Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tena and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $831 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$831

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $831 in Tena versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Tena $831
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,425 in Tena versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Tena $1,425
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,018 in Tena versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Tena $2,018
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Tena costs roughly 33% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tena 38% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 $6.03

$8.81 R$44.68

-31.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 $54.9

$49.37 R$250

11.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$8.80 R$44.63

-13.52%

Cappuccino

$3.39 $3.39

$2.49 R$12.63

36.14%

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

$1.38 $1.38

$1.42 R$7.19

-2.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.85 R$4.31

29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.98 R$15.11

15.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.34 R$22.02

40.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.24 R$6.28

-7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.91 R$9.66

-19.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.43 R$7.25

9.09%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$2.81 R$14.23

-23.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$12.74 R$64.6

-49.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$5.41 R$27.44

4.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$10.64 R$54.0

-26.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.75 R$13.95

-19.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.81 R$9.19

-34.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.63 R$8.27

-22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.00 R$10.16

-43.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.40 R$7.10

-15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.27 R$6.43

-15.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.28 R$6.47

-28.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.95 R$4.83

10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$2.99 R$15.15

96.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 $9.91

$9.96 R$50.5

-0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.85 R$9.37

-14.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.54 R$12.90

24.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$1.09 R$5.50

-69.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.94 $16.94

$48.78 R$247

-65.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.85 R$9.39

-18.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.99 R$4.99

-23.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 $9.95

$10.29 R$52.2

-3.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.34 R$6.78

-40.30%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$24.4K R$123.8K

-12.88%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-16.01%

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

$29.16 $29.16

$104 R$529

-72.08%

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

$17.66 $17.66

$16.71 R$84.7

5.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 $28.72

$22.18 R$112

29.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.43 $32.43

$35.82 R$182

-9.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.44 $15.44

$47.28 R$240

-67.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.45 $6.45

$10.06 R$51.0

-35.88%

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

$226 $226

$579 R$2,936

-60.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,840 $8,840

$17.1K R$86.6K

-48.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$65.7 R$333

6.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$61.0 R$309

-17.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$100 R$509

13.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$92.1 R$467

15.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 $300

$659 R$3,341

-54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 $186

$428 R$2,170

-56.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 $728

$1,515 R$7,678

-51.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 $417

$1,026 R$5,201

-59.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,120 $1,120

$2,773 R$14.1K

-59.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 $717

$2,007 R$10.2K

-64.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

11.68

-13.36%

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

Last update for Tena: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tena

$197 23.8%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 23.8% $47

Accommodation & Living

Tena

$186 22.3%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 131% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Tena

$153 18.4%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 6.1% $9.4

Eating Out

Tena

$151 18.2%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 5.5% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tena

$76 9.1%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 89.8% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Tena

$45 5.5%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 23.4% $11

Getting Around

Tena

$24 2.8%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 154% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $300 in Tena and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Tena vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Groceries flip the comparison at $197 vs $244, with Tena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Tena

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

20:41 8:41 PM

22:41 10:41 PM

2 h ahead of Tena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,669

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Tena Sao Paulo 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tena
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

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

Tena is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,247 in Tena and $1,852 in Sao Paulo to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $300 in Tena 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 Tena runs roughly 188% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $226 in Tena versus $579 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $831 in Tena versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tena but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Tena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tena 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, Tena 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 Tena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.