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: $988 in Curitiba versus $1,091 in Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,578 in Curitiba versus $1,664 in Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Curitiba versus $2,238 in Santos.

Living in Curitiba costs roughly 9% less than in Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 28% lower, Santos 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.77 R$39.80

$7.83 R$40.10

-0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.20 R$196

$30.45 R$156

25.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 R$43.16

$6.66 R$34.11

26.43%

Cappuccino

$2.65 R$13.56

$2.63 R$13.49

0.76%

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

$1.17 R$6.01

$1.37 R$7.03

-14.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.44

$0.94 R$4.84

-7.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 R$13.65

$2.53 R$12.96

5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 R$21.33

$2.88 R$14.75

44.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.15

$1.03 R$5.27

-2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 R$9.29

$1.76 R$9.04

2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.71

$1.31 R$6.73

Eggs

$2.34 R$11.98

$2.42 R$12.42

-3.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 R$49.13

$11.44 R$58.6

-16.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 R$24.87

$4.58 R$23.47

5.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 R$51.1

$9.59 R$49.14

4.07%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.21

$2.07 R$10.60

-22.71%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.06

$1.26 R$6.46

-21.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.15

$1.97 R$10.07

-48.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.83

$1.78 R$9.10

-35.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.43

$1.26 R$6.47

-31.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 R$3.79

$1.30 R$6.64

-43.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.92

$1.17 R$5.98

-35.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.43

$0.92 R$4.72

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 R$14.74

$2.38 R$12.17

21.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 R$38.63

$7.85 R$40.20

-3.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$7.01

$1.35 R$6.94

1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R$13.16

$1.91 R$9.78

34.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 R$5.88

$1.03 R$5.29

11.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 R$350

$47.31 R$242

44.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.57

$1.45 R$7.43

-11.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.76

$1.52 R$7.76

-51.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 R$30.27

$17.13 R$87.8

-65.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.78

$1.19 R$6.08

10.92%

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

$23.0K R$117.8K

$23.1K R$118.3K

-0.42%

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

$31.8K R$162.9K

$32.1K R$164.6K

-1.07%

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

$98.6 R$505

$101 R$517

-2.25%

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

$14.65 R$75.1

$11.63 R$59.6

25.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.53 R$115

$21.30 R$109

5.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 R$139

$27.94 R$143

-3.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 R$88.2

$54.0 R$277

-68.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R$34.22

$8.79 R$45.02

-24.00%

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

$368 R$1,885

$274 R$1,405

34.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K R$55.0K

$9,873 R$50.6K

8.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 R$287

$53.7 R$275

4.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 R$255

$36.85 R$189

34.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 R$462

$93.7 R$480

-3.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 R$385

$58.1 R$298

29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 R$2,457

$528 R$2,706

-9.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 R$1,421

$408 R$2,091

-32.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 R$4,009

$949 R$4,864

-17.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R$2,675

$671 R$3,437

-22.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,375 R$12.2K

$2,408 R$12.3K

-1.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 R$8,935

$1,724 R$8,833

1.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 R$3,333

$569 R$2,914

14.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.54

12.79

-9.77%

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

Last update for Curitiba: August 30, 2026

Last update for Santos: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Curitiba and $528 in Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 14% 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 $30.00 in Santos. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $212, 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 10% 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.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $528 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 44% less than in Santos. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $368 in Curitiba versus $274 in Santos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $988 in Curitiba versus $1,091 in Santos, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Curitiba but tight or insufficient in Santos. The gap between the two cities makes Curitiba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Curitiba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $988 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 10% less than in Santos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.