Where you live now
Rio de JaneiroBrazil
R$6,576
per month
Cost of living: Rio de Janeiro vs São Paulo
Choose where you live now and another city. You'll see what a normal month costs in each: rent, food, transport, bills and going out.
Household
Rent
Popular:London vs New YorkLisbon vs LondonHong Kong vs SingaporeNew York vs TokyoBerlin vs LondonDubai vs London
São Paulo costs about the same as Rio de Janeiro.
Monthly cost for one person, renting in the city centre. Includes rent, food, transport, bills and going out.
City to compare
São PauloBrazil
R$6,663
per month
Monthly costs by category
Show amounts in
| Category | Rio de Janeiro | São Paulo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | 3,279 | 3,279 | 0% |
| Groceries | 1,207 | 1,232 | +2% |
| Eating out | 697 | 724 | +4% |
| Getting around | 329 | 340 | +3% |
| Bills | 679 | 696 | +2% |
| Going out | 287 | 295 | +3% |
| Clothes | 97 | 98 | +1% |
| Total per month | 6,576 | 6,663 | +1% |
São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro cost about the same for one person renting in the city centre. The biggest gap is eating out (+4%); rent is the closest (0%). Someone spending R$6,576 a month in Rio de Janeiro would need about R$6,663 in São Paulo for the same lifestyle. Rent takes 49% of the monthly budget in São Paulo and 50% in Rio de Janeiro.
São Paulo: no reports yet, so these numbers are starting estimates from the city's overall price level.How this is calculated
Prices
Everyday prices in São Paulo
The typical price people paid recently, and how it compares with Rio de Janeiro. "Estimated" means we don't have many reports yet.
Show amounts in
| Item | Typical price | What people paid | vs Rio de Janeiro | Reports |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cappuccino, regularEstimated | R$9.98 | +4% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurantEstimated | R$41.67 | +4% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Monthly public transport passEstimated | R$284 | +3% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| 1-bedroom flat, city centreEstimated | R$3,279 | 0% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| 1-bedroom flat, outside the centreEstimated | R$2,361 | 0% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Milk, 1 LEstimated | R$3.93 | +2% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Eggs, 12Estimated | R$13.89 | +2% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kgEstimated | R$39.34 | +2% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Electricity, water, heating and cooling for 85 m²Estimated | R$536 | +3% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps or fasterEstimated | R$181 | +2% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Mobile plan with calls and 10 GB+ dataEstimated | R$167 | +2% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Gym membership, monthlyEstimated | R$211 | +3% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Cinema ticketEstimated | R$42.18 | +3% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports | |
| Jeans, Levi's 501 or similarEstimated | R$265 | +1% vs Rio de Janeiro | 0 reports |
Most reports (10th–90th percentile)
Middle half of reports
Same item in Rio de Janeiro
All prices in São Paulo
Method
Where the numbers come from
People who live in each city share what they paid. Every price is checked before it counts.
People share prices
Anyone can add what they paid, in their own currency. No account needed. A quick automatic check keeps bots out.
We check every price
Typos, wrong currencies and impossible amounts are caught. An unusual price only counts after someone else reports something similar.
We work out the typical price
We use the middle price of recent reports. When a city has only a few reports, we estimate the rest and label it "Estimated".
No reports in the last 30 days yet. When they arrive, you'll see here how many were counted, held for a second opinion or turned down.
Rankings
Most and least expensive cities
Monthly cost for one person renting in the city centre, in Brazilian reals. Pick a city to compare it with Rio de Janeiro. See all 118 cities
Most expensive
Comparisons
Popular comparisons
Cities people often weigh up against each other. Monthly cost for one person, rent in the centre included.
- London vs New YorkR$20,904 → R$28,708+37%
- Lisbon vs LondonR$11,307 → R$20,904+85%
- Hong Kong vs SingaporeR$16,643 → R$21,494+29%
- New York vs TokyoR$28,708 → R$9,966−65%
- Berlin vs LondonR$11,700 → R$20,904+79%
- Dubai vs LondonR$16,744 → R$20,904+25%
- Amsterdam vs BerlinR$16,660 → R$11,700−30%
- Barcelona vs MadridR$11,231 → R$10,851−3%
- Lisbon vs PortoR$11,307 → R$9,282−18%
- Melbourne vs SydneyR$14,137 → R$17,582+24%
- Toronto vs VancouverR$15,146 → R$15,651+3%
- Beijing vs ShanghaiR$8,691 → R$9,282+7%
- Osaka vs TokyoR$7,942 → R$9,966+25%
- Bangkok vs SingaporeR$6,576 → R$21,494+227%
- Mexico City vs New YorkR$8,473 → R$28,708+239%
- Seoul vs TokyoR$9,891 → R$9,966+1%
- London vs ParisR$20,904 → R$13,885−34%
- Dubai vs SingaporeR$16,744 → R$21,494+28%
- New York vs San FranciscoR$28,708 → R$24,466−15%
- Bangkok vs Chiang MaiR$6,576 → R$4,529−31%
- Buenos Aires vs São PauloR$6,638 → R$6,6630%
- London vs SydneyR$20,904 → R$17,582−16%
- Austin vs San FranciscoR$15,564 → R$24,466+57%
- Hong Kong vs TaipeiR$16,643 → R$7,185−57%
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Rent, groceries, eating out and monthly budgets for every city we cover.
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FAQ
Rio de Janeiro vs São Paulo: common questions
Is São Paulo cheaper than Rio de Janeiro?
They cost about the same. One person renting a 1-bedroom flat in the centre spends about R$6,663 a month in São Paulo and R$6,576 in Rio de Janeiro.
How much is rent in São Paulo compared with Rio de Janeiro?
A 1-bedroom flat in the centre of São Paulo rents for about R$3,279 a month, 0% compared with R$3,279 in Rio de Janeiro. Outside the centre it's about R$2,361 against R$2,361.
How much money do I need to move from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo?
To keep the lifestyle that costs R$6,576 a month in Rio de Janeiro, plan on about R$6,663 in São Paulo for one person. A family of four would need about R$19,324, compared with R$18,965 in Rio de Janeiro.
How much does eating out cost in São Paulo vs Rio de Janeiro?
A meal at an inexpensive restaurant is about R$41.67 in São Paulo and R$39.99 in Rio de Janeiro. A regular cappuccino is about R$9.98 against R$9.61.
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