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: $988 in Curitiba versus $861 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,578 in Curitiba versus $1,437 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Curitiba versus $2,012 in Macaé.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 15% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 28% lower, Macaé 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.77 R$39.61

$5.32 R$27.11

46.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.20 R$195

$29.32 R$150

30.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 R$42.96

$6.82 R$34.77

23.46%

Cappuccino

$2.65 R$13.50

$1.65 R$8.41

60.61%

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

$1.17 R$5.98

$1.29 R$6.56

-9.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.42

$0.56 R$2.84

55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 R$13.58

$1.15 R$5.85

131.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 R$21.24

$2.78 R$14.15

49.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.12

$0.94 R$4.78

6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 R$9.25

$1.51 R$7.71

19.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.68

Eggs

$2.34 R$11.92

$1.87 R$9.53

25.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 R$48.90

$8.71 R$44.41

10.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 R$24.76

$3.30 R$16.84

46.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 R$50.9

$9.00 R$45.89

10.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.17

$1.79 R$9.14

-10.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.04

$1.15 R$5.89

-13.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.13

$0.94 R$4.77

7.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.80

$1.23 R$6.25

-7.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.41

$0.66 R$3.37

30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 R$3.77

$0.77 R$3.92

-3.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.90

$0.52 R$2.63

46.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.41

$0.50 R$2.57

72.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 R$14.67

$1.52 R$7.77

89.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 R$38.45

$5.86 R$29.89

28.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.98

$0.99 R$5.03

38.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R$13.10

$1.23 R$6.30

108.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 R$5.86

$1.50 R$7.66

-23.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 R$349

$79.1 R$404

-13.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.54

$1.33 R$6.77

-3.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.74

$0.71 R$3.65

2.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 R$30.12

$7.95 R$40.54

-25.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.75

$1.21 R$6.18

9.09%

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

$23.0K R$117.2K

$20.6K R$105.1K

11.55%

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

$31.8K R$162.1K

$30.2K R$153.9K

5.38%

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

$98.6 R$503

$97.1 R$495

1.57%

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

$14.65 R$74.7

$9.78 R$49.90

49.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.53 R$115

$18.75 R$95.6

20.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 R$138

$38.63 R$197

-29.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 R$87.8

$29.33 R$150

-41.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R$34.06

$6.55 R$33.39

1.98%

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

$368 R$1,877

$632 R$3,221

-41.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K R$54.8K

$6,807 R$34.7K

57.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 R$285

$61.9 R$316

-9.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 R$254

$31.21 R$159

59.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 R$460

$64.1 R$327

40.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 R$383

$45.46 R$232

65.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 R$2,445

$361 R$1,839

32.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 R$1,414

$236 R$1,203

17.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 R$3,990

$869 R$4,434

-10.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R$2,662

$647 R$3,302

-19.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,375 R$12.1K

$1,227 R$6,260

93.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 R$8,893

$776 R$3,955

124.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 R$3,317

$780 R$3,976

-16.58%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Macaé: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Curitiba and $361 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Curitiba vs $29.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $163 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

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 15% 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 20% 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: $479 in Curitiba versus $361 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 16% less than in Curitiba. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $368 in Curitiba versus $632 in Macaé. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Macaé versus $988 in Curitiba, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Curitiba. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Macaé delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $861 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 15% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.