Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Sao Luis Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Sao Luis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Curitiba versus $774 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,333 in Curitiba versus $1,169 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,818 in Curitiba versus $1,564 in Sao Luis.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 10% more expensive than Sao Luis, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 37% lower, Sao Luis 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 R$27.09

$5.01 R$25.36

6.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.23 R$163

$30.50 R$154

5.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.16 R$31.16

$7.33 R$37.09

-15.96%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R$10.46

$2.05 R$10.38

0.98%

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

$1.13 R$5.70

$0.95 R$4.80

18.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.49

$0.55 R$2.80

25.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 R$11.22

$1.84 R$9.29

20.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.73

$3.19 R$16.16

3.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R$4.91

$0.96 R$4.86

1.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.92 R$9.73

-22.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.79

$1.01 R$5.13

12.87%

Eggs

$2.05 R$10.39

$1.93 R$9.77

6.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 R$41.21

$9.39 R$47.49

-13.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.76 R$19.01

$3.70 R$18.71

1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.54 R$38.13

$7.21 R$36.49

4.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 R$10.79

$1.86 R$9.43

14.52%

Banana (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.71

$1.21 R$6.10

-23.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$0.96 R$4.85

Tomato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.11

$1.37 R$6.91

-11.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.24

$1.11 R$5.61

-6.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.87 R$4.42

$1.24 R$6.28

-29.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 R$3.01

$0.79 R$4.02

-25.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.34

$0.57 R$2.86

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.66

$2.03 R$10.25

3.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 R$40.10

$8.03 R$40.62

-1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.99

$1.10 R$5.56

7.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.89

$1.94 R$9.82

10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.40

$0.79 R$4.02

35.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.33 R$239

$35.80 R$181

32.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$0.94 R$4.74

17.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.50

$0.50 R$2.51

38.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.38 R$32.28

$6.49 R$32.84

-1.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.20

$0.95 R$4.79

28.42%

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

$18.7K R$94.7K

$17.2K R$86.9K

9.05%

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

$26.2K R$132.6K

$25.8K R$130.4K

1.65%

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

$72.4 R$366

$84.0 R$425

-13.87%

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

$11.52 R$58.3

$17.24 R$87.2

-33.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 R$108

$16.25 R$82.2

31.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.34 R$128

$18.13 R$91.7

39.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.61 R$84.0

$15.52 R$78.5

7.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 R$32.52

$5.99 R$30.32

7.35%

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

$286 R$1,445

$204 R$1,030

40.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,389 R$32.3K

$4,284 R$21.7K

49.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R$274

$44.54 R$225

21.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.55 R$225

$47.88 R$242

-6.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 R$419

$54.3 R$275

52.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 R$347

$55.0 R$278

24.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$354 R$1,792

$389 R$1,970

-9.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,246

$208 R$1,053

18.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$674 R$3,412

$516 R$2,609

30.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 R$2,504

$295 R$1,495

67.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,354 R$11.9K

$1,505 R$7,614

56.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,721 R$8,710

$723 R$3,660

137.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$656 R$3,319

$381 R$1,927

72.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

0.73%

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

Last update for Curitiba: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $354 in Curitiba and $389 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 72% 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 $31.00 in Sao Luis. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $177, 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 Sao Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Luis wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Curitiba. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sao Luis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Curitiba pays 72% 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 $389 in Sao Luis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Sao Luis runs roughly 32% 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 $204 in Sao Luis. 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 Sao Luis 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 Sao Luis delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $774 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sao Luis hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Sao Luis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.