Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Santa Maria Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Santa Maria

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $988 in Curitiba versus $710 in Santa Maria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,578 in Curitiba versus $1,206 in Santa Maria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Curitiba versus $1,702 in Santa Maria.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 39% more expensive than in Santa Maria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 28% lower, Santa Maria 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.77 R$39.61

$5.21 R$26.56

49.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.20 R$195

$35.41 R$181

7.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 R$42.96

$6.83 R$34.81

23.28%

Cappuccino

$2.65 R$13.50

$1.80 R$9.19

47.22%

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

$1.17 R$5.98

$1.06 R$5.39

10.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.42

$0.65 R$3.34

33.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 R$13.58

$1.58 R$8.06

68.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 R$21.24

$2.90 R$14.81

43.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.12

$0.94 R$4.79

6.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 R$9.25

$1.64 R$8.38

10.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.68

$1.11 R$5.65

18.02%

Eggs

$2.34 R$11.92

$2.05 R$10.45

14.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 R$48.90

$9.18 R$46.82

4.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 R$24.76

$3.88 R$19.78

25.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 R$50.9

$8.28 R$42.23

20.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.17

$2.41 R$12.31

-33.61%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.04

$1.38 R$7.05

-28.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.40 R$7.13

-27.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.80

$1.44 R$7.34

-20.83%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.41

$1.13 R$5.78

-23.89%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 R$3.77

$1.05 R$5.38

-29.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.90

$0.82 R$4.20

-7.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.41

$0.86 R$4.37

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 R$14.67

$2.35 R$11.97

22.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 R$38.45

$7.65 R$39.04

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.98

$1.12 R$5.70

22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R$13.10

$2.14 R$10.91

20.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 R$5.86

$0.95 R$4.82

21.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 R$349

$28.48 R$145

139.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.54

$1.27 R$6.48

0.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.74

$0.79 R$4.02

-7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 R$30.12

$7.84 R$39.97

-24.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.75

$1.17 R$5.98

12.82%

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

$23.0K R$117.2K

$23.0K R$117.3K

-0.06%

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

$31.8K R$162.1K

$31.2K R$159.3K

1.75%

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

$98.6 R$503

$53.1 R$271

85.94%

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

$14.65 R$74.7

$12.18 R$62.1

20.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.53 R$115

$15.78 R$80.5

42.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 R$138

$23.38 R$119

15.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 R$87.8

$11.75 R$59.9

46.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R$34.06

$5.74 R$29.29

16.38%

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

$368 R$1,877

$156 R$793

136.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K R$54.8K

$2,941 R$15.0K

265.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 R$285

$50.3 R$256

11.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 R$254

$42.26 R$216

17.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 R$460

$94.6 R$482

-4.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 R$383

$61.2 R$312

22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 R$2,445

$287 R$1,464

66.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 R$1,414

$162 R$824

71.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 R$3,990

$624 R$3,183

25.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R$2,662

$371 R$1,890

40.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,375 R$12.1K

$1,959 R$9,991

21.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 R$8,893

$666 R$3,399

161.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 R$3,317

$619 R$3,158

5.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.54

15.40%

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

Last update for Curitiba: August 30, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Curitiba and $287 in Santa Maria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 5% 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: $38.00 in Curitiba vs $35.00 in Santa Maria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $188 per month, with Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Maria wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Curitiba. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Maria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Curitiba, 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: $479 in Curitiba versus $287 in Santa Maria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Maria runs roughly 140% 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 $156 in Santa Maria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $710 in Santa Maria versus $988 in Curitiba, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Maria but tight or insufficient in Curitiba. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Maria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Maria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $710 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Maria hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Santa Maria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.