✦ Compare
Milan vs
São Paulo
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Milan, IT vs São Paulo, BR at a glance — São Paulo, BR is 46% cheaper than Milan, IT overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $650/mo versus $1,500/mo. Top income tax: 27.5% vs 43%.
To keep the same standard of living in São Paulo, BR, you'd need
$40,209 / year
São Paulo, BR is 46% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (São Paulo, BR vs Milan, IT)
- Housing-59%
- Food & groceries-48%
- Transport-38%
- Utilities-46%
- Healthcare-27%
- Goods & services-36%
◎ How Milan, IT and São Paulo, BR compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Milan, IT | São Paulo, BR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 111 | 59 |
| Housing | 135 | 55 |
| Food | 105 | 55 |
| Transport | 80 | 50 |
| Utilities | 120 | 65 |
| Healthcare | 82 | 60 |
| Goods & services | 106 | 68 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,500/mo | $650/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,150/mo | $420/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $3,000/mo | $1,300/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $8,500 | $2,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $902 | $1,682 |
| Inexpensive meal | $16 | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | $42 | $45 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 43% | 27.5% |
| VAT / sales tax | 22% | 17% |
| Corporate tax | 24% | 34% |
| Capital gains | 26% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $1,900/mo | $600/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | $53,864✓ | — |
| Minimum wage | — | $280/mo |
| GDP per capita | $43,309✓ | $10,296✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 1.5%✓ | 4.5%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Low |
| Coworking spaces | 60 | 50 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 | UTC-3 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 66 | 54 |
| Safety index | 55 | 40 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 65 |
| Pollution index | 70 | 60 |
| Internet speed | 120 Mbps | 150 Mbps |
| Walkability | 85 | 60 |
| Public transport | 82 | 68 |
| Family-friendly | 64 | 55 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr✓ | 76 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +3 °C | +23 °C |
| July avg | +24 °C | +16 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 130 | 150 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,000 mm | 1,450 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Italy vs Brazil. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Milan vs São Paulo — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Milan
Italy's business, finance and fashion capital — the country's best job market, at its highest prices.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- Italian
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Internet
- 120 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 55/100
- Climate
- ❄ 3°C · ☀ 24°C · 130 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F/L · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Navigli · Brera · Isola
Good to know before you move to São Paulo
Latin America's financial and cultural engine — the region's best job market, restaurants and nightlife, spread across an endless skyline. Big-city upside offset by traffic, sprawl and sharp inequality.
- Currency
- Brazilian real (R$ BRL)
- Languages
- Portuguese
- Time zone
- UTC-3
- Internet
- 150 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 40/100
- Climate
- ❄ 23°C · ☀ 16°C · 150 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- N/C · 127V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Vila Madalena · Pinheiros · Jardins · Itaim Bibi
Plan your move to Milan
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferWelcome Pickups
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
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Plan your move to São Paulo
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalDiscoverCars
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
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? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Milan to São Paulo: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Milan to São Paulo, your cost of living will be roughly 46% cheaper. São Paulo’s cost-of-living index is 59 versus 111 for Milan (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Milan cheaper than São Paulo?
São Paulo is about 46% cheaper than Milan overall — its cost-of-living index is 59 versus 111 for Milan.
Which is more expensive, Milan or São Paulo?
Milan is more expensive than São Paulo. Its cost-of-living index is 111 vs 59 (US = 100) — about 88% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Milan or São Paulo?
Rent is cheaper in São Paulo — about $650/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $1,500 in Milan.
How much do you need to earn in São Paulo to live like in Milan?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Milan is worth about $40,209 in São Paulo. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Milan or São Paulo?
Brazil has the lower top income-tax rate — 27.5% versus 43% in Italy.
◷ More comparisons from Milan
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.