Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sioux City, IA and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,244 a month against $2,192 in Sioux City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Sioux City, IA
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Sioux City, IA Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Sioux City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,192

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,192 in Sioux City, IA versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo.

Sioux City, IA $2,192
Sao Paulo $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,334 in Sioux City, IA versus $2,085 in Sao Paulo.

Sioux City, IA $3,334
Sao Paulo $2,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,477 in Sioux City, IA versus $2,926 in Sao Paulo.

Sioux City, IA $4,477
Sao Paulo $2,926

Living in Sioux City, IA is roughly 76% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sioux City, IA is 64% above, Sao Paulo is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 $20.27

$8.94 R$44.51

126.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.2 $54.2

$49.46 R$246

9.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 $10.45

$9.22 R$45.87

13.34%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$2.54 R$12.67

137.01%

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

$2.15 $2.15

$1.45 R$7.23

48.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.91 R$4.54

94.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 $4.98

$3.07 R$15.26

62.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.36 R$21.69

35.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.27 R$6.31

-30.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.84 R$9.14

61.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.41 R$7.03

129.08%

Eggs

$3.52 $3.52

$2.84 R$14.16

23.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.35 $8.35

$12.56 R$62.5

-33.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$5.37 R$26.73

41.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.89 $16.89

$10.72 R$53.4

57.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.74 R$13.63

75.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.81 R$9.00

-12.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.55 R$7.72

171.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.98 R$9.87

99.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.47 R$7.32

27.89%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.24 R$6.18

285.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.27 R$6.33

82.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.96 R$4.78

126.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.13 $9.13

$3.04 R$15.12

200.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$10.19 R$50.7

48.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.73 R$8.62

-2.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.64 R$13.16

12.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.04 R$5.16

77.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.11 $47.11

$48.10 R$239

-2.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.82 R$9.05

9.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.02 R$5.06

23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.21 $20.21

$10.16 R$50.6

98.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.27 R$6.33

-31.50%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$24.3K R$121.1K

49.08%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$34.0K R$169.3K

-26.92%

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

$165 $165

$104 R$517

58.73%

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

$52.4 $52.4

$16.16 R$80.4

223.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$22.59 R$112

205.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 $98.8

$36.27 R$181

172.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.20 $20.20

$47.78 R$238

-57.72%

Cinema Ticket

$15.17 $15.17

$9.85 R$49.04

54.01%

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

$1,089 $1,089

$525 R$2,614

107.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K $11.8K

$16.6K R$82.5K

-28.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.23 $43.23

$66.9 R$333

-35.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.84 $21.84

$62.3 R$310

-64.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 $76.7

$101 R$503

-24.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.8 $88.8

$90.9 R$452

-2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$663 R$3,299

42.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$945 $945

$423 R$2,104

123.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 $1,480

$1,527 R$7,600

-3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 $1,690

$1,009 R$5,020

67.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,540 $1,540

$2,744 R$13.7K

-43.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,535 $1,535

$2,068 R$10.3K

-25.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,593 $3,593

$881 R$4,383

307.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.68

-43.75%

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

Last update for Sioux City, IA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sioux City, IA

$945 43.2%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 55.3% $522

Groceries & Markets

Sioux City, IA

$344 15.7%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 29.4% $101

Eating Out

Sioux City, IA

$318 14.5%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 48.7% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sioux City, IA

$286 13.1%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 50.2% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Sioux City, IA

$129 5.9%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 56.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Sioux City, IA

$104 4.7%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 39.3% $41

Getting Around

Sioux City, IA

$63 2.9%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 5.8% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Sioux City, IA and $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sioux City, IA pays 308% 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: $54.0 in Sioux City, IA vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $344 vs $243 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sioux City, IA

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

2 h ahead of Sioux City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,797

11,451,999

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.201 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 4.98 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.58 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Sioux City, IA Sao Paulo 8,940 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Sioux City, IA
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

Sioux City, IA vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 308% higher in Sioux City, IA, 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: $947 in Sioux City, IA versus $663 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 2% less than in Sioux City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,089 in Sioux City, IA versus $525 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,244 in Sao Paulo versus $2,192 in Sioux City, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Sioux City, IA. 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 Sioux City, IA, 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 76% less than in Sioux City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.