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: $824 in Macaé versus $842 in Curitiba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,343 in Macaé versus $1,360 in Curitiba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,862 in Macaé versus $1,878 in Curitiba.

Living in Macaé costs roughly 2% less than in Curitiba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Macaé 38% lower, Curitiba 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.70 R$29.02

$5.46 R$27.82

4.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.80 R$172

$31.78 R$162

6.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 R$32.67

$6.25 R$31.81

2.72%

Cappuccino

$1.92 R$9.78

$2.02 R$10.31

-4.95%

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

$1.28 R$6.53

$1.08 R$5.50

18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R$4.19

$0.68 R$3.44

20.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$9.06

$2.20 R$11.19

-19.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 R$11.16

$3.19 R$16.25

-31.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.39

$0.92 R$4.67

15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 R$8.11

$1.41 R$7.17

12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.53

$1.19 R$6.07

7.56%

Eggs

$1.94 R$9.89

$2.12 R$10.77

-8.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 R$41.14

$8.23 R$41.88

-1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 R$18.07

$3.78 R$19.25

-6.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.37 R$32.45

$7.65 R$38.96

-16.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 R$11.71

$2.07 R$10.52

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.47

$0.96 R$4.87

32.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.03

$0.97 R$4.93

21.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 R$7.07

$1.20 R$6.13

15.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.56

$1.01 R$5.16

7.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.93

$0.93 R$4.76

24.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 R$3.41

$0.61 R$3.09

9.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 R$2.39

$0.66 R$3.36

-28.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.01 R$10.21

$2.19 R$11.14

-8.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.81 R$29.56

$7.66 R$38.99

-24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R$4.67

$1.17 R$5.96

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$5.81

$2.27 R$11.53

-49.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 R$3.83

$1.05 R$5.36

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 R$376

$47.01 R$239

57.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R$5.76

$1.10 R$5.58

2.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.60

$0.71 R$3.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 R$38.11

$6.40 R$32.61

17.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.43

$1.17 R$5.93

-8.55%

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

$17.8K R$90.5K

$18.4K R$93.9K

-3.63%

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

$27.0K R$137.7K

$26.2K R$133.6K

3.02%

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

$58.4 R$297

$72.7 R$370

-19.72%

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

$10.03 R$51.1

$11.43 R$58.2

-12.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.88 R$96.1

$21.22 R$108

-11.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.50 R$196

$26.04 R$133

47.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.80 R$136

$16.67 R$84.9

60.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.17 R$31.41

$6.48 R$33.01

-4.78%

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

$541 R$2,753

$286 R$1,454

89.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,587 R$33.5K

$6,461 R$32.9K

1.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.81 R$228

$54.6 R$278

-17.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.33 R$149

$44.98 R$229

-34.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.6 R$364

$82.1 R$418

-12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 R$310

$69.2 R$352

-12.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 R$1,816

$359 R$1,826

-0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 R$1,193

$247 R$1,259

-5.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$661 R$3,366

$671 R$3,414

-1.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 R$2,587

$494 R$2,514

2.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,231 R$6,267

$2,373 R$12.1K

-48.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$762 R$3,877

$1,736 R$8,837

-56.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$761 R$3,875

$639 R$3,252

19.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

2.27%

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

Last update for Macaé: July 13, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $357 in Macaé and $359 in Curitiba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Macaé vs $32.00 in Curitiba. Groceries flip the comparison at $164 vs $170, with Macaé 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

Macaé vs Curitiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Macaé wins on cost – living expenses run 2% 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 19% 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: $357 in Macaé versus $359 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 57% less than in Curitiba. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $541 in Macaé versus $286 in Curitiba. 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 Macaé 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 Macaé delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $824 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 2% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.