cost
Cost of Living Index
São Paulo69.8 / 100
Greater Rio de Janeiro80.3 / 0
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: São Paulo leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Greater Rio de Janeiro leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; São Paulo leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Greater Rio de Janeiro leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | São Paulo | 69.8 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Greater Rio de Janeiro | 80.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | São Paulo | 48.1 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Greater Rio de Janeiro | 48.6 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | São Paulo | $1,052 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Greater Rio de Janeiro | $1,681 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | São Paulo | 15.5x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Greater Rio de Janeiro | 14.9x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | São Paulo | $2,943/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Greater Rio de Janeiro | $3,827/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | São Paulo | 9.2% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Greater Rio de Janeiro | 6.5% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | São Paulo | 72.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Greater Rio de Janeiro | 74.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | São Paulo | 75.8 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Greater Rio de Janeiro | 73.9 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Greater Rio de Janeiro wins on 13 of 22 metrics compared to São Paulo.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
São Paulo leads cost, rent, and health; Greater Rio de Janeiro leads safety, housing, and salary.
cost
São Paulo
69.8
Greater Rio de Janeiro
80.3
safety
São Paulo
48.1
Greater Rio de Janeiro
48.6
housing
São Paulo
$1,052
Greater Rio de Janeiro
$1,681
housing
São Paulo
15.5x
Greater Rio de Janeiro
14.9x
jobs
São Paulo
$2,943/mo
Greater Rio de Janeiro
$3,827/mo
jobs
São Paulo
9.2%
Greater Rio de Janeiro
6.5%
health
São Paulo
72.8
Greater Rio de Janeiro
74.4
health
São Paulo
75.8 years
Greater Rio de Janeiro
73.9 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
São Paulo
0.1%
Greater Rio de Janeiro
0.5%
education
São Paulo
57.8
Greater Rio de Janeiro
55.4
transport
São Paulo
66.9
Greater Rio de Janeiro
54.3
safety
São Paulo
2.2 per 100k
Greater Rio de Janeiro
0.6 per 100k
safety
São Paulo
64.4 per 100k
Greater Rio de Janeiro
78.3 per 100k
health
São Paulo
32.3%
Greater Rio de Janeiro
25.3%
quality
São Paulo
5.9
Greater Rio de Janeiro
6.2
housing
São Paulo
$11,898/sqm
Greater Rio de Janeiro
$13,804/sqm
religion
São Paulo
30.0%
Greater Rio de Janeiro
12.3%
religion
São Paulo
53.7%
Greater Rio de Janeiro
57.0%
religion
São Paulo
43.4%
Greater Rio de Janeiro
76.2%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.