Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Contagem

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.

48

Cost of Living Index in Curitiba
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Curitiba Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index

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Curitiba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$724

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Curitiba and in Contagem

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

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

Curitiba $1,000
Contagem $724

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

Curitiba $1,532
Contagem $1,164

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

Curitiba $2,065
Contagem $1,605

Curitiba costs about 38% more than Contagem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 R$39.24

$5.54 R$30.24

29.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.52 R$199

$27.69 R$151

31.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.39 R$45.84

$6.65 R$36.33

26.17%

Cappuccino

$2.45 R$13.40

$1.63 R$8.89

50.31%

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

$1.02 R$5.58

$1.28 R$6.97

-20.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.78

$0.58 R$3.14

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 R$13.70

$1.22 R$6.65

105.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 R$19.57

$2.28 R$12.45

57.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$5.07

$0.88 R$4.78

5.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 R$9.60

$1.61 R$8.81

9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.96

$1.28 R$6.98

-0.78%

Eggs

$2.31 R$12.64

$1.87 R$10.23

23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 R$50.1

$8.96 R$48.91

2.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 R$25.08

$3.14 R$17.16

46.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 R$51.5

$7.17 R$39.16

31.52%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R$9.19

$1.82 R$9.93

-7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.61

$1.15 R$6.26

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 R$4.86

$0.90 R$4.89

-1.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 R$7.01

$1.51 R$8.26

-15.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 R$4.20

$1.04 R$5.68

-25.96%

Onion (1kg)

$0.68 R$3.70

$0.99 R$5.39

-31.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$4.04

$0.74 R$4.05

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$4.20

$0.72 R$3.91

6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 R$14.88

$1.48 R$8.09

84.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.35 R$34.68

$5.47 R$29.90

16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$6.44

$0.90 R$4.92

31.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 R$12.85

$1.32 R$7.24

78.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.95

$1.38 R$7.55

-21.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.9 R$355

$72.7 R$397

-10.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.73

$1.04 R$5.67

18.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R$4.19

$0.82 R$4.46

-6.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 R$30.57

$5.82 R$31.76

-3.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.58

$1.16 R$6.34

4.31%

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

$22.0K R$120.2K

$21.8K R$119.1K

0.96%

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

$31.7K R$173.2K

$29.5K R$161.3K

7.35%

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

$97.1 R$530

$70.5 R$385

37.75%

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

$13.63 R$74.4

$9.22 R$50.4

47.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.41 R$117

$17.33 R$94.7

23.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.23 R$138

$24.57 R$134

2.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 R$101

$22.42 R$122

-17.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 R$40.71

$6.80 R$37.12

9.56%

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

$354 R$1,935

$136 R$741

161.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K R$84.9K

$2,460 R$13.4K

532.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 R$288

$55.4 R$303

-4.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 R$278

$44.74 R$244

13.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 R$476

$62.5 R$341

39.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 R$410

$44.16 R$241

70.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$470 R$2,569

$208 R$1,133

126.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$310 R$1,695

$147 R$800

111.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$778 R$4,247

$433 R$2,363

79.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$521 R$2,847

$305 R$1,665

70.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,247 R$12.3K

$1,863 R$10.2K

20.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,720 R$9,394

$922 R$5,033

86.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$717 R$3,917

$237 R$1,293

202.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.54

10.67

8.15%

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

Last update for Curitiba: November 1, 2026

Last update for Contagem: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Curitiba

$310 31.1%

Contagem

$147 20.3% 52.8% $164

Groceries & Markets

Curitiba

$184 18.4%

Contagem

$163 22.6% 11% $20

Eating Out

Curitiba

$139 13.9%

Contagem

$102 14.1% 26.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Curitiba

$132 13.2%

Contagem

$97 13.4% 26.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Curitiba

$120 12%

Contagem

$93 12.9% 22.2% $27

Getting Around

Curitiba

$74 7.4%

Contagem

$83 11.5% 12.1% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Curitiba

$40 4%

Contagem

$38 5.3% 4.9% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $470 in Curitiba versus $208 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 in Curitiba are about 3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

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

Good to know

🇧🇷 Curitiba

🇧🇷 Contagem

🕒 Local time

03:42 3:42 AM

Same time as Curitiba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,773,718

621,863

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Curitiba Contagem 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Curitiba
Contagem

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

Curitiba vs Contagem: 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 $1,500 per month in Curitiba and $1,085 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: 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 $354 per month in Curitiba and $136 in Contagem. 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.