Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Winston-Salem, NC and Sao Paulo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Paulo: $1,235 a month against $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
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Winston-Salem, NC Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,384

/mo nomad

Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo.

Winston-Salem, NC $2,384
Sao Paulo $1,235

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,790 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $2,073 in Sao Paulo.

Winston-Salem, NC $3,790
Sao Paulo $2,073

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,195 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $2,911 in Sao Paulo.

Winston-Salem, NC $5,195
Sao Paulo $2,911

Living in Winston-Salem, NC is roughly 93% more expensive than in Sao Paulo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Winston-Salem, NC is 77% above, Sao Paulo is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.56 $22.56

$8.81 R$44.68

156.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 $79.2

$49.37 R$250

60.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.80 R$44.63

14.77%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$2.49 R$12.63

117.27%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$1.42 R$7.19

107.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.85 R$4.31

141.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.98 R$15.11

69.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$4.34 R$22.02

41.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.24 R$6.28

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$1.91 R$9.66

149.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$1.43 R$7.25

569.23%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$2.81 R$14.23

88.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.18 $18.18

$12.74 R$64.6

42.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 $13.89

$5.41 R$27.44

156.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.80 $26.80

$10.64 R$54.0

151.88%

Apples (1kg)

$7.82 $7.82

$2.75 R$13.95

184.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.81 R$9.19

67.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$1.63 R$8.27

314.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.46 $7.46

$2.00 R$10.16

273.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.40 R$7.10

250.71%

Onion (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$1.27 R$6.43

389.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.28 R$6.47

115.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$0.95 R$4.83

258.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.76 $7.76

$2.99 R$15.15

159.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$9.96 R$50.5

53.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.85 R$9.37

-13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.54 R$12.90

71.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.09 R$5.50

88.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 $29.85

$48.78 R$247

-38.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.85 R$9.39

275.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.99 R$4.99

135.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.74 $14.74

$10.29 R$52.2

43.25%

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)

$35.2K $35.2K

$24.4K R$123.8K

44.00%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$33.9K R$172.1K

-23.10%

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

$174 $174

$104 R$529

66.16%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$16.71 R$84.7

205.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.4 $63.4

$22.18 R$112

185.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.72 $48.72

$35.82 R$182

36.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.71 $15.71

$47.28 R$240

-66.77%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$10.06 R$51.0

18.79%

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

$1,301 $1,301

$579 R$2,936

124.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$17.1K R$86.6K

-40.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.65 $39.65

$65.7 R$333

-39.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 $31.82

$61.0 R$309

-47.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$100 R$509

-15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 $94.0

$92.1 R$467

2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 $1,448

$659 R$3,341

119.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$428 R$2,170

121.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,639 $2,639

$1,515 R$7,678

74.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$1,026 R$5,201

86.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,350 $6,350

$2,773 R$14.1K

128.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,229 $3,229

$2,007 R$10.2K

60.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,555 $3,555

$909 R$4,609

291.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

11.68

-42.81%

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

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Winston-Salem, NC

$947 39.7%

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7% 54.8% $519

Groceries & Markets

Winston-Salem, NC

$574 24.1%

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8% 57.4% $330

Eating Out

Winston-Salem, NC

$333 14%

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9% 52.1% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Winston-Salem, NC

$288 12.1%

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6% 50.2% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Winston-Salem, NC

$113 4.7%

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6% 27.3% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Winston-Salem, NC

$73 3.1%

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5% 23% $17

Getting Around

Winston-Salem, NC

$57 2.4%

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9% 5.7% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC and $659 in Sao Paulo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winston-Salem, NC 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: $79.0 in Winston-Salem, NC vs $49.00 in Sao Paulo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $574 vs $244 per month, with Sao Paulo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

07:27 7:27 AM

1 h ahead of Winston-Salem, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,218

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

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).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Winston-Salem, NC Sao Paulo 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Winston-Salem, NC
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

Winston-Salem, NC vs Sao Paulo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 291% higher in Winston-Salem, NC, 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: $1,448 in Winston-Salem, NC 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 63% less than in Winston-Salem, NC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,301 in Winston-Salem, NC 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 $2,384 in Winston-Salem, NC, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sao Paulo but tight or insufficient in Winston-Salem, NC. 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 Winston-Salem, NC, 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 93% less than in Winston-Salem, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.