Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Teresina and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Teresina: $758 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Teresina
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Teresina Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Teresina

🇧🇷 Brazil

$758

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $758 in Teresina versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo.

Teresina $758
Sao Paulo $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,251 in Teresina versus $2,044 in Sao Paulo.

Teresina $1,251
Sao Paulo $2,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,745 in Teresina versus $2,867 in Sao Paulo.

Teresina $1,745
Sao Paulo $2,867

Living in Teresina costs roughly 38% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Teresina 44% lower, Sao Paulo 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 R$30.83

$8.71 R$44.15

-30.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.82 R$100

$48.61 R$246

-59.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 R$32.53

$9.03 R$45.77

-28.90%

Cappuccino

$2.04 R$10.34

$2.55 R$12.94

-20.00%

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

$1.08 R$5.47

$1.35 R$6.83

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$3.93

$0.91 R$4.63

-15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.58 R$7.99

$3.07 R$15.55

-48.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 R$15.19

$4.38 R$22.21

-31.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 R$7.56

$1.19 R$6.05

25.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 R$11.54

$1.80 R$9.14

26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.32

$1.48 R$7.51

-2.70%

Eggs

$4.45 R$22.54

$2.82 R$14.31

57.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.54 R$38.22

$12.61 R$63.9

-40.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$20.87

$5.40 R$27.36

-23.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 R$34.39

$10.76 R$54.6

-36.99%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.53

$2.82 R$14.28

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.60

$1.82 R$9.25

-50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 R$4.52

$1.60 R$8.14

-44.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.76

$2.03 R$10.28

-34.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.61

$1.46 R$7.40

-23.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.56

$1.25 R$6.35

-28.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 R$2.56

$1.25 R$6.32

-60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 R$7.68

$0.98 R$4.98

54.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 R$16.83

$3.00 R$15.18

10.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.24 R$46.84

$9.71 R$49.22

-4.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 R$7.39

$1.84 R$9.32

-20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 R$14.36

$2.52 R$12.80

12.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R$4.80

$1.07 R$5.41

-11.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.09 R$229

$47.26 R$240

-4.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 R$7.81

$1.81 R$9.16

-14.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$3.95

$1.01 R$5.14

-22.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 R$39.94

$10.24 R$51.9

-23.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.15

$1.29 R$6.52

-6.20%

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

$23.8K R$120.6K

$23.5K R$119.3K

1.08%

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

$32.4K R$164.1K

$34.5K R$174.9K

-6.20%

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

$77.0 R$390

$104 R$527

-26.00%

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

$10.31 R$52.3

$16.60 R$84.1

-37.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.75 R$90.0

$22.04 R$112

-19.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.77 R$110

$36.43 R$185

-40.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.07 R$66.3

$47.29 R$240

-72.36%

Cinema Ticket

$8.07 R$40.89

$9.69 R$49.12

-16.72%

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

$561 R$2,845

$573 R$2,906

-2.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,196 R$36.5K

$16.9K R$85.8K

-57.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.55 R$221

$66.3 R$336

-34.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.01 R$152

$61.1 R$310

-50.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 R$385

$98.8 R$501

-23.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.3 R$255

$91.4 R$463

-44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 R$816

$654 R$3,316

-75.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$150 R$762

$418 R$2,120

-64.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,121

$1,524 R$7,724

-72.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 R$2,204

$992 R$5,028

-56.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,367 R$6,932

$2,670 R$13.5K

-48.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 R$3,856

$2,019 R$10.2K

-62.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$392 R$1,987

$900 R$4,563

-56.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

-5.82%

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

Last update for Teresina: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Teresina

$207 27.3%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9% 17.7% $37

Accommodation & Living

Teresina

$150 19.8%

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2% 178% $268

Eating Out

Teresina

$114 15%

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1% 41.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Teresina

$105 13.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 35.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Teresina

$90 11.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 58.9% $53

Getting Around

Teresina

$54 7.2%

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8% 7.5% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Teresina

$38 5%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 47.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $161 in Teresina and $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 130% 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: $20.00 in Teresina vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $243 per month, with Teresina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Teresina

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

Same time as Teresina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

866,300

11,451,999

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Teresina Sao Paulo 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Teresina
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

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

Teresina is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 130% 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: $161 in Teresina versus $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Teresina runs roughly 5% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $561 in Teresina versus $573 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $758 in Teresina versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Teresina but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Teresina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Teresina 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.

Expats usually find Teresina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.