R$1,204

141.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

$2,918 R$14.8K

480.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

$31.48 R$160

110.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

$40.18 R$204

52.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

$59.2 R$300

66.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

$49.89 R$253

83.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

$351 R$1,781

86.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

$241 R$1,223

73.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

$662 R$3,354

130.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

$477 R$2,419

107.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

$1,726 R$8,751

54.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

$1,213 R$6,151

66.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

$713 R$3,613

26.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.18%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Last update for Timbo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

Timbo

$241 31.6% 42.3% $177

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

Timbo

$159 20.9% 34.4% $84

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

Timbo

$97 12.7% 39.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Timbo

$81 10.6% 43.1% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

Timbo

$94 12.3% 34.1% $49

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

Timbo

$54 7.1% 7.5% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Timbo

$37 4.9% 32.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $654 in Sao Paulo and $351 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 26% 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 $40.00 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $159 per month, with Timbo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Timbo

🕒 Local time

18:53 6:53 PM

Same time as Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

46,099

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timbo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $654 in Sao Paulo versus $351 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Timbo runs roughly 6% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $573 in Sao Paulo versus $238 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $764 in Timbo versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timbo but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Timbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Timbo 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 Timbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.