For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $819 a month against $1,936 in Porto, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Porto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $819 in Macaé versus $1,936 in Porto.
Macaé $819
Porto $1,936
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,377 in Macaé versus $2,902 in Porto.
Macaé $1,377
Porto $2,902
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,935 in Macaé versus $3,869 in Porto.
Macaé $1,935
Porto $3,869
🌍
Living in Macaé costs roughly 58% less than in Porto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Macaé is 39% below, Porto is 43% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Macaé
Porto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.07R$27.72
$14.53€12.94
-65.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.42R$150
$55.2€49.15
-50.30%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.46R$35.28
$11.22€10.00
-42.42%
Cappuccino
$1.59R$8.70
$2.76€2.46
-42.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23R$6.72
$2.22€1.98
-44.59%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.53R$2.92
$1.31€1.16
-59.54%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.08R$5.88
$3.26€2.91
-66.87%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52R$13.79
$4.59€4.09
-45.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Macaé
Porto
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.94R$5.12
$1.14€1.01
-17.54%
White Bread(500g)
$1.39R$7.61
$1.74€1.55
-20.11%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.31R$7.17
$1.47€1.31
-10.88%
Eggs
$1.84R$10.08
$4.09€3.64
-55.01%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$8.37R$45.72
$11.63€10.36
-28.03%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$3.13R$17.11
$6.94€6.18
-54.90%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$8.69R$47.48
$16.65€14.84
-47.81%
Apples(1kg)
$1.77R$9.66
$2.21€1.97
-19.91%
Banana(1kg)
$1.05R$5.76
$1.68€1.50
-37.50%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.89R$4.84
$1.89€1.68
-52.91%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.16R$6.36
$2.50€2.23
-53.60%
Potato(1kg)
$0.64R$3.50
$1.77€1.57
-63.84%
Onion(1kg)
$0.79R$4.33
$1.86€1.66
-57.53%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.53R$2.88
$1.60€1.43
-66.88%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.48R$2.63
$0.75€0.67
-36.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$1.51R$8.26
$6.75€6.01
-77.63%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.42R$29.62
$5.57€4.96
-2.69%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$0.88R$4.82
$1.34€1.19
-34.33%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.17R$6.41
$2.67€2.38
-56.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Macaé
Porto
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.48R$8.09
$1.59€1.41
-6.92%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$77.1R$421
$45.07€40.15
71.00%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$1.25R$6.84
$3.96€3.53
-68.43%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.69R$3.78
$0.82€0.73
-15.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.41R$40.46
$16.66€14.84
-55.52%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.15R$6.27
$2.17€1.93
-47.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.7KR$107.5K
$33.3K€29.7K
-41.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.6KR$156.5K
$36.2K€32.3K
-20.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Macaé
Porto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$93.1R$509
$163€145
-42.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.32R$50.9
$14.92€13.29
-37.53%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$17.75R$97.0
$34.60€30.82
-48.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Macaé
Porto
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$36.26R$198
$43.69€38.92
-17.01%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$32.00R$175
$15.37€13.69
108.20%
Cinema Ticket
$6.08R$33.24
$9.01€8.02
-32.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Macaé
Porto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$606R$3,313
$557€496
8.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,674R$36.5K
$11.6K€10.3K
-42.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Macaé
Porto
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.6R$320
$104€93.0
-43.87%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.21R$160
$32.84€29.25
-11.05%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$61.3R$335
$93.7€83.5
-34.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.00R$240
$102€91.3
-57.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Macaé
Porto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$337R$1,843
$1,325€1,181
-74.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$223R$1,220
$970€864
-76.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$842R$4,598
$2,276€2,027
-63.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$612R$3,345
$1,704€1,518
-64.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,170R$6,391
$5,306€4,727
-77.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$723R$3,948
$3,956€3,524
-81.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Macaé
Porto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$734R$4,009
$1,621€1,444
-54.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
10.67
3.64
193.13%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Macaé: October 31, 2026
Last update for Porto: November 3, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Macaé
$223 27.3%
Porto
$970 50.1% ↑ 334%$747
🛒Groceries & Markets
Macaé
$156 19.1%
Porto
$259 13.4% ↑ 65.9%$103
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Macaé
$120 14.7%
Porto
$213 11% ↑ 77%$93
🍽Eating Out
Macaé
$97 11.8%
Porto
$223 11.5% ↑ 131%$126
🚌Getting Around
Macaé
$88 10.7%
Porto
$59 3.1% ↓ 32.2%$28
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Macaé
$87 10.6%
Porto
$150 7.8% ↑ 72.7%$63
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Macaé
$48 5.9%
Porto
$62 3.2% ↑ 27.4%$13
🏠Accommodation & Living
Macaé
$612 31.6%
Porto
$1.7K 44% ↑ 178%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Macaé
$364 18.8%
Porto
$617 16% ↑ 69.3%$253
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Macaé
$130 6.7%
Porto
$228 5.9% ↑ 75.8%$98
🍽Eating Out
Macaé
$328 17%
Porto
$725 18.8% ↑ 121%$397
🚌Getting Around
Macaé
$178 9.2%
Porto
$122 3.2% ↓ 31.6%$56
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Macaé
$193 10%
Porto
$333 8.6% ↑ 72.7%$140
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Macaé
$129 6.7%
Porto
$139 3.6% ↑ 7.7%$9.9
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $337 in Macaé and $1,325 in Porto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Porto pays about 2.2 times 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: $27 in Macaé vs $55 in Porto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $156 vs $259 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.
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 Porto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Macaé and in Porto?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $819 in Macaé and $1,936 in Porto, so Macaé is about 58% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Macaé. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Macaé and in Porto?
Rent for a central apartment: $337 in Macaé versus $1,325 in Porto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $27 versus $55 in Porto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Macaé or Porto?
All in, you’ll spend $819 per month in Macaé versus $1,936 in Porto – Macaé is about 58% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $819 in Macaé versus $1,936 in Porto, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Porto. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How do I decide between Macaé and Porto?
It comes down to priorities – Macaé wins on affordability, Porto on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.