✦ Compare
Nagoya 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.
Nagoya, JP vs São Paulo, BR at a glance — São Paulo, BR is 36% cheaper than Nagoya, JP overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $650/mo versus $750/mo. Top income tax: 27.5% vs 45%.
To keep the same standard of living in São Paulo, BR, you'd need
$48,291 / year
São Paulo, BR is 36% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (São Paulo, BR vs Nagoya, JP)
- Housing-33%
- Food & groceries-43%
- Transport-38%
- Utilities-41%
- Healthcare-29%
- Goods & services-34%
◎ How Nagoya, JP and São Paulo, BR compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Nagoya, JP | São Paulo, BR | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 92 | 59 |
| Housing | 82 | 55 |
| Food | 96 | 55 |
| Transport | 80 | 50 |
| Utilities | 110 | 65 |
| Healthcare | 85 | 60 |
| Goods & services | 103 | 68 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $750/mo | $650/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $540/mo | $420/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,400/mo | $1,300/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $5,000 | $2,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,083 | $1,682 |
| Inexpensive meal | $8 | $8 |
| Monthly transit pass | $60 | $45 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 45% | 27.5% |
| VAT / sales tax | 10% | 17% |
| Corporate tax | 30% | 34% |
| Capital gains | 20.3% | — |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $2,600/mo | $600/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,300/mo | $280/mo |
| GDP per capita | $35,951 | $10,296 |
| Inflation (annual) | 3.2% | 4.5% |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| English proficiency | Low | Low |
| Coworking spaces | 20 | 50 |
| Time zone | UTC+9 | UTC-3 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 82 | 40 |
| Healthcare index | 84 | 65 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 60 |
| Internet speed | 230 Mbps | 150 Mbps |
| Walkability | 76 | 60 |
| Public transport | 84 | 68 |
| Family-friendly | 74 | 55 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Life expectancy | 84 yr | 76 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | Moderate | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +5 °C | +23 °C |
| July avg | +28 °C | +16 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 200 | 150 |
| Rainfall / year | 1,500 mm | 1,450 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 2 h | 2 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Japan vs Brazil. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
Good to know before you move to Nagoya
Japan's industrial powerhouse (Toyota's home turf) and an underrated, spacious city between Tokyo and Osaka. It keeps Japan's safety, transit and reliability while running noticeably cheaper than either megacity.
- Currency
- Japanese yen (¥ JPY)
- Languages
- Japanese
- Time zone
- UTC+9
- Internet
- 230 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 82/100
- Climate
- ❄ 5°C · ☀ 28°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 100V
- Driving
- Left-hand side
- Popular areas
- Sakae · Osu · Meieki · Kanayama
Good to know before you move to São Paulo
Latin America's financial and cultural engine — the region's best job market, restaurants and nightlife, spread across an endless skyline. Big-city upside offset by traffic, sprawl and sharp inequality.
- Currency
- Brazilian real (R$ 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 Nagoya
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
Plan your move to São Paulo
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsNH Hotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Nagoya to São Paulo: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Nagoya to São Paulo, your cost of living will be roughly 36% cheaper. São Paulo’s cost-of-living index is 59 versus 92 for Nagoya (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Nagoya cheaper than São Paulo?
São Paulo is about 36% cheaper than Nagoya overall — its cost-of-living index is 59 versus 92 for Nagoya.
How much do you need to earn in São Paulo to live like in Nagoya?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Nagoya is worth about $48,291 in São Paulo. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Nagoya or São Paulo?
Brazil has the lower top income-tax rate — 27.5% versus 45% in Japan.
◷ More comparisons from Nagoya
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.