Cost of Living Comparison Between Serra and Contagem Cost of Living Comparison Between Serra and Contagem

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $726 per month in Serra vs $692 in Contagem, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,102 per month in Serra vs $1,093 in Contagem, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,478 per month in Serra vs $1,495 in Contagem, rent included.

Serra costs about 5% more than Contagem, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Serra and Contagem are more affordable than the global median – Serra 46% lower, Contagem 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.45 R$22.29

$4.37 R$21.86

1.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.97 R$105

$18.32 R$91.7

14.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$32.30

$5.69 R$28.48

13.53%

Cappuccino

$1.72 R$8.62

$1.27 R$6.37

35.43%

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

$0.71 R$3.55

$0.93 R$4.66

-23.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 R$2.64

$0.47 R$2.35

12.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 R$4.11

$1.14 R$5.73

-28.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$16.31

$2.26 R$11.33

44.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 R$4.25

$0.93 R$4.65

-8.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.58

$1.53 R$7.64

-1.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.06

$1.56 R$7.80

-35.26%

Eggs

$1.60 R$8.03

$1.61 R$8.07

-0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 R$37.71

$7.90 R$39.54

-4.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.77 R$18.86

$3.21 R$16.06

17.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.31 R$31.57

$5.11 R$25.58

23.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 R$10.64

$1.85 R$9.26

15.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$6.88

$1.34 R$6.69

2.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.12

$0.88 R$4.42

38.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.15

$1.36 R$6.79

5.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.48

$1.02 R$5.10

6.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.02

$0.81 R$4.03

48.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 R$3.13

$0.69 R$3.46

-8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 R$2.64

$0.63 R$3.16

-15.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 R$10.97

$2.13 R$10.64

2.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.82 R$29.11

$5.96 R$29.84

-2.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.70

$1.03 R$5.15

-8.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.07

$2.22 R$11.09

-45.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 R$4.33

$1.34 R$6.69

-35.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.17 R$211

$72.3 R$362

-41.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R$5.74

$0.93 R$4.65

23.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 R$4.57

$0.97 R$4.87

-6.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 R$18.64

$7.94 R$39.76

-53.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 R$4.94

$1.03 R$5.14

-3.88%

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

$21.5K R$107.4K

$25.0K R$125.3K

-14.22%

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

$30.3K R$151.6K

$29.1K R$145.7K

4.06%

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

$105 R$523

$64.2 R$321

62.98%

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

$11.48 R$57.4

$14.08 R$70.5

-18.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.50 R$87.6

$16.13 R$80.7

8.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.78 R$179

$24.20 R$121

47.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.58 R$133

$21.68 R$109

22.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.47 R$22.37

$6.39 R$31.99

-30.05%

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

$167 R$836

$134 R$669

24.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,380 R$31.9K

$6,853 R$34.3K

-6.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.76 R$184

$51.8 R$259

-29.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 R$270

$37.65 R$188

43.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 R$404

$73.3 R$367

10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.6 R$353

$63.8 R$319

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 R$1,134

$203 R$1,016

11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 R$672

$118 R$590

13.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 R$2,010

$436 R$2,184

-7.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 R$980

$266 R$1,330

-26.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$963 R$4,821

$1,949 R$9,753

-50.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$563 R$2,820

$1,002 R$5,012

-43.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$557 R$2,790

$256 R$1,279

118.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.38

10.83

-4.16%

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

Last update for Serra: June 1, 2026

Last update for Contagem: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Serra versus $203 in Contagem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 118% higher in Serra, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21.00 in Serra versus $18.00 in Contagem. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $159 vs $156 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Serra vs Contagem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Serra is pricier by about 5%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,088 per month in Serra and $1,038 in Contagem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Contagem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 71% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $167 per month in Serra and $134 in Contagem. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $726 in Serra and $692 in Contagem, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Contagem. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Serra makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.