Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Vacoas

For one person, living is cheaper in Vacoas: $744 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Vacoas
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Vacoas Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Vacoas

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $744 in Vacoas.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Vacoas $744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,097 in Vacoas.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Vacoas $1,097

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,449 in Vacoas.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Vacoas $1,449

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 66% more expensive than in Vacoas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Vacoas 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$5.89 MUR 277

49.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$31.22 MUR 1,470

58.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$6.20 MUR 292

41.94%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$2.61 MUR 123

-4.60%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.12 MUR 52.9

26.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.63 MUR 29.80

34.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$2.56 MUR 121

16.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$3.71 MUR 175

16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.45 MUR 68.5

-14.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$0.73 MUR 34.35

161.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.15 MUR 54.1

24.35%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.28 MUR 107

23.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$2.70 MUR 127

371.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$2.55 MUR 120

112.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$11.16 MUR 525

-4.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$2.56 MUR 120

7.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$2.15 MUR 101

-15.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.44 MUR 67.9

13.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$3.03 MUR 143

-33.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$0.99 MUR 46.66

41.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$0.96 MUR 45.20

32.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.73 MUR 34.16

75.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.67 MUR 31.34

41.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$6.18 MUR 291

-51.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$6.20 MUR 292

60.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.44 MUR 67.8

28.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$2.33 MUR 110

9.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$1.32 MUR 62.2

-17.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$4.27 MUR 201

-56.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$3.18 MUR 150

-68.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$4.33 MUR 204

137.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.34 MUR 62.9

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

-15.58%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$31.3K MUR 1.5M

8.51%

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

$104 R$529

$44.98 MUR 2,117

132.21%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$10.35 MUR 487

61.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$24.84 MUR 1,169

-10.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$25.74 MUR 1,212

39.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$5.12 MUR 241

96.48%

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

$579 R$2,936

$125 MUR 5,897

362.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$7,480 MUR 352.1K

128.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$31.95 MUR 1,504

105.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$37.68 MUR 1,774

61.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$63.2 MUR 2,976

58.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$47.93 MUR 2,257

92.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$265 MUR 12.5K

148.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$220 MUR 10.4K

94.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$471 MUR 22.2K

221.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$236 MUR 11.1K

335.13%

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

$690 MUR 32.5K

31.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

6.67

75.11%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vacoas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Vacoas

$220 29.6% 48.6% $208

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Vacoas

$177 23.7% 27.7% $68

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Vacoas

$124 16.7% 22% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Vacoas

$81 10.9% 43.4% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Vacoas

$80 10.8% 44.1% $63

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Vacoas

$25 * 3.4% 57.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Vacoas

$36 4.8% 35.7% $20

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $265 in Vacoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 32% 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 $31.00 in Vacoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $177 per month, with Vacoas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇲🇺 Vacoas

🕒 Local time

12:06 12:06 PM

19:06 7:06 PM

7 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

115,289

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, 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).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Vacoas 10,460 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Vacoas

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 Vacoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vacoas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $265 in Vacoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $579 in Sao Paulo versus $125 in Vacoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vacoas – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $744 in Vacoas versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vacoas but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Vacoas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Vacoas 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 Vacoas 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 Vacoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.