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Country research

Brazil

Prices overall are about 0.46 of United States prices at market exchange rates, and InterNations' Expat Insider 2026 puts Brazil 4th of 31 countries for ease of settling in. The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Brazil 124th of 163. Remote workers paid from abroad can apply for a digital nomad residence of up to one year, renewable for the same period, and retirees who transfer at least US$2,000 a month can apply for a temporary visa and residence of up to two years. [C1] [Q1] [S1] [K1] [R1]

Capital
Brasília
Currency
Brazilian Real
Language
Portuguese
Time zones
America/Sao_Paulo, America/Manaus, America/Rio_Branco, America/Noronha
Settings
By the sea, In a city, In a small town, In the countryside, In the mountains [G1] [G2] [G3] [G4] [G5]
Weather
Warm all year, Mild, never too hot [W1]

The Fernshore Index

How it grades, factor by factor.

Each grade is against a published measure, with its source and the date we checked it. It is research information, not advice. Where we have no figure, the row says Unknown.

Cities

Cities in Brazil.

Each city page shows which figures are its own and which are the country's.

Topics

The detail on Brazil.

Guides

Brazil, by passport.

Each guide is written for citizens of one country.

For your situation

Brazil for different circumstances.

Questions about Brazil.

Do I need a visa to visit Brazil?

It depends on your passport. US, Canadian and Australian passport holders have needed a visa for any visit since 10 April 2025; the e-visa costs US$80.90 (A$152 plus a processing fee for Australians) and covers stays of up to 90 days. New Zealand passport holders can enter without a visa for up to 90 days.

Visitor visa requirement for nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA (notice), Consulate General of Brazil in New York; Brazilian visas: do I need a visa, how to apply (general information), Consulate General of Brazil in Toronto; Visa fees, Consulate General of Brazil in Sydney; Visitor visa application information, Embassy of Brazil in Wellington. Checked 15 October 2026

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Which visa lets me stay in Brazil for more than 90 days?

A temporary visa (VITEM). The digital nomad visa asks for a monthly income from a foreign payer (to be safe, more than US$1,600) or money in the bank (more than US$19,000), for up to a year, renewable for an equal period. The retiree visa asks you to transfer money each month (more than US$2,100).

Resolução Normativa CNIg/MJSP nº 45, de 9 de setembro de 2021: visto temporário e autorização de residência para o nômade digital, Conselho Nacional de Imigração (CNIg), Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública (Portal de Imigração Laboral); Resolução Normativa CNIg nº 40, de 2 de outubro de 2019: visto temporário e autorização de residência com base em aposentadoria e/ou pensão por morte, Conselho Nacional de Imigração (CNIg), Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública (Portal de Imigração Laboral). Checked 15 October 2026

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How much does it cost to live in Brazil?

Prices overall are about 0.46 of United States prices (World Bank, 2025), an economy-wide average, not a budget. The one cost we price is rent: four furnished one-bedroom adverts in Florianópolis asked R$3,009 to R$5,500 a month on 15 October 2026, before condominium fees and property tax. Other costs are unknown.

Price level index (GDP), Brazil, World Bank; Furnished one-bedroom flat, João Paulo, Florianópolis, QuintoAndar (private rental portal); Furnished one-bedroom flat, Itacorubi, Florianópolis, QuintoAndar (private rental portal); Furnished one-bedroom flat, Ingleses do Rio Vermelho, Florianópolis, QuintoAndar (private rental portal); Furnished studio flat in a building with a pool, Campeche, Florianópolis, QuintoAndar (private rental portal). Checked 15 October 2026

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Do I pay tax in Brazil if I work remotely from there?

On a temporary visa with no Brazilian job, you become a Brazilian tax resident after more than 183 days in any 12 months, and residents are taxed on worldwide income. For 2026 the monthly bands run from 0% to 27.5% above R$4,664.68, with tax reduced to zero up to R$5,000 a month. Your home country's rules are separate.

Income Tax Regulation (Decree 9.580/2018): articles 14, 17, 34, 115, 118 and 741, Presidency of the Republic (planalto.gov.br); Information on residency for tax purposes: Brazil, OECD, prepared with information from the Brazilian tax authority; Income tax tables for 2026 (IRPF), Receita Federal. Checked 15 October 2026

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How safe is Brazil?

