Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Lages Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Lages

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $834 in Curitiba versus $811 in Lages.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,326 in Curitiba versus $1,309 in Lages.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Curitiba versus $1,807 in Lages.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 3% more expensive than in Lages, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 37% lower, Lages 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 R$28.21

$6.46 R$32.77

-13.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 R$166

$26.57 R$135

22.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 R$31.43

$6.17 R$31.32

0.32%

Cappuccino

$2.04 R$10.36

$1.97 R$9.99

3.55%

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

$1.08 R$5.46

$1.18 R$6.00

-8.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.25

$0.83 R$4.22

-22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 R$11.07

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 R$16.01

$3.70 R$18.78

-14.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.92

$0.88 R$4.49

10.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 R$7.30

$1.46 R$7.42

-1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.08

$1.08 R$5.48

11.11%

Eggs

$2.11 R$10.70

$2.11 R$10.69

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 R$41.78

$11.11 R$56.4

-25.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 R$19.61

$4.43 R$22.49

-12.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.46 R$37.85

$9.32 R$47.31

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.05 R$10.39

$2.04 R$10.33

0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.11

$1.26 R$6.37

-19.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 R$4.63

$1.32 R$6.71

-31.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$1.45 R$7.37

-13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.82

$1.11 R$5.62

-14.41%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 R$4.48

$1.06 R$5.39

-16.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 R$2.84

$0.79 R$3.99

-29.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.57

$0.57 R$2.90

22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 R$11.22

$1.92 R$9.76

15.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.26

$8.02 R$40.69

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.02 R$5.16

18.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 R$11.16

$1.87 R$9.47

17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 R$5.61

$0.86 R$4.37

29.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.21 R$240

$38.99 R$198

21.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.68

$1.58 R$8.03

-29.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 R$3.37

$1.04 R$5.30

-36.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 R$32.35

$5.35 R$27.14

19.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.88

$1.06 R$5.40

9.43%

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

$18.6K R$94.4K

$24.2K R$122.7K

-23.09%

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

$26.0K R$131.7K

$27.1K R$137.4K

-4.16%

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

$72.0 R$365

$61.0 R$309

18.11%

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

$11.48 R$58.3

$14.71 R$74.6

-21.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.21 R$108

$20.01 R$102

6.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.10 R$127

$22.45 R$114

11.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.68 R$84.6

$21.85 R$111

-23.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.15 R$31.23

$6.19 R$31.40

-0.65%

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

$283 R$1,437

$310 R$1,573

-8.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,401 R$32.5K

$7,270 R$36.9K

-11.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R$275

$49.72 R$252

8.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.78 R$227

$56.8 R$288

-21.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 R$416

$81.6 R$414

0.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 R$352

$63.4 R$322

9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 R$1,821

$310 R$1,571

15.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 R$1,253

$218 R$1,106

13.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 R$3,454

$591 R$2,997

15.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 R$2,523

$421 R$2,138

18.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,383 R$12.1K

$1,723 R$8,741

38.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,706 R$8,658

$1,062 R$5,388

60.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$659 R$3,344

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.00%

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

Last update for Curitiba: July 26, 2026

Last update for Lages: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Curitiba and $310 in Lages. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Curitiba vs $27.00 in Lages. Groceries flip the comparison at $171 vs $190, with Curitiba 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 Lages: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lages wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Curitiba. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lages the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,252 in Curitiba and $1,217 in Lages to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $359 in Curitiba versus $310 in Lages. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lages runs roughly 21% less than in Curitiba. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $283 in Curitiba versus $310 in Lages. 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 Lages 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 Lages delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $811 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lages hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lages gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.