Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Zacatecas

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $738 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Zacatecas
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Zacatecas Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$738

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $738 in Zacatecas.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Zacatecas $738

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,170 in Zacatecas.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Zacatecas $1,170

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,602 in Zacatecas.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Zacatecas $1,602

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 67% more expensive than in Zacatecas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$6.12 MX$113

43.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$31.70 MX$586

55.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$7.50 MX$139

17.33%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$2.96 MX$54.7

-15.88%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.21 MX$22.31

17.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.72 MX$13.31

18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$1.86 MX$34.45

60.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$4.08 MX$75.4

6.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.37 MX$25.41

-9.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$2.21 MX$40.91

-13.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.54 MX$28.52

-7.14%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.29 MX$42.31

22.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$7.32 MX$135

74.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$6.12 MX$113

-11.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$9.25 MX$171

15.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$1.75 MX$32.31

57.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.66 MX$30.63

9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$2.02 MX$37.30

-19.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.46 MX$27.05

36.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$2.00 MX$36.98

-30.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.76 MX$32.50

-27.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$1.52 MX$28.04

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.84 MX$15.60

13.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$4.29 MX$79.4

-30.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$10.67 MX$197

-6.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.67 MX$30.90

10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$3.38 MX$62.5

-24.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.53 MX$9.88

105.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$16.52 MX$305

195.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$2.21 MX$40.77

-16.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.08 MX$19.91

-8.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$12.28 MX$227

-16.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$1.45 MX$26.79

-7.59%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$21.1K MX$390.6K

15.51%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$24.5K MX$452.6K

38.61%

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

$104 R$529

$23.16 MX$428

350.99%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$8.38 MX$155

99.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$25.17 MX$465

-11.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$25.02 MX$462

43.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

$8.17 MX$151

478.70%

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$4.39 MX$81.1

129.16%

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

$579 R$2,936

$256 MX$4,736

126.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$3,234 MX$59.8K

428.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$45.26 MX$836

45.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$40.19 MX$743

51.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$91.6 MX$1,692

9.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$43.08 MX$796

113.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$242 MX$4,467

172.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$162 MX$2,994

164.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$383 MX$7,074

295.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$249 MX$4,606

311.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$571 MX$10.5K

251.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

$407 MX$7,527

123.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

10.8

8.15%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Zacatecas

$162 22% 62.1% $266

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Zacatecas

$228 30.9% 6.7% $16

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Zacatecas

$132 17.9% 17.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Zacatecas

$99 13.4% 31% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Zacatecas

$57 7.7% 60.4% $87

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Zacatecas

$26 3.6% 56.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Zacatecas

$34 4.6% 39.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $242 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 123% 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 $32.00 in Zacatecas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $228 per month, with Zacatecas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

01:36 1:36 AM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

138,444

💱 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 Zacatecas 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
Zacatecas

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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zacatecas is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 123% 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 $242 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Zacatecas runs roughly 195% 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 $256 in Zacatecas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $738 in Zacatecas versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zacatecas but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Zacatecas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.