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: $848 in Curitiba versus $816 in Lages.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Curitiba versus $1,292 in Lages.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Curitiba versus $1,767 in Lages.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 4% more expensive than Lages, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 R$27.58

$6.23 R$32.09

-14.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.23 R$166

$26.75 R$138

20.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 R$31.73

$6.19 R$31.90

-0.48%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R$10.65

$1.93 R$9.95

7.25%

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

$1.13 R$5.80

$1.17 R$6.04

-3.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.55

$0.82 R$4.23

-15.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R$11.42

$2.10 R$10.81

5.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$17.03

$3.64 R$18.73

-9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$5.00

$0.85 R$4.39

14.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 R$7.62

$1.46 R$7.53

1.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.90

$1.05 R$5.43

8.57%

Eggs

$2.05 R$10.58

$2.05 R$10.54

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 R$41.96

$11.05 R$56.9

-26.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 R$19.36

$4.69 R$24.18

-19.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 R$38.82

$9.57 R$49.32

-21.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 R$10.99

$2.07 R$10.68

2.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.80

$1.33 R$6.83

-30.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.95

$1.33 R$6.87

-27.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.22

$1.51 R$7.76

-19.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.33

$1.14 R$5.89

-8.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.50

$1.06 R$5.48

-17.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$3.06

$0.73 R$3.75

-19.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.40

$0.62 R$3.19

6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.86

$1.89 R$9.73

11.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 R$40.82

$7.87 R$40.56

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$6.09

$1.02 R$5.24

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.08

$1.81 R$9.30

18.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.49

$0.87 R$4.46

22.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.33 R$244

$39.09 R$201

21.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.63 R$8.40

-32.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.56

$1.04 R$5.36

-33.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 R$32.87

$5.55 R$28.59

14.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.31

$1.09 R$5.63

11.93%

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

$18.7K R$96.5K

$24.3K R$125.1K

-22.91%

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

$26.2K R$135.0K

$28.0K R$144.0K

-6.26%

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

$72.4 R$373

$60.6 R$312

19.33%

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

$11.52 R$59.4

$14.66 R$75.5

-21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 R$110

$20.08 R$103

6.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 R$131

$22.84 R$118

10.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.61 R$85.5

$21.42 R$110

-22.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 R$33.11

$6.42 R$33.09

0.16%

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

$286 R$1,471

$311 R$1,604

-8.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,389 R$32.9K

$7,163 R$36.9K

-10.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R$279

$48.69 R$251

11.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.55 R$230

$57.1 R$294

-21.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 R$427

$79.8 R$411

3.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 R$353

$61.8 R$318

10.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,825

$312 R$1,606

13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,269

$213 R$1,098

15.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 R$3,474

$593 R$3,055

13.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 R$2,550

$426 R$2,195

16.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,354 R$12.1K

$1,713 R$8,825

37.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,721 R$8,868

$1,218 R$6,274

41.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 R$3,379

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lages: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Curitiba and $312 in Lages. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Curitiba vs $27.00 in Lages. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $192, 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 4% 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 $1,272 in Curitiba and $1,224 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: $354 in Curitiba versus $312 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 $286 in Curitiba versus $311 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 $816 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 4% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.