Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Friburgo and Curitiba Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Friburgo and Curitiba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $740 in Nova Friburgo versus $842 in Curitiba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,220 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,360 in Curitiba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,700 in Nova Friburgo versus $1,878 in Curitiba.

Living in Nova Friburgo costs roughly 12% less than in Curitiba, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nova Friburgo 45% lower, Curitiba 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.11 R$36.22

$5.46 R$27.82

30.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.10 R$163

$31.78 R$162

1.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.82 R$29.65

$6.25 R$31.81

-6.88%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R$9.71

$2.02 R$10.31

-5.45%

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

$0.77 R$3.93

$1.08 R$5.50

-28.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 R$2.46

$0.68 R$3.44

-29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 R$8.51

$2.20 R$11.19

-24.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 R$13.51

$3.19 R$16.25

-16.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 R$4.64

$0.92 R$4.67

-1.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 R$9.04

$1.41 R$7.17

26.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.29

$1.19 R$6.07

20.17%

Eggs

$1.96 R$9.97

$2.12 R$10.77

-7.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 R$41.52

$8.23 R$41.88

-0.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 R$18.56

$3.78 R$19.25

-3.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.18 R$41.65

$7.65 R$38.96

6.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.42

$2.07 R$10.52

-29.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.99

$0.96 R$4.87

63.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.44

$0.97 R$4.93

50.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.99

$1.20 R$6.13

30.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$1.01 R$5.16

23.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.66

$0.93 R$4.76

19.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 R$3.26

$0.61 R$3.09

4.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.66 R$3.36

-13.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$10.02

$2.19 R$11.14

-10.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.97 R$30.41

$7.66 R$38.99

-22.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.18

$1.17 R$5.96

3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 R$10.70

$2.27 R$11.53

-7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 R$4.31

$1.05 R$5.36

-19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.82 R$198

$47.01 R$239

-17.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.66

$1.10 R$5.58

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 R$2.21

$0.71 R$3.63

-39.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 R$30.10

$6.40 R$32.61

-7.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.46

$1.17 R$5.93

-8.55%

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

$13.9K R$70.9K

$18.4K R$93.9K

-24.49%

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

$24.6K R$125.3K

$26.2K R$133.6K

-6.23%

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

$36.76 R$187

$72.7 R$370

-49.42%

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

$8.79 R$44.77

$11.43 R$58.2

-23.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.82 R$85.7

$21.22 R$108

-20.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.14 R$103

$26.04 R$133

-22.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.97 R$112

$16.67 R$84.9

31.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.36 R$32.36

$6.48 R$33.01

-1.85%

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

$544 R$2,770

$286 R$1,454

90.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K R$58.4K

$6,461 R$32.9K

77.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.57 R$227

$54.6 R$278

-18.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.58 R$212

$44.98 R$229

-7.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.5 R$323

$82.1 R$418

-22.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 R$314

$69.2 R$352

-10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 R$1,577

$359 R$1,826

-13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 R$1,089

$247 R$1,259

-13.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 R$2,934

$671 R$3,414

-14.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,180

$494 R$2,514

-13.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,530 R$7,789

$2,373 R$12.1K

-35.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$789 R$4,016

$1,736 R$8,837

-54.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$499 R$2,540

$639 R$3,252

-21.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

3.00%

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

Last update for Nova Friburgo: July 14, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Nova Friburgo and $359 in Curitiba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Curitiba pays 28% 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: $32.00 in Nova Friburgo vs $32.00 in Curitiba. Groceries flip the comparison at $176 vs $170, with Curitiba 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

Nova Friburgo vs Curitiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nova Friburgo wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Curitiba. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nova Friburgo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Curitiba. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $310 in Nova Friburgo versus $359 in Curitiba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nova Friburgo runs roughly 21% less than in Curitiba. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $544 in Nova Friburgo 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 $800 a month, though Nova Friburgo 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 Nova Friburgo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $740 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Nova Friburgo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Nova Friburgo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.