Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Araras Cost of Living Comparison Between St. Thomas and Araras

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,349 per month in St. Thomas vs $833 in Araras, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,371 per month in St. Thomas vs $1,295 in Araras, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,393 per month in St. Thomas vs $1,758 in Araras, rent included.

St. Thomas costs about 182% more than Araras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

St. Thomas sits 75% above the global median, while Araras is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.60 CA$28.53

$2.64 R$13.20

680.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 CA$103

$27.35 R$137

171.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 CA$16.01

$5.79 R$28.98

99.65%

Cappuccino

$3.54 CA$4.90

$2.00 R$9.99

77.00%

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

$1.86 CA$2.57

$1.26 R$6.29

47.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.53

$0.92 R$4.60

98.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.30 CA$7.34

$2.09 R$10.46

153.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 CA$7.97

$2.75 R$13.77

109.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.77

$1.04 R$5.23

92.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.69

$1.54 R$7.68

73.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.55

$1.33 R$6.68

147.37%

Eggs

$3.05 CA$4.23

$2.91 R$14.55

4.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.56 CA$13.23

$12.38 R$62.0

-22.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 CA$15.60

$4.23 R$21.15

166.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.98 CA$22.12

$8.59 R$42.98

86.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.82

$1.60 R$8.02

163.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.70

$1.25 R$6.24

-1.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.61

$0.57 R$2.87

484.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 CA$5.15

$1.74 R$8.71

113.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 CA$3.95

$1.31 R$6.56

117.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.56 CA$3.54

$1.23 R$6.13

108.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 CA$3.19

$1.09 R$5.44

111.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 CA$1.98

$1.25 R$6.26

14.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.16 CA$15.45

$2.21 R$11.07

404.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 CA$18.37

$7.92 R$39.65

67.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$2.94

$1.41 R$7.06

50.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.55

$2.13 R$10.64

20.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$0.77 R$3.86

211.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.0 CA$85.8

$38.74 R$194

59.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 CA$3.29

$1.29 R$6.44

84.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.35

$1.01 R$5.05

68.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.76 CA$42.59

$6.28 R$31.41

389.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.52

$0.85 R$4.25

29.41%

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

$25.4K CA$35.1K

$20.7K R$103.4K

22.81%

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

$20.6K CA$28.5K

$28.8K R$144.0K

-28.51%

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

$131 CA$181

$85.9 R$430

52.32%

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

$53.9 CA$74.6

$11.73 R$58.7

359.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.7 CA$79.9

$16.26 R$81.4

254.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.44 CA$57.4

$55.0 R$275

-24.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.87 R$89.4

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 CA$15.21

$5.45 R$27.26

101.47%

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

$557 CA$771

$284 R$1,421

96.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K CA$15.1K

$7,972 R$39.9K

36.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 CA$74.4

$45.84 R$229

17.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.85 CA$53.8

$40.08 R$201

-3.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 CA$120

$78.9 R$395

9.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CA$111

$40.73 R$204

97.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,204 CA$1,667

$237 R$1,188

407.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 CA$1,624

$219 R$1,098

434.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 CA$2,752

$589 R$2,949

237.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 CA$2,537

$431 R$2,155

325.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,528 CA$6,270

$1,600 R$8,009

182.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,867 CA$5,354

$1,147 R$5,739

237.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,969 CA$4,111

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

-45.42%

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

Last update for St. Thomas: May 31, 2026

Last update for Araras: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,204 in St. Thomas versus $237 in Araras. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in St. Thomas versus $27.00 in Araras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $348 vs $206 – making Araras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

St. Thomas vs Araras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Thomas costs about 182% more than Araras, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,524 per month in St. Thomas and $1,249 in Araras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Araras, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Araras. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $557 per month in St. Thomas and $284 in Araras. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Araras, where all-in costs run around $833, than in St. Thomas at $2,349. In Araras it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Thomas it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Araras – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Araras. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, St. Thomas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.