Buenos Aires vs São Paulo Cost of Living
Buenos Aires (Argentina) · Overall index 37.3 — São Paulo (Brazil) · Overall index 35.9
Summary
- Overall, São Paulo is 4% cheaper than Buenos Aires.
- Telecom in São Paulo is 8% cheaper than in Buenos Aires.
- Transport in São Paulo is 8% cheaper than in Buenos Aires.
| Item | Buenos Aires | São Paulo | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -2% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,039 | $966 | -7% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $720 | $665 | -8% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,957 | $2,186 | +12% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,427 | $1,366 | -4% |
| Groceries | -2% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.67 | $0.55 | -18% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.94 | $1.73 | -11% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.2 | $2.36 | +7% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.15 | $2.35 | +9% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.64 | $7.12 | +7% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.42 | $6.35 | -1% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $9.29 | $8.01 | -14% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.55 | $2.5 | -2% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.03 | $1.05 | +2% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.18 | $1.99 | -9% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.51 | $2.58 | +3% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.39 | $1.33 | -4% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.22 | $1.38 | +13% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.13 | $1.07 | -5% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.19 | $1.12 | -6% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7 | $6.84 | -2% |
| Transport | -8% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1 | $0.91 | -9% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $46.7 | $42.2 | -10% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.79 | $1.64 | -8% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.85 | $0.64 | -25% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.37 | $0.37 | 0% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $10,087 | $10,655 | +6% |
| Dining out | -3% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.77 | $8.37 | -5% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $51.1 | $48.8 | -5% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.02 | $4.92 | -2% |
| Cappuccino | $2.15 | $2.15 | 0% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.06 | $1.15 | +8% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.96 | $2.74 | -7% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.3 | $3.05 | -8% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.8 | $0.75 | -6% |
| Telecom | -8% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $35.3 | $33.7 | -5% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $39.4 | $33 | -16% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.18 | $0.18 | 0% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.1 | $7.35 | -9% |
| Utilities & household | -3% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $77.6 | $88.5 | +14% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.11 | $0.11 | 0% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.47 | $2.26 | -9% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.67 | $0.64 | -4% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $11.9 | $10.7 | -10% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $40.9 | $34 | -17% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $8.07 | $6.59 | -18% |
| Men's haircut | $14.3 | $13.8 | -3% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $11.8 | $12.6 | +7% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $888 | $1,022 | +15% |
2,944 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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