Cost Of Living For a Student in Sao Paulo 2025
Average Monthly Expenditure
Currency: BRL
Average monthly spending for students in Sao Paulo
How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Sao Paulo?
Students in Sao Paulo spend around 11,000 BRL per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 1,600 BRL or as high as 120,000 BRL. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.
Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Sao Paulo
Grocery / Food expenditure and prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Sao Paulo
Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.
Fast food combo meal price
The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Sao Paulo is approximatly 37 BRL with meal cost ranging from 18 BRL to 61 BRL. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.
Restaurant meal for one price
If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 65 BRL and 190 BRL with 97 BRL being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Sao Paulo.
Fine dining meal for one price
The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 120 BRL to 740 BRL with the average cost being 180 BRL for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Sao Paulo.
Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..
The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Sao Paulo is around 25 BRL. Price ranges between 16 BRL and 38 BRL depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.
Grocery and market costs
Large bottle of milk price
The average price of a large bottle of milk in Sao Paulo is 16 BRL. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 19 BRL and the minimum being 13 BRL depending on the brand of milk and other properties.
12 eggs price
A dozen eggs costs around 12 BRL on average with 9.1 BRL and 18 BRL being the lower and upper limits respectively.
Fresh whole chicken price
The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Sao Paulo is between 22 BRL and 41 BRL depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 29 BRL.
Pack of beef price
The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 41 BRL. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.
Medium bag of rice price
A bag of rice in Sao Paulo costs around 13 BRL on average with prices rangeing between 9.6 BRL and 19 BRL depending on the brand and quality.
Bag of tomatos price
A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 3.7 BRL to 9.2 BRL. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Bag of apples price
A bag of apples costs 8.8 BRL on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.
Expenditure on food and grocery for students
Students' spending on grocery ranges from 300 BRL to 21,000 BRL with the location, income, and size of the student being the most determinite factors.
Prices and cost of goods and services in Sao Paulo
Dining, food, and beverages costs
Fast food combo meal
Restaurant meal for one
Fine dining meal for one
Cappuccino or latte
Grocery and market costs
Milk large bottle
12 eggs
Fresh whole chicken
Pack of beef
Medium bag of rice
Bag of tomatos
Bag of apples
Commute, travel, and transportation costs
20 minutes taxi ride
Average car full tank
Average car 1-day rental
Average car price
| 44,000 BRL | 87,000 BRL | 120,000 BRL |
Bus ticket one way
Car Service
Utility cost (monthly)
Utility Bill - Student
Internet and cable
Mobile phone charges
Leisure and activities costs
Movie ticket
One month gym membership
Cloths and accessories costs
Pair of jeans or pants
Woman dress
Woman shoes
Men's shoes
Men suit
Regular t-shirt
Housing costs / monthly rent
Studio apartment
| 1,800 BRL | 2,800 BRL | 7,400 BRL |
1-bedroom apartment
| 2,800 BRL | 4,600 BRL | 11,000 BRL |
2-bedroom apartment
| 3,900 BRL | 5,900 BRL | 16,000 BRL |
Housing costs / Buying
Studio apartment
| 390,000 BRL | 590,000 BRL | 1.2M BRL |
| $79,000 | $120,000 | $240,000 |
1-bedroom apartment
| 480,000 BRL | 810,000 BRL | 3M BRL |
| $98,000 | $160,000 | $610,000 |
2-bedroom apartment
| 740,000 BRL | 2.2M BRL | 4.4M BRL |
| $150,000 | $450,000 | $890,000 |
Furniture Costs
King Size Bed
| 1,800 BRL | 2,300 BRL | 3,000 BRL |
Double Bed
| 1,200 BRL | 1,900 BRL | 2,300 BRL |
Single Bed
| 1,100 BRL | 1,500 BRL | 1,900 BRL |
Living Room
| 2,200 BRL | 2,800 BRL | 10,000 BRL |
Dining Table
| 910 BRL | 1,200 BRL | 2,300 BRL |
Sofa or Couch
| 1,200 BRL | 1,700 BRL | 3,700 BRL |
Electronics and House Appliance Costs
TV Set
| 1,300 BRL | 1,900 BRL | 3,800 BRL |
Fridge or Freezer
| 1,100 BRL | 1,800 BRL | 2,400 BRL |
Washing Machine
| 1,400 BRL | 2,000 BRL | 3,500 BRL |
Stove or Cooker
| 1,300 BRL | 1,700 BRL | 2,300 BRL |
Mobile Phone
| 1,600 BRL | 1,900 BRL | 2,700 BRL |
Laptop or Computer
| 1,800 BRL | 2,200 BRL | 3,900 BRL |
How do students spend their money in Sao Paulo?
