Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Topeka, KS and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $1,922 in Topeka, KS, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Topeka, KS
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Topeka, KS Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Topeka, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,922

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,922 in Topeka, KS versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Topeka, KS $1,922
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,865 in Topeka, KS versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Topeka, KS $2,865
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,807 in Topeka, KS versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Topeka, KS $3,807
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Topeka, KS is roughly 56% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Topeka, KS is 42% above, Sao Paulo is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.47 $13.47

$8.81 R$44.68

52.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 $51.7

$49.37 R$250

4.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.87 $9.87

$8.80 R$44.63

12.16%

Cappuccino

$3.40 $3.40

$2.49 R$12.63

36.55%

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

$2.26 $2.26

$1.42 R$7.19

59.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.85 R$4.31

103.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.98 R$15.11

51.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.34 R$22.02

103.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.24 R$6.28

-34.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.91 R$9.66

40.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.43 R$7.25

109.09%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$2.81 R$14.23

41.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$12.74 R$64.6

-29.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 $8.24

$5.41 R$27.44

52.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$10.64 R$54.0

38.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.75 R$13.95

69.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.81 R$9.19

-13.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$1.63 R$8.27

215.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.00 R$10.16

110.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.40 R$7.10

142.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.27 R$6.43

99.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.28 R$6.47

43.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.95 R$4.83

-11.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 $8.85

$2.99 R$15.15

195.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 $12.23

$9.96 R$50.5

22.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.85 R$9.37

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.54 R$12.90

-35.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.09 R$5.50

268.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 $50.3

$48.78 R$247

3.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.85 R$9.39

49.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.99 R$4.99

58.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 $33.70

$10.29 R$52.2

227.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.34 R$6.78

-29.85%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$24.4K R$123.8K

-1.70%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-26.46%

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

$143 $143

$104 R$529

37.19%

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

$48.04 $48.04

$16.71 R$84.7

187.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$22.18 R$112

197.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.74 $44.74

$35.82 R$182

24.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.30 $15.30

$47.28 R$240

-67.64%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 $15.25

$10.06 R$51.0

51.59%

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

$438 $438

$579 R$2,936

-24.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.30 $38.30

$65.7 R$333

-41.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 $28.87

$61.0 R$309

-52.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$100 R$509

-11.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.8 $80.8

$92.1 R$467

-12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$659 R$3,341

19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$853 $853

$428 R$2,170

99.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$1,515 R$7,678

-14.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 $1,467

$1,026 R$5,201

43.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,292 $1,292

$2,773 R$14.1K

-53.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 $1,342

$2,007 R$10.2K

-33.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,554 $3,554

$909 R$4,609

290.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.24

11.68

-46.58%

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

Last update for Topeka, KS: October 12, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Topeka, KS

$853 44.4%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 49.8% $425

Groceries & Markets

Topeka, KS

$319 16.6%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 23.5% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Topeka, KS

$257 13.4%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 44.3% $114

Eating Out

Topeka, KS

$234 12.2%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 31.9% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Topeka, KS

$107 5.5%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 34.9% $37

Getting Around

Topeka, KS

$77 4%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 22.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Topeka, KS

$75 3.9%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 25.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $790 in Topeka, KS and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Topeka, KS pays 291% 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: $52.0 in Topeka, KS vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $244 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Topeka, KS

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

12:50 12:50 PM

2 h ahead of Topeka, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,331

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Topeka, KS Sao Paulo 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Topeka, KS
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

Topeka, KS vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 291% higher in Topeka, KS, 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: $790 in Topeka, KS 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 Sao Paulo runs roughly 3% less than in Topeka, KS. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $438 in Topeka, KS versus $579 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $1,922 in Topeka, KS, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Topeka, KS. 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 Topeka, KS, 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 56% less than in Topeka, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.