Cost of Living Comparison Between Macaé and Curitiba Cost of Living Comparison Between Macaé and Curitiba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $861 in Macaé versus $988 in Curitiba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,437 in Macaé versus $1,578 in Curitiba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,012 in Macaé versus $2,167 in Curitiba.

Living in Macaé costs roughly 13% less than in Curitiba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.32 R$27.11

$7.77 R$39.61

-31.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.32 R$150

$38.20 R$195

-23.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 R$34.77

$8.42 R$42.96

-19.00%

Cappuccino

$1.65 R$8.41

$2.65 R$13.50

-37.74%

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

$1.29 R$6.56

$1.17 R$5.98

10.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 R$2.84

$0.87 R$4.42

-35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.15 R$5.85

$2.66 R$13.58

-56.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 R$14.15

$4.16 R$21.24

-33.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.00 R$5.12

-6.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.71

$1.81 R$9.25

-16.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.68

Eggs

$1.87 R$9.53

$2.34 R$11.92

-20.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.71 R$44.41

$9.59 R$48.90

-9.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 R$16.84

$4.85 R$24.76

-31.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.00 R$45.89

$9.98 R$50.9

-9.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.14

$1.60 R$8.17

11.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.89

$0.99 R$5.04

16.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 R$4.77

$1.01 R$5.13

-6.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.14 R$5.80

7.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 R$3.37

$0.86 R$4.41

-23.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.74 R$3.77

4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 R$2.63

$0.76 R$3.90

-31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 R$2.57

$0.86 R$4.41

-41.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.52 R$7.77

$2.88 R$14.67

-47.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.86 R$29.89

$7.54 R$38.45

-22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.03

$1.37 R$6.98

-27.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 R$6.30

$2.57 R$13.10

-52.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.50 R$7.66

$1.15 R$5.86

30.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 R$404

$68.3 R$349

15.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 R$6.77

$1.28 R$6.54

3.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.65

$0.73 R$3.74

-2.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.95 R$40.54

$5.91 R$30.12

34.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.18

$1.32 R$6.75

-8.33%

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

$20.6K R$105.1K

$23.0K R$117.2K

-10.35%

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

$30.2K R$153.9K

$31.8K R$162.1K

-5.10%

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

$97.1 R$495

$98.6 R$503

-1.54%

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

$9.78 R$49.90

$14.65 R$74.7

-33.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.75 R$95.6

$22.53 R$115

-16.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.63 R$197

$27.08 R$138

42.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$150

$17.22 R$87.8

70.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R$33.39

$6.68 R$34.06

-1.95%

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

$632 R$3,221

$368 R$1,877

71.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,807 R$34.7K

$10.7K R$54.8K

-36.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 R$316

$56.0 R$285

10.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.21 R$159

$49.73 R$254

-37.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.1 R$327

$90.2 R$460

-28.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.46 R$232

$75.1 R$383

-39.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 R$1,839

$479 R$2,445

-24.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 R$1,203

$277 R$1,414

-14.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$869 R$4,434

$782 R$3,990

11.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 R$3,302

$522 R$2,662

24.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,227 R$6,260

$2,375 R$12.1K

-48.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$776 R$3,955

$1,744 R$8,893

-55.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$780 R$3,976

$650 R$3,317

19.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

11.54

-7.54%

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

Last update for Macaé: August 31, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Macaé and $479 in Curitiba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Macaé vs $38.00 in Curitiba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $194 per month, with Macaé 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

Macaé vs Curitiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macaé wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Curitiba. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Macaé the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% higher in Macaé, 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: $361 in Macaé versus $479 in Curitiba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Macaé runs roughly 16% less than in Curitiba. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $632 in Macaé versus $368 in Curitiba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $861 in Macaé versus $988 in Curitiba, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Curitiba. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Macaé delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $861 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Macaé hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Macaé 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.