Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Curitiba Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Caetano do Sul and Curitiba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,011 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $988 in Curitiba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,738 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $1,578 in Curitiba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,465 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $2,167 in Curitiba.

Living in Sao Caetano do Sul is roughly 2% more expensive than in Curitiba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Caetano do Sul 26% lower, Curitiba 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.45 R$43.02

$7.77 R$39.56

8.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.22 R$205

$38.20 R$195

5.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 R$41.27

$8.42 R$42.90

-3.80%

Cappuccino

$2.22 R$11.30

$2.65 R$13.48

-16.23%

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

$1.22 R$6.23

$1.17 R$5.97

4.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.09

$0.87 R$4.41

-8.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 R$11.59

$2.66 R$13.57

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 R$18.57

$4.16 R$21.21

-12.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.00 R$5.12

19.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 R$10.75

$1.81 R$9.24

16.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.99

$1.31 R$6.67

4.58%

Eggs

$2.74 R$13.93

$2.34 R$11.91

17.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 R$57.0

$9.59 R$48.84

16.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.17 R$26.33

$4.85 R$24.72

6.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 R$52.5

$9.98 R$50.8

3.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 R$11.67

$1.60 R$8.16

43.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.22

$0.99 R$5.03

82.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.09

$1.01 R$5.12

57.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.12

$1.14 R$5.79

57.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.01

$0.86 R$4.40

60.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.12

$0.74 R$3.77

62.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 R$4.90

$0.76 R$3.89

26.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.12

$0.86 R$4.40

-5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 R$11.99

$2.88 R$14.65

-18.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.79 R$44.75

$7.54 R$38.40

16.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 R$8.17

$1.37 R$6.97

16.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$12.17

$2.57 R$13.09

-7.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 R$1.90

$1.15 R$5.85

-67.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 R$348

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.47

$1.28 R$6.53

-0.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R$4.77

$0.73 R$3.73

28.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 R$42.74

$5.91 R$30.08

41.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.28

$1.32 R$6.74

-6.82%

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

$23.0K R$117.0K

$23.0K R$117.1K

-0.09%

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

$31.0K R$158.1K

$31.8K R$161.9K

-2.37%

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

$100.0 R$509

$98.6 R$502

1.34%

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

$15.66 R$79.8

$14.65 R$74.6

6.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.84 R$111

$22.53 R$115

-3.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.89 R$249

$27.08 R$138

80.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.26 R$225

$17.22 R$87.7

157.03%

Cinema Ticket

$9.56 R$48.71

$6.68 R$34.01

43.11%

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

$430 R$2,189

$368 R$1,874

16.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,663 R$49.2K

$10.7K R$54.7K

-10.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 R$314

$56.0 R$285

10.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 R$284

$49.73 R$253

12.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 R$481

$90.2 R$459

4.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 R$425

$75.1 R$383

11.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 R$2,070

$479 R$2,442

-15.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$301 R$1,534

$277 R$1,412

8.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$810 R$4,124

$782 R$3,985

3.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 R$4,179

$522 R$2,659

57.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,779 R$9,060

$2,375 R$12.1K

-25.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,405 R$7,154

$1,744 R$8,882

-19.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 R$4,619

$650 R$3,313

39.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.81

11.54

-6.33%

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

Last update for Sao Caetano do Sul: September 1, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $406 in Sao Caetano do Sul and $479 in Curitiba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sao Caetano do Sul pays 39% 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: $40.00 in Sao Caetano do Sul vs $38.00 in Curitiba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $228 vs $194 per month, with Curitiba 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

Sao Caetano do Sul vs Curitiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curitiba wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Sao Caetano do Sul. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Curitiba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% higher in Sao Caetano do Sul, 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: $406 in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $479 in Curitiba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Sao Caetano do Sul. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,011 per month in Sao Caetano do Sul versus $988 in Curitiba – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $988 in Curitiba versus $1,011 in Sao Caetano do Sul, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Curitiba but tight or insufficient in Sao Caetano do Sul. The gap between the two cities makes Curitiba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Curitiba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $988 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Curitiba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Curitiba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Sao Caetano do Sul. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.