The Global Peace Index 2026 ranks Brazil 124th of 163. Canada advises a high degree of caution because of high crime rates and gang-related violence in urban areas, and lists Fortaleza, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and São Paulo among places with high crime rates. Risk differs by neighbourhood.

Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace; Brazil travel advice and advisories, Government of Canada (travel.gc.ca). Checked 15 October 2026

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Is the weather the same across Brazil?

No. In INMET's 1991 to 2020 normals, a comfortable month has highs of 18 to 30 °C and under 150 mm of rain. Florianópolis, Curitiba and Belo Horizonte have 7 a year, São Paulo 8, Natal and Salvador 4, Recife 2 and Fortaleza none. No INMET station represents Rio de Janeiro.

Normal Climatológica do Brasil 1991-2020: Temperatura Máxima Mensal e Anual (°C), Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET), Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária; Normal Climatológica do Brasil 1991-2020: Precipitação Acumulada Mensal e Anual (mm), Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET), Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária. Checked 15 October 2026

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Sources

Where each figure comes from.

Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.

  1. [C1] Price level index (GDP), Brazil, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 45.72 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026. The data.worldbank.org indicator page did not open for scripts on 15 October 2026 (HTTP 502 or timeout).
  2. [Q1] Expat Insider 2026: Ease of Settling In, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Brazil ranks 4th of 31 countries. The page text: "Brazil (4th), which ranks in the top 5 for every single factor of the index".
  3. [S1] Global Peace Index 2026, overall rank, Institute for Economics and Peace. Checked 15 October 2026. Brazil ranks 124th of 163 countries (score 2.333).
  4. [K1] Resolução Normativa CNIg/MJSP nº 45, de 9 de setembro de 2021: visto temporário e autorização de residência para o nômade digital, Conselho Nacional de Imigração (CNIg), Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública (Portal de Imigração Laboral). Checked 15 October 2026. Art. 1 §1: a digital nomad is an immigrant who can do their work in Brazil remotely, with information and communication technologies, for a foreign employer. Art. 5 III: proof of means from a foreign paying source of US$1,500 a month or more, or bank funds of at least US$18,000. Arts. 3 and 4: initial residence of up to one year. Art. 6: the residence can be renewed for the same period. Art. 2: the activity can also be done as a visitor, under the stay and visa rules for the person's nationality. This is the temporary visa the consulates call VITEM XIV. Whether the resolution has been changed since was not checked.
  5. [R1] Resolução Normativa CNIg nº 40, de 2 de outubro de 2019: visto temporário e autorização de residência com base em aposentadoria e/ou pensão por morte, Conselho Nacional de Imigração (CNIg), Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública (Portal de Imigração Laboral). Checked 15 October 2026. Art. 1: a temporary visa for a retiree or death-pension beneficiary who proves a monthly transfer to Brazil of US$2,000 or more in foreign currency. Art. 3 III: other regular income can top up the amount. Art. 3 and art. 4 sole paragraphs: initial residence of up to two years. Art. 5: renewal is set by a separate normative resolution, which was not located, so whether and when this residence can become permanent was not confirmed. The text states no minimum age and no deposit.
  6. [G1] Censo Demográfico 2022: População residente (tabela 4714), Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Checked 15 October 2026. All 5,570 municipalities, 203,080,756 residents. Counted from the table through the IBGE data API on 15 October 2026: 41 municipalities have 500,000 residents or more, and 3,860 have fewer than 20,000.
  7. [G2] Tabela 1.1.2.2: Extensão da linha divisória (Anuário Estatístico do Brasil), Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Checked 15 October 2026. The Atlantic Ocean accounts for 12,508 km of Brazil's 29,798 km boundary line (41.97%), 2025 figures.
