Cost of Living in São Paulo, 🇧🇷 Brazil - For Locals, Nomads, and Tourists

Researched Updated Oct 25, 2026 Last changed Oct 31, 2026 About costs

Cost breakdown

Digital nomad: short-term stay (1-3 months). Furnished Airbnb or coliving near center, coworking, eating out ~3x/day, travel health insurance.

Expat: long-term resident (1+ years). Renting apartment in center, mix of cooking and dining out, local health insurance, settled lifestyle.

Family: middle-class 4-person family. 2-3 bedroom in suburbs, groceries for 4, international school, car/transport, family health plan.

Local: budget-conscious local resident. Renting outside center, cooking at home, public transport, local phone plan.

Tourist: short-stay visitor (1-14 days). Hotel/Airbnb nightly, all meals at restaurants, taxis, sightseeing.

CategoryCost

Housing 1 3 $1,187 $652 $1,001 $417 $79

Utilities 1 25 — $104 $165 $56 —

Internet & Mobile 6 7 17 $43 $26 $32 $26 $5

Groceries 19 20 21 22 31 32 33 1 $95 $270 $685 $165 $5

Transportation 4 17 23 39 $181 $133 $520 $51 $23

Dining Out 26 27 1 $562 $310 $580 $54 $53

Leisure Activities 18 30 40 1 $158 $66 $476 $29 $17

Health Insurance 8 $68 $143 $419 — $5

Visa & Legal Fees 10 13 $16 $29 $57 — —

Total $2,310 $1,733 $3,935 $798 $187

Itemized prices

Local prices converted to the selected currency.

Housing

Apartment (1 bedroom) 1 3 $416.88 $297 – $692 per month

Coworking Space 14 15 $217.55 per month

Airbnb (1 month) 1 3 $1,187.00 $950 – $1,580 per month

Coliving Space 3 $633.00 per month

Food & Dining

Coffee 28 1 $2.71 per cup

Beer 29 $3.56 per pint

Meal (Inexpensive) 26 1 $6.70 per meal

Fast Food Combo 27 $4.53 per meal

Apples 31 1 $3.75 per kg

Bread 21 1 $2.17 per loaf

Milk 20 1 $1.28 per liter

Rice 19 1 $1.27 per kg

Chicken Fillets 32 1 $5.32 per kg

Beef 33 1 $16.59 per kg

Wine (Mid-range) 24 1 $9.89 per bottle

Meal (Mid-range, 2 people) 26 $22.52 per meal

Water (1.5L bottle) 22 1 $0.81 per bottle

Transportation

Taxi Start 17 $1.30 per trip

Taxi per km 17 $0.95 per km

Monthly Transport Pass 4 $50.93 per month

Gasoline 39 5 $1.19 per liter

Ride-hailing (5km) 17 23 $6.05 per trip

Scooter Rental 12 $49.24 per month

Services

Mobile Plan 6 7 $5.93 per month

Internet (60 Mbps+) 16 1 $19.76 per month

Gym Membership 18 $23.71 per month

Tennis Court (Weekend) 40 $19.78 per hour

SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid) 6 7 $5.93 one-time

Entertainment

Cinema Ticket 30 $5.54 per ticket

Clothing

Jeans 34 $31.64 per pair

Summer Dress 35 $31.64 per dress

Running Shoes 36 $108.77 per pair

Personal Care

Haircut 38 $7.91 per visit

Laundry 11 $5.14 per kg

Healthcare

Doctor Visit (GP) 37 $26.11 per visit

Pharmacy (basic meds) 41 $4.85 per purchase

About these costs

Method: Researched
Last updated: Oct 25, 2026
Last changed: Oct 31, 2026
Exchange rate: 1 USD = 5.0564 BRL on Oct 19, 2026

Checked against the sources below and compared with similar cities. Numbers in the list point to these sources.

Compared with Hanoi, Buenos Aires, Medellín, Mexico City

Numbeo cost of living, São Paulo (Wayback 2026-10-04)Index
BCB PTAX USD sale R$ 5.0564 (country prep)Official
QuintoAndar 1-bedroom rentals, São PauloListings
SPTrans Bilhete Único fares and monthly passesOfficial
Brazil gasoline BRL 6.53/litre, 19-Oct-2026Index
Claro Prezão chip and R$30/30-day creditOfficial
TIM pré-pago R$30 / 16 GB / 30 daysOfficial
SafetyWing Essential USD 62.72 per 4 weeksOfficial
UK FCDO Brazil 90-day visa-free tourismOfficial
Federal Police immigration GRU and CRNM feesOfficial
Lavanderia Ike lava e passa R$26/kg ButantãListings
Grin4U scooter subscription R$249/mo (historical list price)Secondary
MRE Porto consular fees VITEM XIV €100 (ordinary nationality)Official
Workin.space SP monthly desk from R$349, median R$929Listings
WeWork São Paulo membership from R$1,003/moListings
Claro fibra plans from R$99,90/moOfficial
Portaria SMT 41/2025 taxi bandeirada R$6,55 and R$4,80/kmOfficial
Smart Fit Plano Smart R$119,90/mo after promo monthOfficial
Pão de Açúcar arroz 5 kg packs from R$19,49Shop
Pão de Açúcar leite integral 1 L from R$6,49Shop
Pão de Açúcar pão de forma 500 g from R$10,99Shop
Pão de Açúcar água mineral 1,5 L unit R$4,09Shop
Portaria SMT 43/2025 taxi pref table (5 km bandeira 1 R$32)Official
Pão de Açúcar vinho tinto 750 ml shelf R$34,89–R$59,89Shop
Sabesp residential water and sewer tariff tablesOfficial
Giraffas Jabaquara SP delivery menu (Brasil P1 R$33,90; Churrasco Para 2 R$113,90)Listings
McDonald's cupom McOferta Média McChicken R$22,90Official
Starbucks Jardim Paulista Rappi — Café Filtrado R$13,71Listings
Bar do Didi chopp Brahma Pilsen 500 ml R$18,00Restaurant
Cinemark Morumbi Town 2D R$22–29 (shopping cinema board)Listings
Pão de Açúcar maçã Gala 500 g R$9,49Shop
Pão de Açúcar filé peito frango Sadia 1 kg R$18,90 promoShop
Pão de Açúcar alcatra bovina especial 500 g R$41,95Shop
C&A calças jeans masculinas from R$149,99Shop
C&A vestidos femininos from R$99,99Shop
Decathlon tênis corrida from R$549,99Shop
dr.consulta clínica geral R$132,00Listings
Barbearia.Corte São Paulo — corte R$40,00Listings
ANP síntese semana 19–25 Oct 2025 — gasolina SP capital R$6,00/LOfficial
Play Tennis Ibirapuera quadra dura R$100,00/horaListings
Neosaldina 20 drágeas from R$24,54 (Farmácias São João via Qualfarma)Shop

