Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Macaé Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Macaé

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $842 in Curitiba versus $824 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,360 in Curitiba versus $1,343 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,878 in Curitiba versus $1,862 in Macaé.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 2% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 37% lower, Macaé 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.46 R$27.82

$5.70 R$29.02

-4.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.78 R$162

$33.80 R$172

-5.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.25 R$31.81

$6.42 R$32.67

-2.65%

Cappuccino

$2.02 R$10.31

$1.92 R$9.78

5.21%

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

$1.08 R$5.50

$1.28 R$6.53

-15.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.44

$0.82 R$4.19

-17.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.19

$1.78 R$9.06

23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 R$16.25

$2.19 R$11.16

45.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R$4.67

$1.06 R$5.39

-13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 R$7.17

$1.59 R$8.11

-11.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.07

$1.28 R$6.53

-7.03%

Eggs

$2.12 R$10.77

$1.94 R$9.89

9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 R$41.88

$8.08 R$41.14

1.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 R$19.25

$3.55 R$18.07

6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.65 R$38.96

$6.37 R$32.45

20.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.52

$2.30 R$11.71

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.27 R$6.47

-24.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.93

$1.18 R$6.03

-17.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.13

$1.39 R$7.07

-13.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.16

$1.09 R$5.56

-7.34%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.76

$1.16 R$5.93

-19.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 R$3.09

$0.67 R$3.41

-8.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.36

$0.47 R$2.39

40.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 R$11.14

$2.01 R$10.21

8.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 R$38.99

$5.81 R$29.56

31.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R$5.96

$0.92 R$4.67

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 R$11.53

$1.14 R$5.81

99.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 R$5.36

$0.75 R$3.83

40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.01 R$239

$73.8 R$376

-36.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.13 R$5.76

-2.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.63

$0.71 R$3.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 R$32.61

$7.49 R$38.11

-14.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 R$5.93

$1.07 R$5.43

9.35%

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

$18.4K R$93.9K

$17.8K R$90.5K

3.77%

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

$26.2K R$133.6K

$27.0K R$137.7K

-2.93%

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

$72.7 R$370

$58.4 R$297

24.56%

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

$11.43 R$58.2

$10.03 R$51.1

13.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.22 R$108

$18.88 R$96.1

12.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.04 R$133

$38.50 R$196

-32.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.67 R$84.9

$26.80 R$136

-37.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 R$33.01

$6.17 R$31.41

5.02%

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

$286 R$1,454

$541 R$2,753

-47.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,461 R$32.9K

$6,587 R$33.5K

-1.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 R$278

$44.81 R$228

21.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 R$229

$29.33 R$149

53.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 R$418

$71.6 R$364

14.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.2 R$352

$60.8 R$310

13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 R$1,826

$357 R$1,816

0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 R$1,259

$234 R$1,193

5.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$671 R$3,414

$661 R$3,366

1.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$494 R$2,514

$508 R$2,587

-2.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,373 R$12.1K

$1,231 R$6,267

92.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,736 R$8,837

$762 R$3,877

127.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$639 R$3,252

$761 R$3,875

-16.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

-2.22%

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

Last update for Curitiba: July 12, 2026

Last update for Macaé: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $359 in Curitiba and $357 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Curitiba vs $34.00 in Macaé. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $164, with Macaé 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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macaé wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Curitiba. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Macaé the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Macaé. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $359 in Curitiba versus $357 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Macaé runs roughly 57% 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 $541 in Macaé. 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 Macaé 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 Macaé delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $824 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Macaé hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.