Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Curitiba versus $969 in Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Curitiba versus $1,475 in Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Curitiba versus $1,980 in Santos.

Living in Curitiba costs roughly 12% less than in Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 R$26.80

$5.39 R$26.96

-0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.23 R$161

$27.48 R$138

17.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 R$30.82

$5.93 R$29.65

3.88%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R$10.35

$2.05 R$10.27

0.98%

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

$1.13 R$5.64

$1.20 R$5.99

-5.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.45

$0.89 R$4.44

-22.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R$11.10

$2.12 R$10.60

4.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.55

$2.63 R$13.15

25.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.85

$1.01 R$5.05

-3.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 R$7.40

$1.61 R$8.06

-8.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.73

$1.33 R$6.63

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.05 R$10.28

$2.82 R$14.13

-27.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 R$40.77

$12.84 R$64.2

-36.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 R$18.81

$4.26 R$21.33

-11.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 R$37.72

$8.62 R$43.13

-12.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 R$10.68

$1.60 R$8.03

33.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.66

$1.25 R$6.27

-25.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.81

$2.12 R$10.62

-54.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.04

$1.75 R$8.77

-30.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.18

$1.30 R$6.53

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.37

$1.23 R$6.14

-29.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$2.97

$1.05 R$5.26

-43.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.31

$1.30 R$6.52

-49.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.55

$2.20 R$11.03

-4.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 R$39.66

$8.04 R$40.25

-1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.92

$1.41 R$7.04

-16.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.77

$2.14 R$10.72

0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.34

$0.88 R$4.41

21.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.33 R$237

$44.29 R$222

6.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.52

$1.29 R$6.47

-14.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.46

$0.83 R$4.17

-16.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 R$31.93

$14.57 R$72.9

-56.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.13

$1.08 R$5.40

12.96%

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

$18.7K R$93.7K

$20.3K R$101.7K

-7.88%

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

$26.2K R$131.1K

$28.8K R$144.3K

-9.11%

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

$72.4 R$362

$85.8 R$429

-15.68%

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

$11.52 R$57.7

$11.86 R$59.3

-2.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 R$107

$21.05 R$105

1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 R$127

$22.38 R$112

13.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.61 R$83.1

$48.51 R$243

-65.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 R$32.16

$7.68 R$38.42

-16.28%

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

$286 R$1,429

$279 R$1,394

2.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,389 R$32.0K

$7,916 R$39.6K

-19.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R$271

$45.47 R$228

19.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.55 R$223

$39.31 R$197

13.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 R$415

$78.3 R$392

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 R$343

$41.51 R$208

65.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,773

$411 R$2,059

-13.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,233

$322 R$1,610

-23.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 R$3,375

$798 R$3,995

-15.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 R$2,477

$531 R$2,659

-6.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,354 R$11.8K

$2,499 R$12.5K

-5.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,721 R$8,615

$1,764 R$8,829

-2.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 R$3,282

$592 R$2,961

10.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-8.33%

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

Last update for Curitiba: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santos: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Curitiba and $411 in Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 11% 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 $27.00 in Santos. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $215, 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 Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curitiba wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Santos. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Curitiba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Curitiba pays 11% 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 $411 in Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Curitiba runs roughly 7% less than in Santos. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $286 in Curitiba versus $279 in Santos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Curitiba 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 Curitiba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $848 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Curitiba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Curitiba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Santos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.