Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Tuxtla Gutierrez

For one person, living is cheaper in Tuxtla Gutierrez: $915 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Tuxtla Gutierrez
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Tuxtla Gutierrez Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Tuxtla Gutierrez

🇲🇽 Mexico

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Tuxtla Gutierrez

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $915 in Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Tuxtla Gutierrez $915

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,529 in Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Tuxtla Gutierrez $1,529

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $2,142 in Tuxtla Gutierrez.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Tuxtla Gutierrez $2,142

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 35% more expensive than in Tuxtla Gutierrez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Tuxtla Gutierrez 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$6.69 MX$124

31.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$19.09 MX$353

158.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$7.30 MX$135

20.55%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$3.87 MX$71.4

-35.66%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.38 MX$25.53

2.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.09 MX$20.08

-22.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$2.16 MX$39.85

37.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$2.48 MX$45.86

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.55 MX$28.61

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$2.76 MX$51.1

-30.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.75 MX$32.33

-18.29%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.61 MX$48.31

7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$18.67 MX$345

-31.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$7.96 MX$147

-32.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$10.75 MX$199

-1.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$2.70 MX$49.81

1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.39 MX$25.64

30.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$2.53 MX$46.74

-35.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.64 MX$30.34

21.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.76 MX$32.54

-20.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$2.03 MX$37.46

-37.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.13 MX$20.91

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.65 MX$12.06

46.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$4.51 MX$83.3

-33.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$11.03 MX$204

-9.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.45 MX$26.76

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$3.86 MX$71.4

-34.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.53 MX$9.74

105.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$29.17 MX$539

67.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$2.70 MX$49.83

-31.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$2.81 MX$52.0

-64.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$8.18 MX$151

25.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.45 MX$26.87

-7.59%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$22.3K MX$411.3K

9.67%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$25.1K MX$463.4K

35.37%

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

$104 R$529

$24.62 MX$455

324.25%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$20.22 MX$374

-17.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$25.40 MX$469

-12.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$41.92 MX$775

-14.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$13.75 MX$254

243.85%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$5.90 MX$109

70.51%

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

$579 R$2,936

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$2,297 MX$42.5K

643.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$33.97 MX$628

93.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$16.54 MX$306

268.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$68.6 MX$1,267

46.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$55.6 MX$1,028

65.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$330 MX$6,099

99.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$229 MX$4,240

86.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$821 MX$15.2K

84.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$608 MX$11.2K

68.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$501 MX$9,254

81.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tuxtla Gutierrez: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$229 25.1% 46.4% $199

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$288 31.4% 17.7% $43

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$147 16.1% 7.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$79 8.6% 45.3% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$70 7.7% 51% $73

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$48 5.3% 19.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Tuxtla Gutierrez

$54 5.9% 4% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $330 in Tuxtla Gutierrez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 82% 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 $19.00 in Tuxtla Gutierrez. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $288, with Sao Paulo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇲🇽 Tuxtla Gutierrez

🕒 Local time

05:46 5:46 AM

02:46 2:46 AM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

578,830

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Tuxtla Gutierrez 6,750 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Tuxtla Gutierrez

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 Tuxtla Gutierrez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tuxtla Gutierrez is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and transport. The 35% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% 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: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $330 in Tuxtla Gutierrez. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tuxtla Gutierrez – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Tuxtla Gutierrez runs roughly 67% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $915 in Tuxtla Gutierrez versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tuxtla Gutierrez but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Tuxtla Gutierrez the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tuxtla Gutierrez 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 Tuxtla Gutierrez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.