We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.
Housing and accomodation expenditure for students
Accomodation Cost20%
20% of total expenses on average (15% to 26%)
| LOW | $78 390 BRL |
| AVERAGE | $510 2,500 BRL |
| HIGH | $5,700 28,000 BRL |
| Per Month |
Students in Sao Paulo typically spend from 15% to 26% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 20% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 2,500 BRL with expenditure ranging from 390 BRL to 28,000 BRL. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.
Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students
Cost of utilities6%
6% of total expenses on average (4% to 10%)
| LOW | $11 56 BRL |
| AVERAGE | $73 360 BRL |
| HIGH | $820 4,000 BRL |
| Per Month |
Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Sao Paulo ranges from 4% to 10% of total expenses with 6% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 360 BRL with 56 BRL and 4,000 BRL being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.
Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students
Cost of transport and fuel5%
5% of total expenses on average (5% to 11%)
| LOW | $22 110 BRL |
| AVERAGE | $140 700 BRL |
| HIGH | $1,600 7,800 BRL |
| Per Month |
Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 110 BRL to 7,800 BRL in a month on commuting with 700 BRL being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 5% of total spending on average but can go as low as 5% or as high as 11%.
Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students
Food and Groceries Cost22%
22% of total expenses on average (16% to 26%)
| LOW | $60 300 BRL |
| AVERAGE | $390 1,900 BRL |
| HIGH | $4,300 21,000 BRL |
| Per Month |
The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Sao Paulo is 1,900 BRL. The cost of groceries can range between 300 BRL to 21,000 BRL. Students spend on average about 22% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 16% and 26% respectively.
Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students
Cost of healthcare8%
8% of total expenses on average (5% to 11%)
| LOW | $15 76 BRL |
| AVERAGE | $100 500 BRL |
| HIGH | $1,100 5,500 BRL |
| Per Month |
Students in Sao Paulo allocate 5% to 11% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 8%. The range of medical expenses range from 76 BRL to 5,500 BRL with 500 BRL being the norm for most students.
Leisure and shopping expenditure for students
Cost of leisure and shopping3%
3% of total expenses on average (2% to 7%)
| LOW | $15 74 BRL |
| AVERAGE | $98 480 BRL |
| HIGH | $1,100 5,400 BRL |
| Per Month |
This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 74 BRL to 5,400 BRL with 480 BRL being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 7% of total expenses with an average of 3% for most students.
Education and schooling expenditure for students
Cost of education and schooling19%
19% of total expenses on average (12% to 24%)
| LOW | $57 280 BRL |
| AVERAGE | $370 1,800 BRL |
| HIGH | $4,100 20,000 BRL |
| Per Month |
Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 19% of the monthly expenditure of students with 12% and 24% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 1,800 BRL per month with 280 BRL being the minimum spent amount and 20,000 BRL being the maximum.
Other Expenses17%
17% of total expenses on average (11% to 23%)
| LOW | $48 240 BRL |
| AVERAGE | $310 1,500 BRL |
| HIGH | $3,500 17,000 BRL |
| Per Month |
Affordable living in Sao Paulo
Income and cost of living compatibility
We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.
Is it affordable or economical to live in Sao Paulo?
Around 69% of surveyed students think that living in Sao Paulo is affordable with proper budgeting while 31% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.
A typical and healthy budgeting structure
The 50/30/20 rule
Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle,
location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule,
which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.
50% for needs and financial obligations
This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.
30% for wants and discretionary spending
This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.
20% for savings and emergency fund
This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.
About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting
The 50/30/20 rule is used as a general guideline but may not be the best choice for all people. There are in fact many budgeting plans out there like the 70/20/10 and the 60/20/20 rules, all claiming to be the best. More important than all of this is to establish financial discipline by creating a budget tailored to your specific financial goals and situation. It is very important that your financial outflow be less than your income to maintain a healthy cash flow.
Low-cost alternatives in Sao Paulo
People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:
Plenty of low-cost options61%
Few low-cost options39%
Based on the survey, 61% of the students living in Sao Paulo have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 39% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.
Emergency Funds For Students
An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.
Yes69%
No31%
Based on the survey, 31% of the students living in Sao Paulo said that they don't have an emergency fund while 69% said that they do.
Financial Literacy in
Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.