  8. [G3] Tabela 1.3.2.1: Pontos mais altos do Brasil (Anuário Estatístico do Brasil), Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). Checked 15 October 2026. Pico da Neblina 2,995.3 m (Serra do Imeri); Pico da Bandeira 2,891.4 m (Serra do Caparaó); Pedra da Mina 2,798.2 m and Pico das Agulhas Negras 2,791.1 m (Serras da Mantiqueira and do Itatiaia), 2023.
  9. [G4] Rural population (% of total population), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 11.8% of the population is rural (national definitions), read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026.
  10. [G5] Agricultural land (% of land area), World Bank, World Development Indicators. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 28.4% of land area, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026. The indicator page timed out on a script check that day.
  11. [W1] Normal Climatológica do Brasil 1991-2020: Temperatura Máxima Mensal e Anual (°C), Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET), Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária. Checked 15 October 2026. Station 83897 FLORIANOPOLIS (the main city for Brazil's climate grade). The maximum temperature normal, read as the average daily high, January to December: 29.4, 29.5, 28.7, 26.9, 24.0, 21.9, 21.1, 21.8, 22.4, 24.2, 26.1, 28.3 °C. The clima.inmet.gov.br site refused automated access, so the normals were read from the spreadsheets published on portal.inmet.gov.br. Also read: Station 83781 São Paulo (Mirante de Santana). The maximum temperature normal, read as the average daily high, January to December: 28.6, 29.0, 28.0, 26.6, 23.4, 22.9, 22.9, 24.5, 25.2, 26.5, 26.9, 28.3 °C. The clima.inmet.gov.br site refused automated access, so the normals were read from the spreadsheets published on portal.inmet.gov.br.
  12. [W2] Normal Climatológica do Brasil 1991-2020: Precipitação Acumulada Mensal e Anual (mm), Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia (INMET), Ministério da Agricultura e Pecuária. Checked 15 October 2026. Station 83897 FLORIANOPOLIS. Monthly rain, January to December: 241.3, 198.3, 180.4, 115.8, 126.2, 86.3, 100.8, 93.0, 146.9, 153.2, 146.6, 177.2 mm. Months with a high of 18 to 30 °C and under 150 mm of rain: April, May, June, July, August, September, November (7). Also read: Station 83781 São Paulo (Mirante de Santana). Monthly rain, January to December: 292.1, 257.7, 229.1, 87.0, 66.3, 59.7, 48.4, 32.3, 83.3, 127.2, 143.9, 231.3 mm. Months with a high of 18 to 30 °C and under 150 mm of rain: April to November (8).
  13. [H1] UHC service coverage index (SDG 3.8.1), World Health Organization. Checked 15 October 2026. Brazil: 84 out of 100 (2023), read from the WHO GHO API (indicator UHC_INDEX_REPORTED) on 15 October 2026.
  14. [Q2] Expat Insider 2026: Quality of Life, InterNations (Expat Insider survey, private). Checked 15 October 2026. Brazil ranks 23rd of 31 countries in the Quality of Life Index. The page text says Brazil "delights with its Leisure Options (3rd)" but ranks second to last for personal safety.
  15. [K2] Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Brazil, International Telecommunication Union, via the World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2024: 24.08 per 100 people, read from the World Bank API on 15 October 2026. The data.worldbank.org indicator page did not open for scripts on 15 October 2026 (HTTP 502 or timeout).
  16. [R2] Visto Temporário XIV: Aposentadoria ou Pensão, Ministério das Relações Exteriores (Consulado-Geral em Faro). Checked 15 October 2026. Names "Resolução Normativa nº40/2019 do CNIg" and asks applicants to show a monthly transfer to Brazil of US$2,000 or more. The page gives no validity, initial stay or permanent-residence information.
  17. [R3] VITEM XIV: transfer of retirement/pension, Ministério das Relações Exteriores (Embaixada em Viena). Checked 15 October 2026. The visa is valid for up to 1 year; the initial period of stay is up to 2 years; holders register with the Federal Police within 90 days of first entry; proof of a monthly transfer of US$2,000 or more.
  18. [F1] EF English Proficiency Index: Brazil, EF Education First (private test-taker index). Checked 15 October 2026. Score 482, global rank 75 (the page shows a global average of 488 and "16pt on previous score", with no direction given). The page does not print its edition year; it is the live country page read on 15 October 2026.

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