Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surat and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Surat: $806 a month against $1,244 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. The total is higher in Sao Paulo despite lower rent and utilities.

39

Cost of Living Index in Surat
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Surat Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Surat

🇮🇳 India

$806

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,244

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $806 in Surat versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo.

Surat $806
Sao Paulo $1,244

Estimated couple costs with rent: $826 in Surat versus $2,085 in Sao Paulo.

Surat $826
Sao Paulo $2,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $847 in Surat versus $2,926 in Sao Paulo.

Surat $847
Sao Paulo $2,926

Living in Surat costs roughly 35% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Surat 40% lower, Sao Paulo 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.18 ₹307

$8.94 R$44.64

-64.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.40 ₹1,006

$49.46 R$247

-78.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.14 ₹304

$9.22 R$46.01

-65.94%

Cappuccino

$1.83 ₹177

$2.54 R$12.70

-27.95%

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

$0.36 ₹34.38

$1.45 R$7.25

-75.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹14.56

$0.91 R$4.55

-83.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 ₹282

$3.07 R$15.31

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 ₹309

$4.36 R$21.75

-26.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 ₹70.9

$1.27 R$6.32

-42.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.47 ₹45.50

$1.84 R$9.17

-74.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.66 ₹63.5

$1.41 R$7.05

-53.19%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹91.5

$2.84 R$14.20

-66.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 ₹420

$12.56 R$62.7

-65.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.73 ₹265

$5.37 R$26.81

-49.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 R$53.5

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 ₹164

$2.74 R$13.67

-37.96%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 ₹59.6

$1.81 R$9.03

-65.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 ₹77.4

$1.55 R$7.74

-48.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.54 ₹52.2

$1.98 R$9.90

-72.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹33.56

$1.47 R$7.34

-76.19%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₹41.73

$1.24 R$6.20

-65.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ₹46.59

$1.27 R$6.35

-62.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ₹28.89

$0.96 R$4.79

-68.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.12 ₹495

$3.04 R$15.16

68.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 ₹735

$10.19 R$50.8

-25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₹180

$1.73 R$8.64

7.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ₹291

$2.64 R$13.19

14.02%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.06 ₹586

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹21.19

$1.04 R$5.18

-78.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.27 ₹510

$48.10 R$240

-89.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 ₹57.2

$1.82 R$9.07

-67.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₹21.32

$1.02 R$5.07

-78.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹103

$10.16 R$50.7

-89.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 ₹110

$1.27 R$6.35

-11.02%

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

$12.1K ₹1.2M

$24.3K R$121.4K

-50.05%

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

$18.3K ₹1.8M

$34.0K R$169.8K

-46.09%

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

$36.72 ₹3,554

$104 R$519

-64.67%

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

$3.64 ₹353

$16.16 R$80.7

-77.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.44 ₹720

$22.59 R$113

-67.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.59 ₹1,799

$36.27 R$181

-48.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.16 ₹499

$47.78 R$239

-89.20%

Cinema Ticket

$2.88 ₹278

$9.85 R$49.19

-70.76%

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

$33.35 ₹3,227

$525 R$2,622

-93.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$891 ₹86.2K

$16.6K R$82.8K

-94.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.51 ₹2,179

$66.9 R$334

-66.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.53 ₹2,374

$62.3 R$311

-60.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.90 ₹3,958

$101 R$505

-59.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.42 ₹3,137

$90.9 R$454

-64.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 ₹20.9K

$663 R$3,309

-67.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 ₹48.3K

$423 R$2,110

18.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$375 ₹36.3K

$1,527 R$7,622

-75.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$201 ₹19.5K

$1,009 R$5,035

-80.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$660 ₹63.8K

$2,744 R$13.7K

-75.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$309 ₹29.9K

$2,068 R$10.3K

-85.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 ₹30.3K

$881 R$4,396

-64.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.17

11.68

-21.49%

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

Last update for Surat: October 4, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Surat

$499 61.3%

Sao Paulo

$423 34.3% 15.3% $76

Groceries & Markets

Surat

$101 12.4%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.8% 141% $142

Eating Out

Surat

$80 9.8%

Sao Paulo

$163 13.3% 105% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Surat

$54 6.7%

Sao Paulo

$145 11.7% 167% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surat

$48 5.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 199% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Surat

$24 3%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 130% $32

Getting Around

Surat

$7.8 1%

Sao Paulo

$59 4.8% 655% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $216 in Surat and $663 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 181% 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: $10.00 in Surat vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $243 per month, with Surat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Surat

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

23:34 11:34 PM

8 h 30 min behind Surat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,936,534

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.33 USD

1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 96.78 INR (100 INR = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 109 INR (1,000 INR = 9.21 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Surat Sao Paulo 13,830 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Surat
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

Surat vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surat is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 181% lower in Sao Paulo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $216 in Surat 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 Surat runs roughly 813% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $33.35 in Surat versus $525 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $806 in Surat versus $1,244 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surat but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Surat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surat is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sao Paulo, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Surat and Sao Paulo 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 Surat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.