Financial Leteracy64%
We asked student guardians and parents in Sao Paulo whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 36% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 64% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.
Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning
We wanted to understand whether students of have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 26% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 74% said that they have everything under control.
Struggles with finance26%
Easily manages finances74%
Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Sao Paulo
Rental costs and house/apartment prices can vary drastically between different areas and locations.
Rent Cost in Sao Paulo
Monthly Rent Prices
Studio apartment monthly rent cost
| 1,800 BRL | 2,800 BRL | 7,400 BRL |
1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 2,800 BRL | 4,600 BRL | 11,000 BRL |
2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 3,900 BRL | 5,900 BRL | 16,000 BRL |
3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost
| 4,800 BRL | 8,100 BRL | 22,000 BRL |
Furnished apartment monthly rent cost
| 9,100 BRL | 23,000 BRL | 46,000 BRL |
Townhouse monthly rent cost
| 7,400 BRL | 11,000 BRL | 32,000 BRL |
House monthly rent cost
| 9,200 BRL | 23,000 BRL | 46,000 BRL |
Villa monthly rent cost
| 11,000 BRL | 28,000 BRL | 44,000 BRL |
The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Sao Paulo ranges between 1,800 BRL and 7,400 BRL, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 2,800 BRL to 11,000 BRL. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 3,900 BRL and 16,000 BRL per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 4,800 BRL to 22,000 BRL. The average rent of a townhouse in Sao Paulo is around 11,000 BRL while house rental costs can be as high as 23,000 BRL per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 11,000 BRL to 44,000 BRL per month.
Apartment and house prices in Sao Paulo
Cost of buying a property
Studio apartment price
| 390,000 BRL | 590,000 BRL | 1.2M BRL |
| $79,000 | $120,000 | $240,000 |
1-bedroom apartment price
| 480,000 BRL | 810,000 BRL | 3M BRL |
| $98,000 | $160,000 | $610,000 |
2-bedroom apartment price
| 740,000 BRL | 2.2M BRL | 4.4M BRL |
| $150,000 | $450,000 | $890,000 |
3-bedroom apartment price
| 2.5M BRL | 3.8M BRL | 11M BRL |
Townhouse price
| 3.4M BRL | 7.9M BRL | 30M BRL |
House price
Villa price
The average price of a studio apartment in Sao Paulo can range from 390,000 BRL to 1.2M BRL depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 480,000 BRL to 3M BRL. A villa can cost you 27M BRL on average with prices ranging from 4.8M BRL to 40M BRL.
If you're leasing or purchasing, housing costs in Sao Paulo will probably constitute your biggest expenditure, yet it's an area where you wield considerable influence. This is due to the substantial variance in housing prices across communities. Keep in mind the location of your workplace and the accessibility of essential amenities to prevent negating the savings from lower rental rates with increased transportation expenses.
House / apartment prices to income ratio
Property price to income ratio
( average property price / average monthly income ) x 100
| 64 | x185 monthly income | 318 |
Property prices in Sao Paulo can be x185 to x318 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x185 multiples of the average monthly salary in Sao Paulo.
Rent to income ratio
Rent to income ratio
( monthly rental / monthly income ) x 100
The average rent-to-income ratio in Sao Paulo is around 42%. This means that people pay 42% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 29% to 55% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.
The housing-to-income ratio is a very important metric to evaluate and measure how affordable living is in a particular area, city, or country since housing comprises the biggest chunk of expenditure. A higher housing to income ratio means that the place is relatively expensive. The figure by itself does tell much. It only starts to make sense when comparing the housing to income ratio across different locations.
Housing affordability index
The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.
Housing Affordability Index
31% Property Taxes
Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.
Home Maintenance Costs
Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.
Urban vs. rural living costs
Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.
Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Sao Paulo
Utilities expenditure can vary slightly between different areas and locations.
Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Sao Paulo
Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student
Internet and cable cost
Mobile phone bill and charges
Because most utility bills club electricity, water, and gas costs in one bill, we can't provide a breakup for each type of utility and will display electricity, gas, and water as single cost.
The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 360 BRL. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 98 BRL to 260 BRL with 200 BRL being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 100 BRL but can range between 60 BRL and 300 BRL depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.
Energy / Utility expense to income ratio
( monthly utility expenses / monthly income ) x 100
The average utility-to-income ratio in Sao Paulo is around 6.2%. This means that people pay 6.2% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 2.5% to 11% depending on salary and location.
Published: February 24, 2024 Last Update: May 5, 2025
