Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Yekaterinburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $1,323 in Yekaterinburg, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
Learn more

Sao Paulo Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Yekaterinburg
Learn more

Yekaterinburg Living Index

Jump to prices

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Yekaterinburg

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $1,323 in Yekaterinburg.

Sao Paulo $1,244
Yekaterinburg $1,323

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,085 in Sao Paulo versus $2,179 in Yekaterinburg.

Sao Paulo $2,085
Yekaterinburg $2,179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,926 in Sao Paulo versus $3,034 in Yekaterinburg.

Sao Paulo $2,926
Yekaterinburg $3,034

Living in Sao Paulo costs roughly 6% less than in Yekaterinburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 7% lower, Yekaterinburg 1% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 R$44.87

$12.46 ₽1,060

-28.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.46 R$248

$54.5 ₽4,633

-9.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 R$46.25

$5.98 ₽509

54.18%

Cappuccino

$2.54 R$12.77

$2.33 ₽198

9.01%

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

$1.45 R$7.29

$1.23 ₽104

17.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.57

$0.41 ₽34.72

121.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.39

$2.29 ₽194

34.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 R$21.87

$2.91 ₽247

49.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.36

$1.18 ₽100

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 R$9.22

$0.71 ₽60.6

159.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.08

$1.24 ₽105

13.71%

Eggs

$2.84 R$14.27

$1.61 ₽137

76.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.56 R$63.0

$10.93 ₽929

14.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 R$26.95

$5.18 ₽440

3.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.8

$13.16 ₽1,119

-18.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 R$13.74

$2.01 ₽171

36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.08

$1.69 ₽143

7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.78

$1.48 ₽126

4.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 R$9.95

$2.66 ₽226

-25.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.38

$0.62 ₽53.0

137.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.23

$0.55 ₽46.46

125.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R$6.38

$1.49 ₽126

-14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.82

$0.90 ₽76.4

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R$15.24

$3.38 ₽287

-10.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.19 R$51.1

$7.17 ₽609

42.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 R$8.69

$1.40 ₽119

23.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.26

$2.52 ₽214

4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.20

$0.48 ₽40.75

116.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.10 R$241

$17.66 ₽1,502

172.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 R$9.12

$4.06 ₽345

-55.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 R$5.10

$0.21 ₽17.88

385.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 R$51.0

$4.19 ₽356

142.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.38

$0.80 ₽67.7

58.75%

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

$24.3K R$122.0K

$35.1K ₽3.0M

-30.61%

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

$34.0K R$170.6K

$28.6K ₽2.4M

18.80%

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

$104 R$522

$117 ₽9,969

-11.35%

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

$16.16 R$81.1

$5.94 ₽505

172.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.59 R$113

$11.78 ₽1,001

91.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.27 R$182

$42.68 ₽3,629

-15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.78 R$240

$35.49 ₽3,017

34.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.85 R$49.45

$6.99 ₽595

40.92%

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

$525 R$2,635

$342 ₽29.1K

53.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$83.2K

$3,672 ₽312.2K

351.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 R$336

$134 ₽11.4K

-50.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 R$312

$102 ₽8,639

-38.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$507

$234 ₽19.9K

-56.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 R$456

$168 ₽14.3K

-45.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$663 R$3,326

$755 ₽64.2K

-12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 R$2,121

$455 ₽38.7K

-7.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 R$7,662

$1,235 ₽105.0K

23.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 R$5,061

$937 ₽79.7K

7.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,744 R$13.8K

$2,433 ₽206.8K

12.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,068 R$10.4K

$1,673 ₽142.2K

23.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$881 R$4,419

$946 ₽80.4K

-6.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

22.22

-47.43%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Last update for Yekaterinburg: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3%

Yekaterinburg

$455 33.9% 7.6% $32

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8%

Yekaterinburg

$214 16% 12% $29

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3%

Yekaterinburg

$169 12.6% 3.8% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7%

Yekaterinburg

$287 21.4% 98.7% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Yekaterinburg

$135 10.1% 5.4% $7.7

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8%

Yekaterinburg

$25 1.8% 58.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

Yekaterinburg

$57 4.2% 1.2% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $663 in Sao Paulo and $755 in Yekaterinburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yekaterinburg pays 7% 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 $54.0 in Yekaterinburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $214, with Yekaterinburg cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇷🇺 Yekaterinburg

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

11:03 11:03 AM

8 h ahead of Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

1,495,066

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.02 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.36 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sao Paulo Yekaterinburg 13,220 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Yekaterinburg

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 Yekaterinburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Yekaterinburg. 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: $663 in Sao Paulo versus $755 in Yekaterinburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 172% less than in Yekaterinburg. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $525 in Sao Paulo versus $342 in Yekaterinburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $1,323 in Yekaterinburg, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Yekaterinburg. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Paulo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sao Paulo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Yekaterinburg, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Sao Paulo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Yekaterinburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.