Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Três Lagoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Três Lagoas: $793 a month against $1,137 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Três Lagoas
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Três Lagoas Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,137

/mo nomad

Três Lagoas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Três Lagoas

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,137 in Sao Paulo versus $793 in Três Lagoas.

Sao Paulo $1,137
Três Lagoas $793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,898 in Sao Paulo versus $1,390 in Três Lagoas.

Sao Paulo $1,898
Três Lagoas $1,390

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Sao Paulo versus $1,987 in Três Lagoas.

Sao Paulo $2,660
Três Lagoas $1,987

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 43% more expensive than in Três Lagoas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 16% lower, Três Lagoas 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 R$44.40

$5.53 R$30.34

46.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.75 R$257

$29.42 R$161

58.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 R$44.97

$7.48 R$41.03

9.49%

Cappuccino

$2.34 R$12.86

$1.93 R$10.60

21.24%

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

$1.35 R$7.40

$1.18 R$6.50

14.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.44

$0.70 R$3.83

15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 R$15.52

$1.90 R$10.43

48.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 R$22.39

$2.87 R$15.75

42.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R$6.06

$1.38 R$7.56

-20.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 R$9.51

$1.96 R$10.78

-11.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.08

$1.16 R$6.37

26.72%

Eggs

$2.55 R$13.97

$3.53 R$19.40

-27.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 R$63.1

$5.75 R$31.54

99.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 R$26.44

$5.20 R$28.54

-7.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 R$55.0

$6.25 R$34.32

60.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 R$13.21

$1.54 R$8.46

56.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.79

$1.33 R$7.29

20.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.54

$1.42 R$7.81

-3.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 R$9.73

$2.19 R$12.04

-19.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$7.19

$1.72 R$9.42

-23.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 R$6.30

$1.03 R$5.66

11.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 R$6.35

$0.77 R$4.22

50.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.79

$0.58 R$3.19

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 R$14.83

$1.81 R$9.96

49.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 R$51.0

$7.25 R$39.77

28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 R$8.91

$0.96 R$5.24

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$13.14

$1.90 R$10.42

25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R$5.25

$1.04 R$5.69

-7.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.95 R$241

$42.13 R$231

4.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 R$6.91

$1.20 R$6.57

5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R$4.91

$0.84 R$4.58

5.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 R$55.5

$7.35 R$40.33

37.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 R$6.45

$1.22 R$6.71

-3.28%

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

$21.4K R$117.7K

$21.9K R$119.9K

-1.86%

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

$32.3K R$177.3K

$31.7K R$173.9K

1.95%

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

$93.0 R$510

$72.1 R$396

29.01%

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

$15.28 R$83.9

$11.44 R$62.8

33.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.65 R$108

$19.89 R$109

-1.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.16 R$171

$24.62 R$135

26.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$260

$26.25 R$144

80.15%

Cinema Ticket

$9.36 R$51.4

$6.72 R$36.90

39.29%

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

$564 R$3,093

$255 R$1,402

120.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K R$137.6K

$6,780 R$37.2K

269.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 R$325

$50.9 R$279

16.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 R$308

$45.86 R$252

22.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 R$528

$84.4 R$463

14.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 R$477

$66.5 R$365

30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 R$3,303

$372 R$2,042

61.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 R$2,200

$189 R$1,037

112.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 R$7,371

$824 R$4,521

63.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 R$5,079

$613 R$3,366

50.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,514 R$13.8K

$1,598 R$8,772

57.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,866 R$10.2K

$1,167 R$6,402

59.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 R$4,736

$165 R$908

421.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

4.55%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Três Lagoas: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$401 35.3%

Três Lagoas

$189 23.8% 52.9% $212

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$222 19.5%

Três Lagoas

$187 23.6% 15.8% $35

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$148 13.1%

Três Lagoas

$113 14.2% 24.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$134 11.8%

Três Lagoas

$111 14.1% 17% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$128 11.3%

Três Lagoas

$103 13% 19.2% $25

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$54 4.7%

Três Lagoas

$52 6.5% 3.5% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$50 4.4%

Três Lagoas

$38 4.8% 23.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Sao Paulo and $372 in Três Lagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays about 5.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Sao Paulo vs $29 in Três Lagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $187 per month, with Três Lagoas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Três Lagoas

🕒 Local time

22:27 10:27 PM

21:27 9:27 PM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

132,152

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Três Lagoas 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
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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 Três Lagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Três Lagoas is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Sao Paulo is about 5.2 times higher, 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: $602 in Sao Paulo versus $372 in Três Lagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Três Lagoas runs roughly 4% less than in Sao Paulo. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $564 in Sao Paulo versus $255 in Três Lagoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $793 in Três Lagoas versus $1,137 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Três Lagoas but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Três Lagoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Três Lagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.