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: $848 in Curitiba versus $676 in Santa Maria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Curitiba versus $1,082 in Santa Maria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Curitiba versus $1,488 in Santa Maria.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 25% more expensive than Santa Maria, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 37% lower, Santa Maria 50% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 R$27.09

$4.41 R$22.32

21.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.23 R$163

$26.70 R$135

20.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 R$31.16

$6.39 R$32.32

-3.60%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R$10.46

$1.36 R$6.88

52.21%

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

$1.13 R$5.70

$0.94 R$4.78

20.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.49

$0.59 R$2.99

16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R$11.22

$1.45 R$7.35

53.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.73

$3.55 R$17.97

-6.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.91

$0.83 R$4.21

16.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.38 R$6.97

7.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.79

$1.06 R$5.35

7.55%

Eggs

$2.05 R$10.39

$1.50 R$7.60

36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 R$41.21

$8.47 R$42.85

-3.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 R$19.01

$3.58 R$18.14

5.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 R$38.13

$7.62 R$38.53

-1.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 R$10.79

$2.08 R$10.51

2.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.71

$1.26 R$6.37

-26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.31 R$6.65

-26.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.11

$1.47 R$7.43

-17.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$1.09 R$5.53

-4.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.42

$1.08 R$5.45

-19.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$3.01

$0.77 R$3.87

-23.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.34

$0.62 R$3.12

6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.66

$1.95 R$9.89

8.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 R$40.10

$7.74 R$39.15

2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.99

$1.01 R$5.11

16.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.89

$1.89 R$9.59

13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.40

$0.94 R$4.74

13.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.33 R$239

$26.77 R$135

76.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.58 R$8.02

-30.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.50

$1.04 R$5.26

-33.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 R$32.28

$5.28 R$26.71

20.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.20

$0.99 R$5.02

23.23%

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

$18.7K R$94.7K

$23.1K R$116.9K

-18.98%

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

$26.2K R$132.6K

$27.1K R$137.1K

-3.28%

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

$72.4 R$366

$48.41 R$245

49.45%

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

$11.52 R$58.3

$14.90 R$75.4

-22.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 R$108

$16.45 R$83.2

29.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 R$128

$21.75 R$110

16.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.61 R$84.0

$11.02 R$55.7

50.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 R$32.52

$5.15 R$26.03

24.85%

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

$286 R$1,445

$142 R$716

101.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,389 R$32.3K

$2,668 R$13.5K

139.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R$274

$49.06 R$248

10.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.55 R$225

$38.92 R$197

14.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 R$419

$81.3 R$411

1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 R$347

$57.0 R$288

20.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,792

$272 R$1,379

30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,246

$156 R$788

58.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 R$3,412

$573 R$2,901

17.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 R$2,504

$333 R$1,687

48.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,354 R$11.9K

$1,954 R$9,884

20.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,721 R$8,710

$683 R$3,455

152.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 R$3,319

$623 R$3,154

5.21%

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 Santa Maria: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Curitiba and $272 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: $32.00 in Curitiba vs $27.00 in Santa Maria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $169 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 25% 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.

Curitiba pays 5% more on average, 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: $354 in Curitiba versus $272 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 77% 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 $142 in Santa Maria. 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 Santa Maria 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 Santa Maria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $676 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 25% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.