Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome and Principe and Brazil

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $1,206 in Sao Tome and Principe, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe
$1,206
/mo nomad
🇧🇷 Brazil
$865
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Tome and Principe and in Brazil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sao Tome and Principe and in Brazil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Sao Tome and Principe vs $865 in Brazil, rent included.

  • Sao Tome and Principe $1,206
  • Brazil $865

A couple spends around $1,890 per month in Sao Tome and Principe vs $1,373 in Brazil, rent included.

  • Sao Tome and Principe $1,890
  • Brazil $1,373

A family of three spends $2,575 per month in Sao Tome and Principe vs $1,880 in Brazil, rent included.

  • Sao Tome and Principe $2,575
  • Brazil $1,880

Cost ranges are similar: Sao Tome and Principe spans $199–$1,211, Brazil $569–$1,349. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Sao Tome and Principe is about 39% higher than in Brazil on average.

Both Sao Tome and Principe and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – Sao Tome and Principe 11% lower, Brazil 36% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.86 STN 195
$6.55 R$35.08
35.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.95 STN 967
$30.71 R$164
43.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.60 STN 189
$7.45 R$39.89
15.44%
Cappuccino
$2.40 STN 52.7
$1.91 R$10.22
25.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 STN 39.89
$1.15 R$6.18
57.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 STN 24.76
$0.76 R$4.04
48.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.74 STN 38.32
$1.85 R$9.90
-5.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 STN 41.45
$2.86 R$15.28
-34.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 STN 33.69
$1.03 R$5.52
48.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.52 STN 33.44
$1.57 R$8.38
-3.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.87 STN 41.10
$1.24 R$6.61
50.81%
Eggs
$4.40 STN 96.7
$2.10 R$11.26
109.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.33 STN 425
$8.87 R$47.45
117.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$19.32 STN 425
$3.99 R$21.37
384.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.09 STN 464
$7.76 R$41.51
171.78%
Apples (1kg)
$3.80 STN 83.6
$2.15 R$11.53
76.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 STN 38.65
$1.27 R$6.80
38.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.58 STN 78.8
$1.16 R$6.18
208.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.54 STN 78.0
$1.53 R$8.18
131.37%
Potato (1kg)
$2.87 STN 63.2
$1.16 R$6.21
147.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 STN 52.4
$1.02 R$5.46
133.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.53 STN 11.68
$0.74 R$3.97
-28.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.06 STN 45.40
$0.72 R$3.84
186.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.19 STN 48.09
$2.25 R$12.06
-2.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.98 STN 176
$7.65 R$40.94
4.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 STN 32.25
$1.30 R$6.97
13.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 STN 36.91
$2.16 R$11.58
-22.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.34 STN 29.52
$0.94 R$5.03
42.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.00 R$235
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.64 STN 36.10
$1.23 R$6.58
33.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.66 STN 58.6
$0.96 R$5.11
177.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.81 STN 304
$7.42 R$39.70
86.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.74 STN 38.37
$1.21 R$6.49
43.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K STN 535.9K
$22.1K R$118.5K
9.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K STN 694.4K
$31.6K R$168.9K
-0.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$224 STN 4,934
$77.2 R$413
190.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.91 STN 680
$12.44 R$66.6
148.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$65.8 STN 1,447
$19.80 R$106
232.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.11 STN 750
$24.36 R$130
40.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.43 STN 560
$25.46 R$136
-0.12%
Cinema Ticket
$20.50 STN 451
$6.98 R$37.37
193.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$228 STN 5,021
$316 R$1,690
-27.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,158 STN 47.5K
$8,298 R$44.4K
-74.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$49.37 R$264
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$75.2 STN 1,653
$45.73 R$245
64.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$83.4 R$446
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$18.67 STN 411
$65.6 R$351
-71.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$288 STN 6,339
$373 R$1,996
-22.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$195 STN 4,300
$251 R$1,341
-21.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$920 STN 20.2K
$719 R$3,847
27.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$437 STN 9,606
$490 R$2,624
-10.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,861 STN 40.9K
$1,795 R$9,605
3.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,125 STN 24.8K
$1,269 R$6,791
-11.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sao Tome and Principe
Brazil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$441 STN 9,709
$496 R$2,657
-11.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.38
11.17
-33.93%

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

Last update for Sao Tome and Principe: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Sao Tome and Principe
$402
Brazil
$183 54.4% $219
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sao Tome and Principe
$321
Brazil
$109 65.9% $212
Accommodation & Living
Sao Tome and Principe
$195
Brazil
$251 28.2% $55
Eating Out
Sao Tome and Principe
$150
Brazil
$120 19.6% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Sao Tome and Principe
$75
Brazil
$38 49% $37
Clothing & Footwear
Sao Tome and Principe
$42 *
Brazil
$110 160% $68
Getting Around
Sao Tome and Principe
$20 *
Brazil
$54 165% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $288 in Sao Tome and Principe vs $335 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $288 in Sao Tome and $517 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $259 in Sao Tome and Principe vs $468 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 16% higher in Brazil.

Dining out costs 45% more in Sao Tome and Principe.

Salaries are 81% higher in Brazil, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brazil.

Good to know
🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe
🇧🇷 Brazil
🕒 Local time
11:48 11:48 AM
08:48 8:48 AM
3 h behind Sao Tome and Principe
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
204,327
203,062,512
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to STN – Sao Tome and Principe Dobra Converter

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 22 STN (100 STN = 4.55 USD). 1 EUR = 24.49 STN (100 STN = 4.08 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sao Tome and Principe Brazil 6,250 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sao Tome and Principe
  • Brazil

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 Tome and Principe vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Brazil and Sao Tome and Principe compare in cost of living?
Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 28% lower on average.
Is everything cheaper in Brazil?
Not necessarily. Overall, Sao Tome and Principe costs about 39% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Sao Tome and Principe. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.
How do I choose between living in Brazil and in Sao Tome and Principe?
Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Sao Tome and Principe vs other spots: cost of living compared

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