cost
Cost of Living Index
São Paulo69.8 / 100
Rio de Janeiro79.4 / 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; Rio de Janeiro leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Rio de Janeiro leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; 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 | Rio de Janeiro | 79.4 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | São Paulo | 48.1 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Rio de Janeiro | 64.8 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | São Paulo | $1,052 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Rio de Janeiro | $972 | 100 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 | Rio de Janeiro | 14.3x | 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 | Rio de Janeiro | $3,749/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | São Paulo | 9.2% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Rio de Janeiro | 11.2% | 0 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 | Rio de Janeiro | 79 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | São Paulo | 75.8 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Rio de Janeiro | 79.4 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Rio de Janeiro wins on 15 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, jobs, and environment; Rio de Janeiro leads safety, rent, and housing.
cost
São Paulo
69.8
Rio de Janeiro
79.4
safety
São Paulo
48.1
Rio de Janeiro
64.8
housing
São Paulo
$1,052
Rio de Janeiro
$972
housing
São Paulo
15.5x
Rio de Janeiro
14.3x
jobs
São Paulo
$2,943/mo
Rio de Janeiro
$3,749/mo
jobs
São Paulo
9.2%
Rio de Janeiro
11.2%
health
São Paulo
72.8
Rio de Janeiro
79
health
São Paulo
75.8 years
Rio de Janeiro
79.4 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
São Paulo
0.1%
Rio de Janeiro
0.8%
education
São Paulo
57.8
Rio de Janeiro
60.8
transport
São Paulo
66.9
Rio de Janeiro
70.6
safety
São Paulo
2.2 per 100k
Rio de Janeiro
8.6 per 100k
safety
São Paulo
64.4 per 100k
Rio de Janeiro
79.4 per 100k
health
São Paulo
32.3%
Rio de Janeiro
16.8%
quality
São Paulo
5.9
Rio de Janeiro
4.7
housing
São Paulo
$11,898/sqm
Rio de Janeiro
$5,520/sqm
religion
São Paulo
30.0%
Rio de Janeiro
43.0%
religion
São Paulo
53.7%
Rio de Janeiro
50.4%
religion
São Paulo
43.4%
Rio de Janeiro
59.3%
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.