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: $988 in Curitiba versus $857 in Sao Luis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,578 in Curitiba versus $1,298 in Sao Luis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Curitiba versus $1,739 in Sao Luis.

Living in Curitiba is roughly 15% more expensive than in Sao Luis, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 28% lower, Sao Luis 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.77 R$39.61

$6.40 R$32.63

21.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.20 R$195

$38.07 R$194

0.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 R$42.96

$6.77 R$34.54

24.37%

Cappuccino

$2.65 R$13.50

$2.17 R$11.08

22.12%

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

$1.17 R$5.98

$1.23 R$6.28

-4.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.42

$0.67 R$3.40

29.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 R$13.58

$1.92 R$9.77

38.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 R$21.24

$2.32 R$11.85

79.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.12

$1.06 R$5.42

-5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 R$9.25

$1.84 R$9.37

-1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.68

$1.06 R$5.40

23.58%

Eggs

$2.34 R$11.92

$2.07 R$10.57

13.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.59 R$48.90

$9.82 R$50.1

-2.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.85 R$24.76

$4.14 R$21.09

17.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 R$50.9

$7.40 R$37.74

34.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.17

$2.02 R$10.31

-20.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.04

$1.33 R$6.77

-25.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.16 R$5.92

-12.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.80

$1.63 R$8.29

-30.06%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 R$4.41

$1.34 R$6.82

-35.82%

Onion (1kg)

$0.74 R$3.77

$1.25 R$6.36

-40.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.90

$0.85 R$4.32

-10.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.41

$0.69 R$3.52

24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.88 R$14.67

$2.33 R$11.90

23.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 R$38.45

$8.04 R$41.02

-6.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.98

$1.24 R$6.34

10.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 R$13.10

$2.16 R$11.01

18.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 R$5.86

$0.77 R$3.93

49.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 R$349

$38.05 R$194

79.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.54

$0.93 R$4.75

37.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.74

$0.90 R$4.61

-18.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 R$30.12

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

$23.2K R$118.2K

-0.85%

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

$31.8K R$162.1K

$29.0K R$148.1K

9.49%

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

$98.6 R$503

$93.1 R$475

6.01%

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

$14.65 R$74.7

$16.90 R$86.2

-13.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.53 R$115

$20.64 R$105

9.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.08 R$138

$19.76 R$101

37.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 R$87.8

$14.51 R$74.0

18.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 R$34.06

$7.55 R$38.48

-11.52%

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

$368 R$1,877

$222 R$1,135

65.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K R$54.8K

$4,659 R$23.8K

130.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 R$285

$47.59 R$243

17.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.73 R$254

$50.4 R$257

-1.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 R$460

$56.7 R$289

59.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.1 R$383

$57.1 R$291

31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 R$2,445

$343 R$1,749

39.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$277 R$1,414

$223 R$1,138

24.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$782 R$3,990

$543 R$2,769

44.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R$2,662

$317 R$1,614

64.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,375 R$12.1K

$1,474 R$7,519

61.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 R$8,893

$692 R$3,529

151.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$650 R$3,317

$375 R$1,911

73.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.54

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

Last update for Curitiba: August 30, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Curitiba and $343 in Sao Luis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 74% 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 $38.00 in Sao Luis. Groceries flip the comparison at $194 vs $190, with Sao Luis 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 15% 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.

Average pay runs 74% 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 $343 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 80% 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 $222 in Sao Luis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $857 in Sao Luis versus $988 in Curitiba, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sao Luis but tight or insufficient in Curitiba. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Luis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sao Luis delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $857 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 15% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.