Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Windsor, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,137 a month against $2,299 in Windsor, NS, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Windsor, NS
Learn more

Windsor, NS Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,137

/mo nomad

Windsor, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,299

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Windsor, NS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,137 in Sao Paulo versus $2,299 in Windsor, NS.

Sao Paulo $1,137
Windsor, NS $2,299

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,898 in Sao Paulo versus $3,264 in Windsor, NS.

Sao Paulo $1,898
Windsor, NS $3,264

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Sao Paulo versus $4,229 in Windsor, NS.

Sao Paulo $2,660
Windsor, NS $4,229

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 51% less than in Windsor, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sao Paulo is 16% below, Windsor, NS is 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 R$44.53

$18.52 CA$26.05

-56.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.75 R$257

$34.98 CA$49.19

33.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.19 R$45.10

$10.68 CA$15.02

-23.31%

Cappuccino

$2.34 R$12.90

$3.49 CA$4.91

-32.95%

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

$1.35 R$7.42

$2.07 CA$2.91

-34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.45

$1.86 CA$2.62

-56.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 R$15.56

$4.54 CA$6.38

-37.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 R$22.46

$5.81 CA$8.17

-29.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R$6.08

$2.94 CA$4.14

-62.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 R$9.54

$2.74 CA$3.85

-36.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.11

$3.42 CA$4.82

-57.02%

Eggs

$2.55 R$14.01

$3.73 CA$5.25

-31.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.49 R$63.3

$13.48 CA$18.96

-14.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 R$26.52

$15.34 CA$21.58

-68.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 R$55.2

$13.08 CA$18.39

-23.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 R$13.25

$5.77 CA$8.11

-58.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.81

$1.56 CA$2.19

2.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.56

$4.70 CA$6.61

-70.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 R$9.76

$5.71 CA$8.02

-69.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$7.21

$2.08 CA$2.92

-37.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 R$6.32

$2.23 CA$3.14

-48.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 R$6.37

$2.59 CA$3.64

-55.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.80

$2.13 CA$2.99

-59.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 R$14.87

$14.29 CA$20.10

-81.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 R$51.1

$14.24 CA$20.03

-34.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 R$8.93

$3.31 CA$4.65

-51.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$13.18

$4.10 CA$5.76

-41.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R$5.27

$2.28 CA$3.20

-57.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.95 R$242

$61.5 CA$86.5

-28.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 R$6.93

$2.90 CA$4.08

-56.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R$4.92

$1.35 CA$1.90

-34.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.10 R$55.6

$21.62 CA$30.41

-53.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 R$6.47

$1.28 CA$1.81

-7.81%

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

$21.4K R$118.0K

$26.8K CA$37.8K

-20.10%

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

$32.3K R$177.8K

$21.6K CA$30.4K

49.51%

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

$93.0 R$512

$126 CA$178

-26.33%

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

$15.28 R$84.1

$31.57 CA$44.40

-51.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.65 R$108

$35.35 CA$49.72

-44.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.16 R$171

$37.68 CA$53.0

-17.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$260

$18.48 CA$25.98

155.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.36 R$51.5

$13.06 CA$18.37

-28.33%

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

$564 R$3,102

$375 CA$528

50.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K R$138.0K

$13.6K CA$19.2K

83.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 R$326

$59.5 CA$83.6

-0.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 R$308

$35.32 CA$49.67

58.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 R$530

$104 CA$146

-7.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.9 R$479

$121 CA$171

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$602 R$3,313

$1,278 CA$1,798

-52.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 R$2,206

$1,118 CA$1,573

-64.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 R$7,392

$1,998 CA$2,810

-32.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 R$5,093

$1,669 CA$2,347

-44.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,514 R$13.8K

$4,370 CA$6,145

-42.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,866 R$10.3K

$3,537 CA$4,974

-47.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$863 R$4,750

$936 CA$1,316

-7.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

4.6

150.00%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: November 2, 2026

Last update for Windsor, NS: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$401 35.3%

Windsor, NS

$1.1K 48.6% 179% $718

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$222 19.5%

Windsor, NS

$427 18.6% 92.5% $205

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$148 13.1%

Windsor, NS

$272 11.8% 83.5% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$134 11.8%

Windsor, NS

$144 6.3% 7.3% $9.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$128 11.3%

Windsor, NS

$193 8.4% 51% $65

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$54 4.7%

Windsor, NS

$80 3.5% 50% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$50 4.4%

Windsor, NS

$64 2.8% 27.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $602 in Sao Paulo and $1,278 in Windsor, NS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Windsor, NS pays 8% 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: $47 in Sao Paulo vs $35 in Windsor, NS. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $427, with Sao Paulo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇦 Windsor, NS

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

11:32 11:32 AM

1 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

217,188

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.5 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Windsor, NS 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Windsor, NS

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 Windsor, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Sao Paulo. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $602 in Sao Paulo versus $1,278 in Windsor, NS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 29% less than in Windsor, NS. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $564 in Sao Paulo versus $375 in Windsor, NS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,137 in Sao Paulo versus $2,299 in Windsor, NS, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Windsor, NS. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo 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.

It comes down to priorities – Sao Paulo wins on affordability, Windsor, NS on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.