Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Contagem Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Contagem

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $832 per month in Curitiba vs $696 in Contagem, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,337 per month in Curitiba vs $1,102 in Contagem, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,842 per month in Curitiba vs $1,508 in Contagem, rent included.

Curitiba costs about 20% more than Contagem, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Curitiba and Contagem are more affordable than the global median – Curitiba 38% lower, Contagem 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.48 R$27.32

$4.40 R$21.95

24.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.76 R$163

$17.98 R$89.7

82.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 R$32.02

$5.82 R$29.05

10.31%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R$10.12

$1.22 R$6.11

66.39%

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

$1.09 R$5.45

$0.94 R$4.67

15.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.38

$0.43 R$2.14

58.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.13 R$10.61

$1.16 R$5.77

83.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 R$15.84

$2.32 R$11.56

36.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R$4.57

$0.87 R$4.32

5.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 R$7.15

$1.46 R$7.28

-2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.78

$1.54 R$7.68

-24.68%

Eggs

$2.15 R$10.74

$1.57 R$7.81

36.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 R$40.82

$8.22 R$41.03

-0.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 R$19.21

$3.32 R$16.59

15.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.30 R$36.41

$5.20 R$25.95

40.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.12

$1.78 R$8.86

14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 R$4.61

$1.32 R$6.60

-30.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.47

$0.93 R$4.62

-3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.31

$1.36 R$6.80

-7.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.78

$1.01 R$5.04

-4.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.41

$0.87 R$4.32

1.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 R$2.98

$0.66 R$3.28

-9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.39

$0.64 R$3.21

6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.12 R$10.56

$2.22 R$11.06

-4.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 R$39.05

$7.93 R$39.57

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.84

$1.08 R$5.40

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$11.10

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 R$5.26

$1.39 R$6.91

-24.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.20 R$231

$73.6 R$367

-37.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R$5.69

$0.92 R$4.60

23.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.56

$1.00 R$5.00

-29.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 R$30.53

$8.12 R$40.53

-24.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.81

$1.06 R$5.28

9.43%

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

$18.8K R$94.0K

$24.8K R$123.8K

-24.08%

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

$26.6K R$132.6K

$28.6K R$142.8K

-7.14%

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

$73.2 R$365

$66.4 R$331

10.27%

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

$11.66 R$58.2

$14.06 R$70.2

-17.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.53 R$102

$16.24 R$81.0

26.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.23 R$126

$23.92 R$119

5.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.97 R$84.7

$21.72 R$108

-21.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 R$30.80

$6.44 R$32.12

-4.19%

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

$280 R$1,399

$137 R$685

104.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,394 R$31.9K

$6,641 R$33.1K

-3.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.4 R$271

$52.3 R$261

3.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.74 R$228

$37.50 R$187

21.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 R$415

$71.3 R$356

16.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.9 R$334

$65.0 R$325

2.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 R$1,815

$201 R$1,002

81.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 R$1,240

$122 R$609

103.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$669 R$3,339

$436 R$2,177

53.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 R$2,509

$269 R$1,344

86.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,131 R$10.6K

$1,990 R$9,929

7.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,583 R$7,898

$988 R$4,929

60.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 R$3,291

$264 R$1,317

149.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.83

1.57%

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

Last update for Curitiba: April 28, 2026

Last update for Contagem: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $364 in Curitiba versus $201 in Contagem. 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 150% higher in Curitiba, 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 $33.00 in Curitiba versus $18.00 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $161 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Curitiba vs Contagem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Curitiba is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,248 per month in Curitiba and $1,043 in Contagem. 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 59% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $280 per month in Curitiba and $137 in Contagem. 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 $832 in Curitiba and $696 in Contagem, 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, Curitiba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.