Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Serra

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $776 a month against $876 in Serra, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Serra
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Serra Living Index

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Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Serra

🇧🇷 Brazil

$876

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Contagem and in Serra

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 Serra actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $776 per month in Contagem vs $876 in Serra, rent included.

Contagem $776
Serra $876

A couple spends around $1,248 per month in Contagem vs $1,306 in Serra, rent included.

Contagem $1,248
Serra $1,306

A family of three spends $1,719 per month in Contagem vs $1,735 in Serra, rent included.

Contagem $1,719
Serra $1,735

Contagem is about 11% cheaper than Serra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Contagem and Serra are more affordable than the global median – Contagem 43% lower, Serra 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 R$29.69

$4.76 R$24.15

23.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 R$153

$23.64 R$120

27.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.84

$8.24 R$41.76

-14.20%

Cappuccino

$1.69 R$8.58

$2.08 R$10.56

-18.75%

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

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.33 R$6.74

1.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$0.61 R$3.10

1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 R$6.41

$1.95 R$9.90

-35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.72

$3.02 R$15.31

-16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.17 R$5.92

-18.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.30

$1.89 R$9.60

-3.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.14 R$5.75

18.42%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.20

$2.12 R$10.73

-5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 R$49.00

$10.52 R$53.3

-8.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$17.16

$4.41 R$22.33

-23.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 R$38.41

$8.76 R$44.40

-13.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.51

$2.83 R$14.33

-33.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.51 R$7.67

-19.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.80 R$9.12

-46.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.31

$1.58 R$8.02

3.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.22 R$6.17

-11.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.07 R$5.43

-10.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.25

$1.33 R$6.75

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.37 R$6.93

-39.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 R$8.12

$2.56 R$12.98

-37.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$5.79 R$29.35

0.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.79

$1.03 R$5.22

-8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.17

$2.01 R$10.20

-29.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R$7.31

$0.92 R$4.67

56.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 R$402

$46.71 R$237

69.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R$5.74

$1.27 R$6.45

-11.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.63

$1.13 R$5.72

-36.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.82

$8.24 R$41.77

-23.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.48

$1.13 R$5.75

13.27%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$23.4K R$118.4K

0.34%

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

$32.2K R$163.0K

$33.0K R$167.4K

-2.63%

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

$77.6 R$393

$154 R$781

-49.65%

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

$10.12 R$51.3

$12.48 R$63.3

-18.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 R$97.9

$21.56 R$109

-10.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 R$136

$25.74 R$130

4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.87 R$121

$27.89 R$141

-14.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 R$35.59

$7.37 R$37.36

-4.75%

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

$143 R$725

$184 R$932

-22.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,614 R$13.2K

$7,346 R$37.2K

-64.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R$304

$56.8 R$288

5.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.09 R$249

$49.73 R$252

-1.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 R$340

$89.2 R$452

-24.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 R$244

$72.9 R$369

-33.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,132

$249 R$1,261

-10.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 R$779

$148 R$749

3.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 R$2,391

$447 R$2,268

5.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,617

$220 R$1,116

44.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 R$10.2K

$963 R$4,883

109.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 R$5,087

$554 R$2,809

81.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 R$1,331

$544 R$2,759

-51.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

-3.00%

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

Last update for Contagem: October 18, 2026

Last update for Serra: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$176 22.7%

Serra

$210 24% 19.2% $34

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$154 19.8%

Serra

$148 16.9% 3.8% $5.9

Eating Out

Contagem

$108 13.9%

Serra

$111 12.7% 3.6% $3.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$107 13.8%

Serra

$188 21.5% 75.8% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$101 13%

Serra

$121 13.8% 19.8% $20

Getting Around

Contagem

$90 11.6%

Serra

$57 6.5% 36.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$41 5.3%

Serra

$40 4.6% 0.9% $0.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Contagem versus $249 in Serra. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 107% higher in Serra, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Contagem versus $24.00 in Serra. Groceries tell a different story – $176 in Contagem vs $210 in Serra – so Contagem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇧🇷 Serra

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

Same time as Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

520,653

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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From you

Contagem
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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 Serra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Serra is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Contagem and $1,314 in Serra. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Contagem and $184 in Serra. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $776 in Contagem and $876 in Serra, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Serra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.