Country topic
Cost of living in Brazil
The World Bank's price level index for Brazil was 45.72 in 2025, where the United States is 100: prices overall are about 0.46 of US prices at market exchange rates. That is a national average for the whole economy, not a rent or a monthly budget, and it does not say what a household of your own would spend. [Cost of living C1] The central bank's selling rate on 15 October 2026 was R$5.0521 per US dollar, so each R$1,000 is about US$198. The Bank of Canada's rate of 14 October puts it at about CA$283, the central bank's Australian dollar rate of 15 October at about A$286, and the European Central Bank's reference rates of 15 October at about NZ$353. The rates come from different sources and days, and they move. [C2] [C3] [C4] [C5]
What we found
The research, with its sources.
Research information, not advice. Rules change, so check the source before you act on one.
- The World Bank's price level index for Brazil was 45.72 in 2025, where the United States is 100: prices overall are about 0.46 of US prices at market exchange rates. That is a national average for the whole economy, not a rent or a monthly budget, and it does not say what a household of your own would spend. [Cost of living C1]
- The central bank's selling rate on 15 October 2026 was R$5.0521 per US dollar, so each R$1,000 is about US$198. The Bank of Canada's rate of 14 October puts it at about CA$283, the central bank's Australian dollar rate of 15 October at about A$286, and the European Central Bank's reference rates of 15 October at about NZ$353. The rates come from different sources and days, and they move. [C2] [C3] [C4] [C5]
- Four furnished one-bedroom flats and studios in Florianópolis that we opened on 15 October 2026 asked R$3,009, R$3,600, R$3,999 and R$5,500 a month (Ingleses do Rio Vermelho, João Paulo, Campeche and Itacorubi), about US$596 to US$1,089. These are single adverts, not a city average or a quote. The portal says they were published between 14 days and 8 months earlier, so availability is unconfirmed. [C6] [C7] [C8] [C9] [C2]
- The adverts add a condominium fee and property tax (IPTU) on top of the rent, and the rental portal's own monthly total is higher than rent plus those two lines. Totals shown: R$3,218 (Ingleses), R$4,488 (João Paulo), R$5,027 (Campeche) and R$6,230 (Itacorubi). The Campeche advert, for example, lists R$820 condominium and R$41 property tax on R$3,999 of rent. The portal does not say here what the rest of its total covers. [C6] [C7] [C8] [C9]
- The FipeZAP index, a private index of asking rents for ready apartments, put Florianópolis fourth among the 22 capitals it follows in December 2025, at R$59.77 per square metre, after Belém (R$63.69), São Paulo (R$62.56) and Recife (R$60.89). Curitiba was R$46.42. A later edition could not be opened. Asking rents per square metre are not what a particular flat costs. [C12]
- For contrast, one São Paulo studio in Pinheiros asks R$3,248 a month (R$695 condominium, R$89 property tax; portal total R$4,158) and one Curitiba studio in Batel asks R$2,500 (R$410 condominium, R$41 property tax; portal total R$3,051). One advert each, published 2 and 8 months earlier. No complete living budget was found for either city. [C10] [C11]
- Under the Tenancy Law a landlord may ask for only one guarantee: a deposit, a guarantor, rental guarantee insurance or a fund-share assignment. A cash deposit cannot exceed three months' rent. None of the adverts we opened states which guarantee the landlord wants, so the upfront cost of a tenancy is unknown until you ask. [C13] [C6] [C7] [C8] [C9]
- The WHO's service coverage index for Brazil is 84 out of 100 (2023), and the Migration Law gives migrants access to public health services without discrimination for nationality or migration status. The digital nomad visa requires health insurance valid in Brazil, and we found no price for a private policy, so that cost is unknown. We also found no dated, sourced price for electricity, internet, groceries, leisure or local transport, so there is no monthly total, and personal tax is not included in any figure here. [C14] [C15] [C16]
The Fernshore Index
How the Index grades the cost of living.
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.
Cost of living
73 of 100Strong
Price level 0.457 of United States prices (2025).
Source: Price level index (GDP), Brazil. Checked 15 October 2026.
The country
More on Brazil.
Topics
More about Brazil.
Questions about Cost of living in Brazil.
Is Brazil cheaper than the United States?
The World Bank's price level index for Brazil was 45.72 in 2025, where the United States is 100: prices overall are about 0.46 of US prices at market exchange rates. That is a national average for the whole economy, not a rent or a budget.
How much is rent in Florianópolis?
Four furnished one-bedroom flats and studios we opened on 15 October 2026 asked R$3,009 to R$5,500 a month (about US$596 to US$1,089). Condominium fees and property tax come on top; the portal's totals ran R$3,218 to R$6,230. These are single adverts, not an average.
Is Florianópolis more expensive than São Paulo or Curitiba?
