Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Itu Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Itu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $831 in Curitiba versus $673 in Itu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,325 in Curitiba versus $1,245 in Itu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Curitiba versus $1,817 in Itu.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 23% more expensive than Itu, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 38% lower, Itu 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.51 R$27.36

$5.26 R$26.15

4.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.95 R$159

$33.39 R$166

-4.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 R$32.13

$5.71 R$28.39

13.31%

Cappuccino

$1.95 R$9.69

$1.67 R$8.30

16.77%

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

$1.14 R$5.67

$0.70 R$3.46

62.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.20

$0.47 R$2.32

36.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$10.95

$1.82 R$9.05

20.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 R$16.36

$3.38 R$16.82

-2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R$4.56

$1.02 R$5.07

-9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 R$7.13

$1.38 R$6.85

4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.72

$1.30 R$6.49

-11.54%

Eggs

$2.05 R$10.20

$2.31 R$11.50

-11.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.56 R$42.56

$8.07 R$40.11

6.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.79 R$18.81

$3.52 R$17.49

7.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 R$37.46

$5.24 R$26.04

43.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 R$10.20

$1.58 R$7.86

29.75%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.75

$1.29 R$6.43

-26.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.45

$0.69 R$3.44

30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.25

$1.52 R$7.53

-17.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.94 R$4.69

$0.87 R$4.31

8.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.32

$1.10 R$5.46

-20.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 R$2.80

$0.74 R$3.70

-24.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.56

$0.46 R$2.29

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 R$10.60

$2.63 R$13.09

-19.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 R$40.77

$6.03 R$29.97

35.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.81

$1.38 R$6.85

-15.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 R$11.08

$2.75 R$13.68

-18.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 R$5.24

$0.94 R$4.68

11.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.70 R$232

$38.02 R$189

22.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R$5.72

$0.92 R$4.58

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.53

$0.89 R$4.43

-20.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.42 R$31.90

$8.49 R$42.20

-24.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.08

$0.91 R$4.54

34.07%

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

$18.4K R$91.5K

$22.5K R$112.1K

-18.37%

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

$26.6K R$132.3K

$25.3K R$125.6K

5.28%

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

$73.1 R$363

$46.58 R$231

56.93%

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

$11.38 R$56.6

$10.76 R$53.5

5.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.81 R$103

$15.50 R$77.0

34.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.36 R$126

$22.63 R$112

12.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.69 R$82.9

$21.35 R$106

-21.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 R$30.68

$4.43 R$21.99

39.28%

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

$281 R$1,399

$311 R$1,546

-9.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,390 R$31.8K

$6,849 R$34.0K

-6.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 R$276

$44.51 R$221

24.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.91 R$223

$36.42 R$181

23.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.2 R$409

$62.2 R$309

32.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$340

$45.23 R$225

51.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$365 R$1,816

$284 R$1,409

28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 R$1,240

$179 R$891

39.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 R$3,310

$711 R$3,535

-6.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 R$2,464

$598 R$2,974

-17.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,265 R$11.3K

$1,698 R$8,439

33.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,585 R$7,877

$1,183 R$5,882

33.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 R$3,178

$295 R$1,468

116.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

0.73%

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

Last update for Curitiba: April 21, 2026

Last update for Itu: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $365 in Curitiba and $284 in Itu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 116% 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: $32 in Curitiba vs $33 in Itu. Groceries flip the comparison at $172 vs $160, with Itu 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

Curitiba vs Itu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Itu wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Curitiba. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Itu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Curitiba pays 116% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $365 in Curitiba versus $284 in Itu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Itu runs roughly 23% less than in Curitiba. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $281 in Curitiba versus $311 in Itu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Itu 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 Itu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $673 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Itu hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Itu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.