Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Porto Alegre Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Porto Alegre

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $813 in Cuiaba versus $897 in Porto Alegre.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,259 in Cuiaba versus $1,457 in Porto Alegre.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,706 in Cuiaba versus $2,018 in Porto Alegre.

Living in Cuiaba costs roughly 9% less than in Porto Alegre, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuiaba 40% lower, Porto Alegre 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.63 R$18.36

$6.35 R$32.13

-42.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.73 R$89.8

$26.58 R$135

-33.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 R$31.77

$6.37 R$32.24

-1.57%

Cappuccino

$1.57 R$7.95

$1.93 R$9.78

-18.65%

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

$0.94 R$4.75

$1.13 R$5.71

-16.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.10

$0.82 R$4.17

-25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 R$6.48

$2.10 R$10.61

-39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R$11.14

$3.67 R$18.56

-40.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.38

$0.90 R$4.54

17.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 R$7.47

$1.38 R$7.00

7.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 R$8.66

$1.09 R$5.52

56.88%

Eggs

$3.19 R$16.16

$2.08 R$10.51

53.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 R$58.6

$10.89 R$55.1

6.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 R$22.10

$4.50 R$22.79

-2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 R$51.2

$9.69 R$49.07

4.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 R$10.33

$2.03 R$10.30

0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$8.57

$1.31 R$6.62

29.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 R$8.94

$1.28 R$6.46

38.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 R$11.51

$1.51 R$7.62

50.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 R$10.09

$1.14 R$5.77

74.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.88

$1.08 R$5.46

44.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.48

$0.77 R$3.88

-10.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R$6.23

$0.61 R$3.11

101.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.09 R$10.58

$1.99 R$10.08

5.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.46 R$47.87

$7.65 R$38.74

23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 R$8.91

$1.02 R$5.18

72.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R$11.39

$1.80 R$9.12

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 R$4.62

$0.90 R$4.57

1.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.99 R$197

$64.5 R$327

-39.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.37

$1.64 R$8.32

-35.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.58

$1.06 R$5.37

-33.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 R$33.28

$5.44 R$27.54

20.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.12

$1.06 R$5.36

-4.72%

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

$20.4K R$103.3K

$24.3K R$122.8K

-15.91%

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

$27.6K R$139.7K

$27.8K R$140.6K

-0.66%

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

$60.1 R$304

$61.2 R$310

-1.88%

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

$18.51 R$93.7

$14.39 R$72.9

28.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.97 R$116

$20.07 R$102

14.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.49 R$114

$26.47 R$134

-15.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 R$102

$20.62 R$104

-2.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 R$23.30

$6.41 R$32.46

-28.24%

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

$251 R$1,270

$313 R$1,586

-19.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,108 R$25.9K

$7,143 R$36.2K

-28.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 R$256

$48.97 R$248

3.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 R$225

$57.3 R$290

-22.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$140 R$707

$79.9 R$404

74.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.9 R$314

$61.8 R$313

0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 R$1,421

$309 R$1,566

-9.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 R$955

$271 R$1,373

-30.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,847

$623 R$3,154

-9.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$311 R$1,574

$564 R$2,857

-44.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 R$6,311

$1,633 R$8,267

-23.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$777 R$3,933

$1,243 R$6,294

-37.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$412 R$2,087

$502 R$2,542

-17.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

85.00%

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

Last update for Cuiaba: June 7, 2026

Last update for Porto Alegre: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Cuiaba and $309 in Porto Alegre. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Porto Alegre pays 22% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $18.00 in Cuiaba vs $27.00 in Porto Alegre. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $190, with Porto Alegre cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cuiaba vs Porto Alegre: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Porto Alegre. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Porto Alegre earns 22% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $281 in Cuiaba versus $309 in Porto Alegre. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $27.00 in Porto Alegre. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $813 per month in Cuiaba versus $897 in Porto Alegre – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Cuiaba gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cuiaba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $813 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuiaba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Porto Alegre. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.