Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Tome and Porto Alegre

For one person, living is cheaper in Porto Alegre: $199 a month against $1,219 in Sao Tome, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sao Tome
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Sao Tome Living Index

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Sao Tome

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$1,219

/mo nomad

Porto Alegre

🇸🇹 Sao Tome and Principe

$199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Tome and in Porto Alegre

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 in Porto Alegre actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,219 in Sao Tome versus $199 in Porto Alegre.

Sao Tome $1,219
Porto Alegre $199

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,924 in Sao Tome versus $411 in Porto Alegre.

Sao Tome $1,924
Porto Alegre $411

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,629 in Sao Tome versus $623 in Porto Alegre.

Sao Tome $2,629
Porto Alegre $623

Living in Sao Tome is roughly 511% more expensive than in Porto Alegre, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Tome 10% lower, Porto Alegre 85% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.18 STN 200

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.02 STN 981

$37.37 STN 815

20.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 STN 174

$5.76 STN 126

38.72%

Cappuccino

$2.33 STN 50.8

$2.48 STN 54.1

-6.05%

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

$1.81 STN 39.49

$1.06 STN 23.16

70.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 STN 27.64

$0.87 STN 18.94

45.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 STN 36.20

$2.23 STN 48.56

-25.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 STN 40.98

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 STN 33.18

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 STN 22.12

$2.15 STN 46.81

-53.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 STN 46.40

$1.04 STN 22.63

104.81%

Eggs

$4.96 STN 108

$2.34 STN 50.9

111.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.41 STN 423

$19.05 STN 415

1.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.50 STN 425

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.70 STN 538

$11.95 STN 260

106.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 STN 83.3

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 STN 38.75

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 STN 78.2

Tomato (1kg)

$3.48 STN 75.9

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 STN 61.6

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 STN 50.4

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 STN 11.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 STN 45.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 STN 50.8

$2.30 STN 50.1

1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 STN 174

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 STN 34.09

$1.10 STN 23.88

41.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 STN 36.01

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 STN 29.17

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 STN 36.13

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.55 STN 55.6

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.93 STN 304

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 STN 36.95

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

$24.3K STN 529.0K

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

$31.6K STN 689.7K

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

$233 STN 5,083

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

$30.60 STN 667

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 STN 1,436

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.92 STN 739

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.32 STN 552

Cinema Ticket

$19.86 STN 433

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

$226 STN 4,925

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,179 STN 47.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.1 STN 1,638

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$18.53 STN 404

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 STN 6,161

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 STN 4,184

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 STN 20.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 STN 9,846

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,850 STN 40.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,160 STN 25.3K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 STN 5,595

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.38

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

Last update for Sao Tome: October 18, 2026

Last update for Porto Alegre: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sao Tome

$412 33.8%

Porto Alegre

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Tome

$330 27%

Porto Alegre

–

Accommodation & Living

Sao Tome

$192 15.7%

Porto Alegre

–

Eating Out

Sao Tome

$150 12.3%

Porto Alegre

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Tome

$74 6%

Porto Alegre

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Tome

$42 * 3.5%

Porto Alegre

–

Getting Around

Sao Tome

$20 * 1.6%

Porto Alegre

–

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Sao Tome vs $37.00 in Porto Alegre for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $133 per month, with Porto Alegre cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇹 Sao Tome

🇸🇹 Porto Alegre

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

Same time as Sao Tome

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,300 Capital

795

💱 Currency

Sao Tome and Principe Dobra STN Db

📈 Exchange rate

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

100 STN = 4.59 USD

100 STN = 4.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Tome Porto Alegre 40 km

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Sao Tome
Porto Alegre

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 vs Porto Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Porto Alegre wins on cost – living expenses run 511% lower than in Sao Tome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Porto Alegre the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,829 in Sao Tome and $299 in Porto Alegre to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

All in, you'll spend $1,219 per month in Sao Tome versus $199 in Porto Alegre – a 511% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 209% higher in Sao Tome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $199 in Porto Alegre versus $1,219 in Sao Tome, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Porto Alegre but tight or insufficient in Sao Tome. The gap between the two cities makes Porto Alegre 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.

Safety-wise, Sao Tome and Porto Alegre 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 Porto Alegre gentler on the wallet – expenses run 511% less than in Sao Tome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.