Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vila Velha and Santa Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $639 a month against $995 in Vila Velha, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Vila Velha
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Vila Velha Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Vila Velha

🇧🇷 Brazil

$995

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vila Velha and in Santa Cruz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vila Velha and in Santa Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $995 per month in Vila Velha vs $639 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Vila Velha $995
Santa Cruz $639

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Vila Velha vs $1,172 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Vila Velha $1,609
Santa Cruz $1,172

A family of three spends $2,223 per month in Vila Velha vs $1,704 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Vila Velha $2,223
Santa Cruz $1,704

Vila Velha costs about 56% more than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vila Velha and Santa Cruz are more affordable than the global median – Vila Velha 26% lower, Santa Cruz 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.40 R$47.66

$2.00 BOB 23.19

370.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.36 R$200

$16.80 BOB 195

134.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.18 R$41.47

$5.10 BOB 59.2

60.39%

Cappuccino

$2.39 R$12.14

$1.77 BOB 20.52

35.03%

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

$1.37 R$6.93

$0.49 BOB 5.72

179.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 R$2.84

$0.43 BOB 4.97

30.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 R$10.35

$0.86 BOB 9.97

137.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 R$14.83

$1.24 BOB 14.35

136.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.71 BOB 8.23

53.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 R$8.30

$0.94 BOB 10.88

74.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 R$9.97

$1.03 BOB 11.93

91.26%

Eggs

$2.42 R$12.27

$1.06 BOB 12.27

128.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.44 R$47.86

$3.15 BOB 36.56

199.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 R$22.96

$2.58 BOB 29.92

75.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.35 R$47.40

$4.98 BOB 57.8

87.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 R$10.00

$1.82 BOB 21.12

8.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.07

$0.62 BOB 7.24

61.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$0.76 BOB 8.81

60.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.64

$0.73 BOB 8.48

79.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.44

$0.74 BOB 8.55

71.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.65

$0.67 BOB 7.75

95.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.46 R$2.35

$0.57 BOB 6.66

-19.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 R$3.96

$0.63 BOB 7.36

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.36 R$17.05

$1.92 BOB 22.25

75.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.01 R$45.67

$4.32 BOB 50.2

108.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.02 BOB 11.86

77.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 R$11.51

$1.64 BOB 19.01

38.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.97

$0.24 BOB 2.78

308.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 R$264

$22.48 BOB 261

131.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 R$7.28

$1.64 BOB 19.05

-12.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.33

$0.91 BOB 10.58

-6.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.13 R$66.6

$6.31 BOB 73.3

108.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$0.57 BOB 6.59

117.54%

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

$34.2K R$173.2K

$14.1K BOB 163.3K

142.89%

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

$32.8K R$166.3K

$19.3K BOB 223.6K

70.34%

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

$116 R$590

$34.84 BOB 405

233.90%

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

$17.83 R$90.4

$19.67 BOB 228

-9.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.30 R$77.6

$17.53 BOB 204

-12.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.78 R$141

$19.56 BOB 227

42.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.25 R$138

$12.84 BOB 149

112.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.83 R$34.61

$5.86 BOB 68.1

16.55%

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

$433 R$2,193

$112 BOB 1,303

285.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K R$76.0K

$2,950 BOB 34.2K

408.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 R$402

$27.21 BOB 316

191.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 R$266

$35.79 BOB 416

46.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 R$427

$66.3 BOB 769

27.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 R$391

$58.3 BOB 677

32.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 R$1,591

$267 BOB 3,105

17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 R$1,308

$247 BOB 2,869

4.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 R$3,004

$909 BOB 10.6K

-34.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 R$2,875

$830 BOB 9,630

-31.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,065 R$10.5K

$1,299 BOB 15.1K

59.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,060 R$10.4K

$737 BOB 8,551

179.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$421 R$2,136

$276 BOB 3,204

52.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

6.17

83.63%

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

Last update for Vila Velha: October 13, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vila Velha

$258 25.9%

Santa Cruz

$247 38.6% 4.2% $11

Groceries & Markets

Vila Velha

$200 20.1%

Santa Cruz

$112 17.5% 44.1% $88

Eating Out

Vila Velha

$152 15.3%

Santa Cruz

$63 9.8% 58.7% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vila Velha

$149 15%

Santa Cruz

$72 11.3% 51.8% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Vila Velha

$132 13.3%

Santa Cruz

$84 13.2% 36% $48

Getting Around

Vila Velha

$62 6.2%

Santa Cruz

$30 4.6% 52% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Vila Velha

$41 4.2%

Santa Cruz

$31 4.9% 24.5% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $314 in Vila Velha versus $267 in Santa Cruz. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Vila Velha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Vila Velha versus $17.00 in Santa Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $112 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Vila Velha

🇧🇴 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

04:23 4:23 AM

03:23 3:23 AM

1 h behind Vila Velha

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

467,722

1,800,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 BOB = 8.61 USD

100 BOB = 7.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 11.61 BOB (100 BOB = 8.61 USD). 1 EUR = 13.05 BOB (100 BOB = 7.66 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vila Velha Santa Cruz 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Vila Velha
Santa Cruz

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

Vila Velha vs Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vila Velha is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,493 per month in Vila Velha and $959 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Cruz, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Vila Velha, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Vila Velha and $17.00 in Santa Cruz. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $995 in Vila Velha and $639 in Santa Cruz, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Cruz – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vila Velha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.