Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,109 in Scranton, PA, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Scranton, PA
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Scranton, PA Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,109

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA and in Sao Paulo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,109 in Scranton, PA versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Scranton, PA $2,109
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,000 in Scranton, PA versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Scranton, PA $3,000
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,891 in Scranton, PA versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Scranton, PA $3,891
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Scranton, PA is roughly 71% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Scranton, PA is 56% above, Sao Paulo is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.08 $12.08

$8.81 R$44.68

37.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$49.37 R$250

56.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 $5.96

$8.80 R$44.63

-32.27%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$2.49 R$12.63

79.92%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$1.42 R$7.19

7.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.85 R$4.31

16.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$2.98 R$15.11

132.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$4.34 R$22.02

76.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.24 R$6.28

-41.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.91 R$9.66

-23.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.43 R$7.25

55.24%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$2.81 R$14.23

18.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$12.74 R$64.6

-12.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$5.41 R$27.44

62.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$10.64 R$54.0

5.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.75 R$13.95

31.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.81 R$9.19

-27.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.63 R$8.27

103.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.00 R$10.16

113.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.40 R$7.10

107.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.27 R$6.43

161.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.28 R$6.47

51.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.95 R$4.83

6.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 $6.59

$2.99 R$15.15

120.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 $12.19

$9.96 R$50.5

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.85 R$9.37

64.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.54 R$12.90

88.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.09 R$5.50

58.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 $61.1

$48.78 R$247

25.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.85 R$9.39

70.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.99 R$4.99

102.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$10.29 R$52.2

143.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.34 R$6.78

-17.16%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$24.4K R$123.8K

44.76%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-24.30%

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

$232 $232

$104 R$529

121.98%

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

$40.27 $40.27

$16.71 R$84.7

140.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.27 $49.27

$22.18 R$112

122.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.52 $29.52

$35.82 R$182

-17.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 $16.03

$47.28 R$240

-66.10%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 $12.53

$10.06 R$51.0

24.55%

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

$770 $770

$579 R$2,936

32.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K $17.6K

$17.1K R$86.6K

3.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.23 $45.23

$65.7 R$333

-31.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.25 $30.25

$61.0 R$309

-50.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 $72.9

$100 R$509

-27.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 $82.9

$92.1 R$467

-9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$659 R$3,341

92.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 $1,019

$428 R$2,170

138.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$1,515 R$7,678

2.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$1,026 R$5,201

44.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,594 $1,594

$2,773 R$14.1K

-42.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 $1,538

$2,007 R$10.2K

-23.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,361 $3,361

$909 R$4,609

269.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.68

-42.89%

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

Last update for Scranton, PA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scranton, PA

$1K 48.3%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 58% $591

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scranton, PA

$321 15.2%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 55.4% $178

Groceries & Markets

Scranton, PA

$300 14.2%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 18.6% $56

Eating Out

Scranton, PA

$228 10.8%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 30.2% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Scranton, PA

$104 4.9%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 38% $40

Getting Around

Scranton, PA

$81 3.9%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 26.2% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Scranton, PA

$55 2.6%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 2.5% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,269 in Scranton, PA and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scranton, PA pays 270% 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: $77.0 in Scranton, PA vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $244 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Scranton, PA

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

18:18 6:18 PM

1 h ahead of Scranton, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,861

11,451,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Scranton, PA Sao Paulo 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Scranton, PA
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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

Scranton, PA vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 270% higher in Scranton, PA, 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: $1,269 in Scranton, PA versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Paulo runs roughly 25% less than in Scranton, PA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $770 in Scranton, PA versus $579 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $2,109 in Scranton, PA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Scranton, PA. 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 Scranton, PA, 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 71% less than in Scranton, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.