Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Volta Redonda and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Volta Redonda: $817 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Volta Redonda
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Volta Redonda Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Volta Redonda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$817

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $817 in Volta Redonda versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Volta Redonda $817
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,294 in Volta Redonda versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Volta Redonda $1,294
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,771 in Volta Redonda versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Volta Redonda $1,771
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Volta Redonda costs roughly 34% less than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Volta Redonda 39% lower, Sao Paulo 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.07 R$15.58

$8.81 R$44.68

-65.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.42 R$205

$49.37 R$250

-18.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 R$34.16

$8.80 R$44.63

-23.41%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

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

$1.44 R$7.30

$1.42 R$7.19

1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.14

$0.85 R$4.31

-27.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.97

$2.98 R$15.11

-20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 R$22.81

$4.34 R$22.02

3.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.14

$1.24 R$6.28

-18.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$9.76

$1.91 R$9.66

1.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.24

$1.43 R$7.25

-13.99%

Eggs

$2.39 R$12.10

$2.81 R$14.23

-14.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.84 R$34.65

$12.74 R$64.6

-46.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.26 R$16.52

$5.41 R$27.44

-39.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.03 R$50.9

$10.64 R$54.0

-5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 R$11.01

$2.75 R$13.95

-21.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.81 R$9.19

-34.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.96

$1.63 R$8.27

-39.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.05 R$10.42

$2.00 R$10.16

2.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$1.40 R$7.10

5.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.30

$1.27 R$6.43

-2.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$2.98

$1.28 R$6.47

-53.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 R$2.48

$0.95 R$4.83

-48.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 R$8.00

$2.99 R$15.15

-47.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 R$44.49

$9.96 R$50.5

-11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R$5.74

$1.85 R$9.37

-38.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R$8.40

$2.54 R$12.90

-34.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.90

$1.09 R$5.50

-11.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.59 R$180

$48.78 R$247

-27.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 R$7.99

$1.85 R$9.39

-14.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$5.01

$0.99 R$4.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.40 R$52.7

$10.29 R$52.2

1.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.34 R$6.78

-8.21%

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

$24.2K R$122.8K

$24.4K R$123.8K

-0.80%

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

$33.7K R$170.6K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-0.84%

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

$96.2 R$488

$104 R$529

-7.89%

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

$11.25 R$57.0

$16.71 R$84.7

-32.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.11 R$112

$22.18 R$112

-0.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.50 R$155

$35.82 R$182

-14.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 R$39.09

$10.06 R$51.0

-23.36%

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

$149 R$756

$579 R$2,936

-74.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,034 R$15.4K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-82.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.44 R$230

$65.7 R$333

-30.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 R$201

$61.0 R$309

-35.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 R$256

$100 R$509

-49.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 R$478

$92.1 R$467

2.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$276 R$1,398

$659 R$3,341

-58.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 R$1,033

$428 R$2,170

-52.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 R$2,988

$1,515 R$7,678

-61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 R$1,959

$1,026 R$5,201

-62.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$831 R$4,215

$2,773 R$14.1K

-70.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$674 R$3,414

$2,007 R$10.2K

-66.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$303 R$1,536

$909 R$4,609

-66.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Volta Redonda: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Volta Redonda

$204 24.9%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 110% $224

Groceries & Markets

Volta Redonda

$185 22.6%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 32.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Volta Redonda

$130 15.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 10.6% $14

Eating Out

Volta Redonda

$104 12.7%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 53.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Volta Redonda

$103 12.7%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 38.8% $40

Getting Around

Volta Redonda

$46 5.6%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 30.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Volta Redonda

$46 5.6%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 21.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $276 in Volta Redonda and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Paulo pays 200% 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: $40.00 in Volta Redonda vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $185 vs $244 per month, with Volta Redonda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Volta Redonda

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

Same time as Volta Redonda

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

261,563

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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Volta Redonda Sao Paulo 280 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

Volta Redonda vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Volta Redonda is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 200% 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: $276 in Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda runs roughly 37% less than in Sao Paulo. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $149 in Volta Redonda versus $579 in Sao Paulo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $817 in Volta Redonda versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Volta Redonda but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes Volta Redonda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Volta Redonda 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 Volta Redonda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.