In the private FipeZAP index for December 2025, asking rents per square metre were R$59.77 in Florianópolis (fourth of 22 capitals), R$62.56 in São Paulo and R$46.42 in Curitiba. A later edition could not be opened, and a per-square-metre average is not what a particular flat costs.
What does a landlord in Brazil ask for upfront?
Under the Tenancy Law a landlord may ask for only one guarantee: a deposit, a guarantor, rental guarantee insurance or a fund-share assignment. A cash deposit cannot exceed three months' rent. The adverts we opened do not say which guarantee they want, so ask before you compare.
How much will utilities, groceries and health insurance cost in Brazil?
We found no dated, sourced price for electricity, internet, groceries, local transport or a private health policy, so those costs are unknown, not zero, and we give no monthly total. The digital nomad visa requires health insurance valid in Brazil.
Sources
Where each figure comes from.
Every figure on this page links to the page we read, with the date we checked it.
- [BR 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).
- [Cost of living C1] Price level index (GDP), Brazil, World Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. 2025: 45.72 (United States = 100), read from the World Bank API; the indicator page did not open for scripts on 16 October 2026.
- [C2] PTAX exchange rate, US dollar, 15 October 2026, Banco Central do Brasil. Checked 15 October 2026. R$5.0521 per US dollar (selling) at the 13:05 bulletin on 15 October 2026.
- [C3] BRL/CAD and USD/CAD daily average exchange rates, Bank of Canada (Valet API). Checked 15 October 2026. CA$0.2832 per Brazilian real on 14 October 2026.
- [C4] PTAX exchange rate, Australian dollar, 15 October 2026, Banco Central do Brasil. Checked 15 October 2026. R$3.4930 per Australian dollar (selling) at the 13:05 bulletin on 15 October 2026.
- [C5] Euro foreign exchange reference rates, 15 October 2026, European Central Bank. Checked 15 October 2026. BRL 5.6679 and NZD 2.0012 per euro on 15 October 2026; reference rates for information only.
- [C6] Furnished one-bedroom flat, João Paulo, Florianópolis, QuintoAndar (private rental portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert, opened on 15 October 2026; availability unconfirmed. Portal says published 14 days earlier. R$3,600; condominium R$620; property tax R$117; portal total R$4,488.
- [C7] Furnished one-bedroom flat, Itacorubi, Florianópolis, QuintoAndar (private rental portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert, opened on 15 October 2026; availability unconfirmed. Portal says published 22 days earlier. R$5,500; condominium R$500; portal total R$6,230.
- [C8] Furnished one-bedroom flat, Ingleses do Rio Vermelho, Florianópolis, QuintoAndar (private rental portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert, opened on 15 October 2026; availability unconfirmed. Portal says published 8 months earlier. R$3,009; property tax R$84; portal total R$3,218.
- [C9] Furnished studio flat in a building with a pool, Campeche, Florianópolis, QuintoAndar (private rental portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert, opened on 15 October 2026; availability unconfirmed. Portal says published 8 months earlier. R$3,999; condominium R$820; property tax R$41; portal total R$5,027.
- [C12] FipeZAP residential rental index, December 2025, Fipe and Grupo OLX (private index, not official). Checked 15 October 2026. Average asking rents per square metre for ready apartments in the 22 capitals the index follows, December 2025: Belém R$63.69, São Paulo R$62.56, Recife R$60.89, Florianópolis R$59.77, Curitiba R$46.42. A later edition could not be opened.
- [C10] Furnished one-bedroom studio, Pinheiros, São Paulo, QuintoAndar (private rental portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert, opened on 15 October 2026; availability unconfirmed. Portal says published 2 months earlier. R$3,248; condominium R$695; property tax R$89; portal total R$4,158.
- [C11] Furnished studio flat with a balcony, Batel, Curitiba, QuintoAndar (private rental portal). Checked 15 October 2026. Asking rent on one advert, opened on 15 October 2026; availability unconfirmed. Portal says published 8 months earlier. R$2,500; condominium R$410; property tax R$41; portal total R$3,051.
- [C13] Tenancy Law 8.245/1991: articles 37 and 38 (guarantees), Presidency of the Republic (planalto.gov.br). Checked 15 October 2026.
- [C14] 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.
- [C15] Migration Law 13.445/2017: articles 4, 13 and 14, Presidency of the Republic (planalto.gov.br). Checked 15 October 2026. Article 4, VIII: migrants have access to public health, social assistance and social security services without discrimination for nationality or migration status.
- [C16] Resolution CNIg 45/2021: temporary visa and residence authorisation for digital nomads, National Immigration Council (Conselho Nacional de Imigração), text as published in the Diário Oficial da União on 24 January 2022 (read in a private legal database). Checked 15 October 2026. Article 3, II: health insurance valid in the national territory is required for the visa.