Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sault Ste. Marie and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sault Ste. Marie and in Sao Paulo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo.

Sault Ste. Marie $2,059
Sao Paulo $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,008 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,044 in Sao Paulo.

Sault Ste. Marie $3,008
Sao Paulo $2,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,956 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,867 in Sao Paulo.

Sault Ste. Marie $3,956
Sao Paulo $2,867

Living in Sault Ste. Marie is roughly 69% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sault Ste. Marie is 52% above, Sao Paulo is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 CA$24.28

$8.71 R$44.15

97.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 CA$99.8

$48.61 R$246

45.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.23 CA$14.46

$9.03 R$45.77

13.29%

Cappuccino

$3.47 CA$4.90

$2.55 R$12.94

36.08%

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

$1.64 CA$2.32

$1.35 R$6.83

21.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.91

$0.91 R$4.63

48.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.68 CA$6.62

$3.07 R$15.55

52.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 CA$7.07

$4.38 R$22.21

14.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$1.19 R$6.05

103.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.80 R$9.14

18.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.63

$1.48 R$7.51

120.95%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.22

$2.82 R$14.31

5.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 CA$11.76

$12.61 R$63.9

-34.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 CA$14.10

$5.40 R$27.36

84.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 CA$14.86

$10.76 R$54.6

-2.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 CA$4.43

$2.82 R$14.28

11.35%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 CA$1.40

$1.82 R$9.25

-45.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.33

$1.60 R$8.14

91.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 CA$5.01

$2.03 R$10.28

74.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 CA$2.79

$1.46 R$7.40

34.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 CA$2.39

$1.25 R$6.35

35.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 CA$3.92

$1.25 R$6.32

121.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 CA$1.79

$0.98 R$4.98

29.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.75 CA$22.26

$3.00 R$15.18

425.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 CA$15.08

$9.71 R$49.22

9.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.60

$1.84 R$9.32

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 CA$3.23

$2.52 R$12.80

-9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$1.07 R$5.41

109.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.5 CA$81.2

$47.26 R$240

21.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 CA$4.91

$1.81 R$9.16

91.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 CA$3.26

$1.01 R$5.14

128.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.97 CA$32.47

$10.24 R$51.9

124.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.52

$1.29 R$6.52

-16.28%

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

$26.5K CA$37.5K

$23.5K R$119.3K

12.56%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$34.5K R$174.9K

-41.28%

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

$174 CA$246

$104 R$527

67.47%

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

$44.36 CA$62.7

$16.60 R$84.1

167.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 CA$108

$22.04 R$112

247.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 CA$71.0

$36.43 R$185

37.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.62 CA$24.90

$47.29 R$240

-62.74%

Cinema Ticket

$11.18 CA$15.80

$9.69 R$49.12

15.38%

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

$573 R$2,906

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,984 CA$7,046

$16.9K R$85.8K

-70.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.63 CA$64.5

$66.3 R$336

-31.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.58 CA$50.3

$61.1 R$310

-41.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 CA$106

$98.8 R$501

-24.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 CA$170

$91.4 R$463

31.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 CA$1,262

$654 R$3,316

36.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 CA$1,316

$418 R$2,120

122.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,325 CA$1,873

$1,524 R$7,724

-13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 CA$2,057

$992 R$5,028

46.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,868 CA$2,640

$2,670 R$13.5K

-30.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,432 CA$7,679

$2,019 R$10.2K

168.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,049 CA$4,310

$900 R$4,563

238.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.53

11.68

-52.65%

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

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sault Ste. Marie

$931 45.2%

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2% 55.1% $513

Groceries & Markets

Sault Ste. Marie

$299 14.5%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9% 18.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sault Ste. Marie

$295 14.3%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 51.7% $153

Eating Out

Sault Ste. Marie

$255 12.4%

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1% 37.1% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Sault Ste. Marie

$124 6%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 15% $19

Getting Around

Sault Ste. Marie

$81 4%

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8% 28.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Sault Ste. Marie

$73 3.5%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 23.1% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $893 in Sault Ste. Marie and $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sault Ste. Marie pays 239% 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: $71.0 in Sault Ste. Marie vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $243 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

12:32 12:32 PM

1 h ahead of Sault Ste. Marie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,368

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Sault Ste. Marie Sao Paulo 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Sault Ste. Marie
Sao Paulo

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

Sault Ste. Marie vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 239% higher in Sault Ste. Marie, 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: $893 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Paulo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $71.0 in Sault Ste. Marie. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 22% less than in Sault Ste. Marie. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Sault Ste. Marie. 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 Sault Ste. Marie, 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 69% less than in Sault Ste. Marie. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.