Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Curitiba

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $724 a month against $1,000 in Curitiba, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Curitiba
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Curitiba Living Index

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Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$724

/mo nomad

Curitiba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Contagem and in Curitiba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Contagem and in Curitiba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $724 per month in Contagem vs $1,000 in Curitiba, rent included.

Contagem $724
Curitiba $1,000

A couple spends around $1,164 per month in Contagem vs $1,532 in Curitiba, rent included.

Contagem $1,164
Curitiba $1,532

A family of three spends $1,605 per month in Contagem vs $2,065 in Curitiba, rent included.

Contagem $1,605
Curitiba $2,065

Contagem is about 28% cheaper than Curitiba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Contagem and Curitiba are more affordable than the global median – Contagem 46% lower, Curitiba 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.54 R$30.11

$7.19 R$39.07

-22.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.69 R$151

$36.52 R$199

-24.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.65 R$36.17

$8.39 R$45.64

-20.74%

Cappuccino

$1.63 R$8.85

$2.45 R$13.34

-33.47%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.94

$1.02 R$5.56

25.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$3.13

$0.87 R$4.75

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 R$6.62

$2.51 R$13.64

-51.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 R$12.40

$3.58 R$19.49

-36.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 R$4.76

$0.93 R$5.05

-5.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.77

$1.76 R$9.56

-8.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.95

$1.27 R$6.93

0.79%

Eggs

$1.87 R$10.19

$2.31 R$12.58

-19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.96 R$48.70

$9.18 R$49.90

-2.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.14 R$17.09

$4.59 R$24.97

-31.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 R$38.99

$9.43 R$51.3

-23.97%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.89

$1.68 R$9.15

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 R$6.23

$1.03 R$5.58

11.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.87

$0.89 R$4.84

1.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R$8.23

$1.28 R$6.98

17.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.65

$0.77 R$4.18

35.06%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.37

$0.68 R$3.68

45.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$4.03

$0.74 R$4.02

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.89

$0.77 R$4.18

-6.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.48 R$8.05

$2.73 R$14.82

-45.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.47 R$29.77

$6.35 R$34.53

-13.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.89

$1.18 R$6.42

-23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$7.20

$2.35 R$12.80

-43.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 R$7.52

$1.09 R$5.92

26.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.7 R$395

$64.9 R$353

12.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 R$5.65

$1.23 R$6.70

-15.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 R$4.44

$0.77 R$4.17

6.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 R$31.62

$5.60 R$30.44

3.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 R$6.31

$1.21 R$6.55

-4.13%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.8K R$118.5K

$22.0K R$119.7K

-0.95%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.5K R$160.6K

$31.7K R$172.4K

-6.85%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$70.5 R$383

$97.1 R$528

-27.40%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.22 R$50.1

$13.63 R$74.1

-32.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.33 R$94.2

$21.41 R$116

-19.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.57 R$134

$25.23 R$137

-2.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.42 R$122

$18.47 R$100

21.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.80 R$36.96

$7.45 R$40.53

-8.72%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$136 R$737

$354 R$1,926

-61.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,460 R$13.4K

$15.6K R$84.6K

-84.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R$301

$52.8 R$287

4.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.74 R$243

$51.0 R$277

-12.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 R$340

$87.1 R$473

-28.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.16 R$240

$75.1 R$408

-41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$208 R$1,128

$470 R$2,557

-55.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 R$797

$310 R$1,688

-52.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,353

$778 R$4,228

-44.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 R$1,658

$521 R$2,834

-41.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,863 R$10.1K

$2,247 R$12.2K

-17.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$922 R$5,011

$1,720 R$9,352

-46.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$237 R$1,287

$717 R$3,899

-66.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

11.54

-7.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Contagem: November 2, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$163 22.6%

Curitiba

$184 18.4% 12.4% $20

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$147 20.3%

Curitiba

$310 31.1% 112% $164

Eating Out

Contagem

$102 14.1%

Curitiba

$139 13.9% 36.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$97 13.4%

Curitiba

$132 13.2% 36.2% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$93 12.9%

Curitiba

$120 12% 28.6% $27

Getting Around

Contagem

$83 11.5%

Curitiba

$74 7.4% 10.8% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$38 5.3%

Curitiba

$40 4% 5.2% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $208 in Contagem versus $470 in Curitiba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Curitiba are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Contagem versus $37 in Curitiba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $163 vs $184 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇧🇷 Curitiba

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

Same time as Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

1,773,718

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Contagem Curitiba 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Contagem
Curitiba

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Contagem vs Curitiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Curitiba is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,085 per month in Contagem and $1,500 in Curitiba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $208 there versus $470 in Curitiba.

Public transport costs about 11% less in Curitiba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $136 per month in Contagem and $354 in Curitiba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Contagem. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Curitiba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.