Sao Paulo vs Weligama: cost of living for digital nomads

Sao Paulo, Brazil and Weligama, Sri Lanka, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Weligama is about 34% cheaper than Sao Paulo for a month of nomad living ($1,050 vs $1,600).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $400 in Weligama against $720 in Sao Paulo.
  • Weligama scores higher on safety (8/10 vs 6/10).
  • Internet is faster in Sao Paulo: 150 Mbps typical against 40 Mbps.
  • Sao Paulo is temperate; Weligama is tropical.

Sao Paulo wins 1 of the measured lines; Weligama wins 6.

LineSao PauloWeligama
Monthly total (USD)$1,600$1,050
Rent$720$400
Food$430$300
Transport$55$50
Coworking$130$90
Safety (out of 10)6/108/10
Internet (Mbps)15040
Climatetemperatetropical
City sizemetrosmall
Settinginlandcoast
Nomad score (out of 10)8/108/10

Weligama

Sri Lankan surf-and-nomad town on the south coast — cheap, laid-back, warm year-round.

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Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.