Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Texas City, TX and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $1,965 in Texas City, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Texas City, TX
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Texas City, TX Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Texas City, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,965

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,965 in Texas City, TX versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo.

Texas City, TX $1,965
Sao Paulo $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,877 in Texas City, TX versus $2,044 in Sao Paulo.

Texas City, TX $2,877
Sao Paulo $2,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,788 in Texas City, TX versus $2,867 in Sao Paulo.

Texas City, TX $3,788
Sao Paulo $2,867

Living in Texas City, TX is roughly 61% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Texas City, TX is 45% above, Sao Paulo is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.03 $18.03

$8.71 R$44.15

107.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 $74.8

$48.61 R$246

53.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$9.03 R$45.77

10.08%

Cappuccino

$4.15 $4.15

$2.55 R$12.94

62.75%

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

$1.33 $1.33

$1.35 R$6.83

-1.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.91 R$4.63

116.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.07 R$15.55

94.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$4.38 R$22.21

63.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.19 R$6.05

-39.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.80 R$9.14

48.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$1.48 R$7.51

116.89%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.82 R$14.31

38.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.68 $6.68

$12.61 R$63.9

-47.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$5.40 R$27.36

163.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$10.76 R$54.6

-1.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.82 R$14.28

54.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.82 R$9.25

-19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.60 R$8.14

172.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.03 R$10.28

114.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.46 R$7.40

75.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.25 R$6.35

84.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.25 R$6.32

41.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.98 R$4.98

123.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 $8.17

$3.00 R$15.18

172.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.71 R$49.22

1.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.84 R$9.32

59.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.52 R$12.80

30.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.07 R$5.41

-8.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.06 $40.06

$47.26 R$240

-15.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.81 R$9.16

55.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.01 R$5.14

58.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 $19.83

$10.24 R$51.9

93.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.29 R$6.52

-36.43%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$23.5K R$119.3K

45.18%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.5K R$174.9K

-23.75%

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

$223 $223

$104 R$527

113.87%

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

$25.31 $25.31

$16.60 R$84.1

52.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.3 $69.3

$22.04 R$112

214.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.86 $14.86

$36.43 R$185

-59.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$14.16 $14.16

$9.69 R$49.12

46.13%

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

$1,224 $1,224

$573 R$2,906

113.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K $21.0K

$16.9K R$85.8K

24.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 $53.1

$66.3 R$336

-19.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 $42.70

$61.1 R$310

-30.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.8 $63.8

$98.8 R$501

-35.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$91.4 R$463

11.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,072 $1,072

$654 R$3,316

63.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$809 $809

$418 R$2,120

93.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 $1,671

$1,524 R$7,724

9.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 $1,263

$992 R$5,028

27.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,114 $9,114

$2,670 R$13.5K

241.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,687 $7,687

$2,019 R$10.2K

280.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,708 $4,708

$900 R$4,563

423.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

11.68

-44.09%

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

Last update for Texas City, TX: October 18, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Texas City, TX

$809 41.2%

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2% 48.3% $391

Groceries & Markets

Texas City, TX

$342 17.4%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9% 28.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Texas City, TX

$317 16.1%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 55% $174

Eating Out

Texas City, TX

$281 14.3%

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1% 42.9% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Texas City, TX

$118 6%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 21.3% $25

Getting Around

Texas City, TX

$55 2.8%

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8% 6.6% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Texas City, TX

$43 2.2%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 29.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,072 in Texas City, TX and $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Texas City, TX pays 423% 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: $75.0 in Texas City, TX vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $243 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Texas City, TX

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

12:08 12:08 PM

14:08 2:08 PM

2 h ahead of Texas City, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,099

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

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Between locations

Texas City, TX Sao Paulo 7,830 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Texas City, TX
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

Texas City, TX vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 423% higher in Texas City, TX, 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: $1,072 in Texas City, TX 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 Sao Paulo runs roughly 18% less than in Texas City, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,224 in Texas City, TX versus $573 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $1,965 in Texas City, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Texas City, TX. 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 Texas City, TX, 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 61% less than in Texas City, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.