Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Macaé and Curitiba

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $885 a month against $1,062 in Curitiba, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Macaé
🇧🇷 Brazil
$885
/mo nomad
Curitiba
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,062
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Macaé and in Curitiba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Macaé and in Curitiba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $885 in Macaé versus $1,062 in Curitiba.

  • Macaé $885
  • Curitiba $1,062

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,498 in Macaé versus $1,656 in Curitiba.

  • Macaé $1,498
  • Curitiba $1,656

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,111 in Macaé versus $2,249 in Curitiba.

  • Macaé $2,111
  • Curitiba $2,249

Living in Macaé costs roughly 17% less than in Curitiba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Macaé 34% lower, Curitiba 21% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Macaé
Curitiba
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.49 R$27.83
$8.11 R$41.13
-32.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.40 R$154
$40.21 R$204
-24.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.09 R$35.95
$9.12 R$46.23
-22.26%
Cappuccino
$1.70 R$8.63
$2.81 R$14.24
-39.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 R$7.15
$1.15 R$5.85
22.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.59 R$2.99
$0.89 R$4.49
-33.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.24 R$6.26
$2.76 R$13.98
-55.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 R$13.93
$3.89 R$19.74
-29.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Macaé
Curitiba
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.97 R$4.91
$1.11 R$5.62
-12.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.53 R$7.73
$1.93 R$9.77
-20.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.37 R$6.95
$1.41 R$7.12
-2.84%
Eggs
$1.96 R$9.92
$2.49 R$12.63
-21.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.22 R$46.73
$10.34 R$52.4
-10.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.36 R$17.04
$5.02 R$25.42
-33.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.58 R$48.57
$10.68 R$54.1
-10.30%
Apples (1kg)
$1.96 R$9.91
$1.81 R$9.15
8.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.21 R$6.12
$1.11 R$5.64
9.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.93 R$4.69
$1.05 R$5.30
-11.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.23 R$6.26
$1.34 R$6.81
-8.21%
Potato (1kg)
$0.70 R$3.53
$0.83 R$4.19
-15.66%
Onion (1kg)
$0.86 R$4.33
$0.75 R$3.81
14.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.57 R$2.88
$0.78 R$3.96
-26.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48 R$2.45
$0.86 R$4.34
-44.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.58 R$8.00
$3.04 R$15.40
-48.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.99 R$30.36
$7.47 R$37.88
-19.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.03 R$5.21
$1.37 R$6.96
-24.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 R$6.24
$2.51 R$12.71
-51.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Macaé
Curitiba
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.55 R$7.83
$1.18 R$5.98
31.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.2 R$427
$71.8 R$364
17.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.36 R$6.89
$1.31 R$6.66
3.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 R$3.96
$0.82 R$4.14
-4.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.32 R$42.19
$6.19 R$31.39
34.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 R$6.41
$1.31 R$6.66
-3.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.7K R$110.0K
$23.5K R$119.1K
-7.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.4K R$159.2K
$32.9K R$166.9K
-4.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Macaé
Curitiba
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$99.6 R$505
$102 R$518
-2.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.95 R$50.4
$15.08 R$76.5
-34.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.03 R$96.5
$23.12 R$117
-17.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Macaé
Curitiba
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.47 R$205
$28.90 R$147
40.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.67 R$150
$20.29 R$103
46.23%
Cinema Ticket
$6.77 R$34.31
$7.72 R$39.13
-12.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Macaé
Curitiba
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$659 R$3,339
$382 R$1,934
72.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,291 R$37.0K
$11.3K R$57.5K
-35.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Macaé
Curitiba
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.7 R$323
$58.1 R$294
9.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.54 R$160
$56.5 R$287
-44.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$67.8 R$343
$97.3 R$493
-30.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$48.84 R$248
$81.9 R$415
-40.37%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Macaé
Curitiba
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$375 R$1,899
$522 R$2,649
-28.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$237 R$1,199
$303 R$1,535
-21.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$911 R$4,620
$835 R$4,233
9.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 R$3,410
$543 R$2,751
23.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,275 R$6,465
$2,485 R$12.6K
-48.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$787 R$3,989
$1,793 R$9,087
-56.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Macaé
Curitiba
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$809 R$4,104
$707 R$3,585
14.45%
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: October 11, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Macaé
$237
Curitiba
$303 28% $66
Groceries & Markets
Macaé
$170
Curitiba
$205 20.7% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Macaé
$129
Curitiba
$140 9.2% $12
Eating Out
Macaé
$105
Curitiba
$156 47.9% $50
Getting Around
Macaé
$96
Curitiba
$82 14.4% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Macaé
$95
Curitiba
$132 38.7% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Macaé
$54
Curitiba
$44 17.9% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $375 in Macaé and $522 in Curitiba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé 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: $30.00 in Macaé vs $40.00 in Curitiba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $170 vs $205 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Macaé
🇧🇷 Curitiba
🕒 Local time
03:27 3:27 AM
03:27 3:27 AM
Same time as Macaé
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
246,391
1,773,718
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Macaé Curitiba 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Macaé
  • Curitiba

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Macaé or Curitiba?
Macaé wins on cost – living expenses run 20% 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.
Are salaries higher in Macaé or in Curitiba?
Average pay runs 14% higher in Macaé, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Macaé compared to Curitiba?
Rent for a central apartment: $375 in Macaé versus $522 in Curitiba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Macaé compared to Curitiba?
A monthly transit pass in Macaé runs roughly 17% less than in Curitiba. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Macaé and in Curitiba?
Childcare runs $659 in Macaé versus $382 in Curitiba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Macaé or in Curitiba?
At $885 in Macaé versus $1,062 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Macaé or Curitiba?
Both work as nomad bases, but Macaé delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $885 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Macaé hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Macaé vs other spots: cost of living compared

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