Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wilkes-Barre, PA and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,222 a month against $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Wilkes-Barre, PA
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Wilkes-Barre, PA Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,190

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo.

Wilkes-Barre, PA $2,190
Sao Paulo $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,358 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,044 in Sao Paulo.

Wilkes-Barre, PA $3,358
Sao Paulo $2,044

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,526 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $2,867 in Sao Paulo.

Wilkes-Barre, PA $4,526
Sao Paulo $2,867

Living in Wilkes-Barre, PA is roughly 79% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Wilkes-Barre, PA is 62% above, Sao Paulo is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.15 $18.15

$8.71 R$44.15

108.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 $49.37

$48.61 R$246

1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 $10.40

$9.03 R$45.77

15.17%

Cappuccino

$3.91 $3.91

$2.55 R$12.94

53.33%

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

$0.99 $0.99

$1.35 R$6.83

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.91 R$4.63

118.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$3.07 R$15.55

123.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$4.38 R$22.21

66.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.19 R$6.05

-24.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.80 R$9.14

80.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.48 R$7.51

195.95%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$2.82 R$14.31

42.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 $10.82

$12.61 R$63.9

-14.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$5.40 R$27.36

146.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$10.76 R$54.6

64.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$2.82 R$14.28

127.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.82 R$9.25

-23.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.60 R$8.14

236.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$2.03 R$10.28

234.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.46 R$7.40

98.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.25 R$6.35

201.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.25 R$6.32

137.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$0.98 R$4.98

179.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 $15.11

$3.00 R$15.18

403.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$9.71 R$49.22

52.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.84 R$9.32

66.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.52 R$12.80

86.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.07 R$5.41

37.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.81 R$9.16

111.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.01 R$5.14

116.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.91 $29.91

$10.24 R$51.9

192.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.29 R$6.52

-14.73%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$23.5K R$119.3K

31.48%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.5K R$174.9K

-22.20%

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

$238 $238

$104 R$527

128.77%

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

$57.5 $57.5

$16.60 R$84.1

246.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$22.04 R$112

236.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.49 $49.49

$36.43 R$185

35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$9.69 R$49.12

52.22%

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

$1,732 $1,732

$573 R$2,906

202.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$16.9K R$85.8K

4.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 $54.5

$66.3 R$336

-17.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 $48.05

$61.1 R$310

-21.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.1 $96.1

$98.8 R$501

-2.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$91.4 R$463

35.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 $1,253

$654 R$3,316

91.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$852 $852

$418 R$2,120

103.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$1,524 R$7,724

13.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,752 $1,752

$992 R$5,028

76.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$900 R$4,563

377.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.68

-42.89%

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

Last update for Wilkes-Barre, PA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$852 38.9%

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2% 50.9% $434

Groceries & Markets

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$439 20%

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9% 44.6% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$370 16.9%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 61.4% $227

Eating Out

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$284 13%

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1% 43.5% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$145 6.6%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7% 1.6% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$79 3.6%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6% 29.3% $23

Getting Around

Wilkes-Barre, PA

$21 * 0.9%

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8% 182% $38

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 $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA and $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilkes-Barre, PA pays 377% 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: $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo. Groceries flip the comparison at $439 vs $243, with Sao Paulo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Wilkes-Barre, PA

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

19:14 7:14 PM

1 h ahead of Wilkes-Barre, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,288

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Wilkes-Barre, PA Sao Paulo 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Wilkes-Barre, PA
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

Wilkes-Barre, PA vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 377% higher in Wilkes-Barre, PA, 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: $1,253 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $654 in Sao Paulo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,732 in Wilkes-Barre, PA versus $573 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 Sao Paulo – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $49.00 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $2,190 in Wilkes-Barre, PA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Wilkes-Barre, PA. 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 Wilkes-Barre, PA, 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 79% less than in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.