Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubatuba and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubatuba: $855 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ubatuba
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Ubatuba Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Ubatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$855

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $855 in Ubatuba versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Ubatuba $855
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Ubatuba versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Ubatuba $1,360
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Ubatuba versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Ubatuba $1,865
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Ubatuba costs roughly 31% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ubatuba 37% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 R$38.48

$8.81 R$44.68

-13.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.05 R$147

$49.37 R$250

-41.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 R$25.78

$8.80 R$44.63

-42.16%

Cappuccino

$1.46 R$7.40

$2.49 R$12.63

-41.37%

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

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.42 R$7.19

-9.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.72

$0.85 R$4.31

9.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R$12.32

$2.98 R$15.11

-18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 R$19.85

$4.34 R$22.02

-9.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.38

$1.24 R$6.28

-14.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.91 R$9.66

-3.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.04

$1.43 R$7.25

-2.80%

Eggs

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.81 R$14.23

-10.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.97 R$15.06

$12.74 R$64.6

-76.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.58

$5.41 R$27.44

-24.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.22 R$41.69

$10.64 R$54.0

-22.74%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.24

$2.75 R$13.95

-40.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.24

$1.81 R$9.19

-32.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.97

$1.63 R$8.27

-27.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.11

$2.00 R$10.16

-30.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$1.40 R$7.10

-16.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.02

$1.27 R$6.43

-6.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 R$4.74

$1.28 R$6.47

-27.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.18

$0.95 R$4.83

-33.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 R$12.90

$2.99 R$15.15

-14.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.96

$9.96 R$50.5

-18.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 R$8.03

$1.85 R$9.37

-14.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 R$13.27

$2.54 R$12.90

3.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.09 R$5.50

-7.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.19

$1.85 R$9.39

-34.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.72

$0.99 R$4.99

-26.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.73 R$44.27

$10.29 R$52.2

-15.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.56

$1.34 R$6.78

-3.73%

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

$24.1K R$122.1K

$24.4K R$123.8K

-1.32%

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

$32.8K R$166.1K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-3.45%

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

$66.0 R$334

$104 R$529

-36.83%

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

$9.01 R$45.69

$16.71 R$84.7

-46.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.76 R$100

$22.18 R$112

-10.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.94 R$60.5

$35.82 R$182

-66.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 R$39.58

$10.06 R$51.0

-22.37%

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

$438 R$2,223

$579 R$2,936

-24.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K R$56.4K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-34.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 R$328

$65.7 R$333

-1.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 R$286

$61.0 R$309

-7.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 R$453

$100 R$509

-11.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 R$405

$92.1 R$467

-13.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$396 R$2,007

$659 R$3,341

-39.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$298 R$1,512

$428 R$2,170

-30.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 R$4,135

$1,515 R$7,678

-46.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$612 R$3,102

$1,026 R$5,201

-40.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,797 R$9,110

$2,773 R$14.1K

-35.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 R$1,952

$909 R$4,609

-57.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

11.68

-7.45%

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

Last update for Ubatuba: 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

Ubatuba

$298 34.9%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 43.5% $130

Groceries & Markets

Ubatuba

$172 20.2%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 41.8% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Ubatuba

$131 15.3%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 10% $13

Eating Out

Ubatuba

$122 14.3%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 30.3% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubatuba

$95 11.1%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 51.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Ubatuba

$28 3.2%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 103% $28

Getting Around

Ubatuba

$8.9 * 1.1%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 570% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $396 in Ubatuba and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 136% 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: $29.00 in Ubatuba vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $244 per month, with Ubatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Ubatuba

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

Same time as Ubatuba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,981

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

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Ubatuba Sao Paulo 160 km

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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

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

Ubatuba is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 136% 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: $396 in Ubatuba versus $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Ubatuba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $855 in Ubatuba versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ubatuba but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Ubatuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ubatuba 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 Ubatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.