Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Urmia

For one person, living is cheaper in Urmia: $413 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
20

Cost of Living Index in Urmia
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Urmia Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Urmia

🇮🇷 Iran

$413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $413 in Urmia.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Urmia $413

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $713 in Urmia.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Urmia $713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,013 in Urmia.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Urmia $1,013

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 199% more expensive than in Urmia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Urmia 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$5.02 $5.02

75.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$24.35 $24.35

102.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$3.07 $3.07

186.64%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.23 $1.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.08 $1.08

130.56%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.74 $0.74

91.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.45 $0.45

88.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.61 $0.61

103.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.47 $0.47

306.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$2.44 $2.44

-41.39%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$1.23 $1.23

128.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$4.34 $4.34

193.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$2.43 $2.43

122.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$6.46 $6.46

64.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$0.93 $0.93

195.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.48 $1.48

22.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$0.73 $0.73

123.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$0.68 $0.68

194.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.52 $0.52

169.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.55 $0.55

130.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.53 $0.53

141.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.24 $0.24

295.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.82 $0.82

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 $0.54

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$1.12 $1.12

166.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.14 $0.14

678.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$9.62 $9.62

407.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$0.42 $0.42

340.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$0.31 $0.31

219.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$2.62 $2.62

292.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.09 $0.09

1388.89%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$49.4K $49.4K

-50.61%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$44.3K $44.3K

-23.41%

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

$104 R$529

$12.93 $12.93

707.81%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$1.53 $1.53

992.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$3.74 $3.74

493.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$9.61 $9.61

272.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$13.07 $13.07

261.74%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$1.95 $1.95

415.90%

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

$579 R$2,936

$109 $109

432.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$2,701 $2,701

532.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$22.64 $22.64

190.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$27.85 $27.85

119.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$83.9 $83.9

19.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$33.03 $33.03

178.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$172 $172

283.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$129 $129

232.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$324 $324

367.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$264 $264

288.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$694 $694

299.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$583 $583

244.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$275 $275

230.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

24.3

-51.93%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Urmia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Urmia

$129 31.2% 69.9% $299

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Urmia

$98 23.6% 60% $147

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Urmia

$67 16.3% 57.9% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Urmia

$75 18.2% 47.6% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Urmia

$18 4.4% 87.3% $125

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Urmia

$12 2.9% 79.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Urmia

$14 3.3% 75.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $172 in Urmia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 231% 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 $24.00 in Urmia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $98.0 per month, with Urmia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇮🇷 Urmia

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

01:43 1:43 AM

6 h 30 min ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

736,224

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

USD 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Urmia 11,720 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Urmia

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 Urmia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urmia is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 199% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 231% 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 $172 in Urmia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Urmia runs roughly 407% 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 $109 in Urmia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $413 in Urmia versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Urmia but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Urmia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Urmia 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 Urmia 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 Urmia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 199% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.