Change history

Oct 31, 2026
- Method Generated Researched
- Airbnb (1 month) 1370.09 1187
- Apartment (1 bedroom) 694.56 416.88
- Apples 2.76 3.75
- Beef 9.9 16.59
- Beer 3.04 3.56
40 more changes
- Bread 2.13 2.17
- Chicken Fillets 5.42 5.32
- Cinema Ticket 10.47 5.54
- Coffee 2 2.71
- Coliving Space 799.22 633
- Coworking Space 218.83 217.55
- Dining Out local 76.12, nomad 723.1, expat 342.52, family 608.93, tourist 60.89 local 54, nomad 562, expat 310, family 580, tourist 53
- Doctor Visit (GP) 85.63 26.11
- Fast Food Combo 9.13 4.53
- Gasoline 1.23 1.19
- Groceries local 161.75, nomad 95.14, expat 266.41, family 685.04, tourist 7.61 local 165, nomad 95, expat 270, family 685, tourist 5.4
- Gym Membership 36.16 23.71
- Haircut 20.93 7.91
- Health Insurance local 0, nomad 85.63, expat 142.72, family 418.64, tourist 4.76 local 0, nomad 68, expat 143, family 419, tourist 4.8
- Housing local 313.98, nomad 1236.88, expat 723.1, family 1560.38, tourist 85.63 local 417, nomad 1187, expat 652, family 1001, tourist 79
- Internet & Mobile local 20.93, nomad 53.28, expat 39.96, family 66.6, tourist 2.85 local 26, nomad 43, family 32, tourist 5.4
- Internet (60 Mbps+) 23.79 19.76
- Jeans 60.89 31.64
- Laundry 12.37 5.14
- Leisure Activities local 47.57, nomad 228.35, expat 190.29, family 475.72, tourist 17.13 local 29, nomad 158, expat 66, family 476, tourist 17
- Meal (Inexpensive) 7.99 6.7
- Meal (Mid-range, 2 people) 58.99 22.52
- Milk 1.29 1.28
- Mobile Plan 14.27 5.93
- Monthly Transport Pass 48.52 50.93
- Pharmacy (basic meds) 6.66 4.85
- Rice 1.43 1.27
- Ride-hailing (5km) 5.33 6.05
- Running Shoes 129.4 108.77
- SIM Card (Tourist, prepaid) 8.56 5.93
- Scooter Rental 6.66 49.24
- Summer Dress 45.67 31.64
- Taxi Start 1.24 1.3
- Taxi per km 0.91 0.95
- Tennis Court (Weekend) 30.45 19.78
- Transportation local 45.67, nomad 180.78, expat 133.2, family 532.81, tourist 22.83 local 51, nomad 181, expat 133, family 520, tourist 23
- Utilities local 60.89, nomad 0, expat 104.66, family 209.32, tourist 0 local 56, nomad 0, expat 104, family 165, tourist 0
- Visa & Legal Fees local 0, expat 28.54, family 57.09 local 0, nomad 16, expat 29, family 57
- Water (1.5L bottle) 1.05 0.81
- Wine (Mid-range) 12.37 9.89
Coffee, Beer, Meal (Inexpensive), Fast Food Combo, Apples, Chicken Fillets, Beef, Gasoline, Tennis Court (Weekend), Cinema Ticket, Jeans, Summer Dress, Running Shoes, Dining Out (all profiles), Meal (Mid-range, 2 people), Haircut, Doctor Visit (GP), Pharmacy (basic meds) and Leisure Activities (local, nomad, expat) to Rappi Giraffas/Starbucks, McDonald's cupons, Bar do Didi, Morumbi Town, Pão de Açúcar, C&A, Decathlon, dr.consulta, Booksy, ANP and Play Tennis Ibirapuera (rappi.com.br, cupons.mcdonalds.com.br, rappi.com.br, bar-do-didi-getulio-vargas.ola.click, morumbitown.com.br, paodeacucar.com, cea.com.br, decathlon.com.br, drconsulta.com, booksy.com, gov.br, techtennis.com.br, qualfarma.com.br)

São Paulo cost of living