Interesting response by expats living in Brazil

Texanbrazil wrote:

RIO DE JANEIRO, BAZIL - Brazil comes 61st out of 64 destinations in the Expat Insider 2019 survey, ranking among the ten worst destinations in the world for the fifth year in a row.

Expats are particularly worried about safety and security (64th out of 64), but also unhappy with family life abroad (35th out of 36).

Brazil offers poor results across the board, ranking in the bottom 10 for three out of the five indices, and safety and security remains a huge problem for expats.

Friendly locals are not enough to boost Brazil past the halfway mark: it ranks 37th . . .

Expats receiving low salaries in reais are faced with the dilema of how to make ends meet. Prices at
supermarkets go up almost everyday. Prices at gas stations also are high and almost always has the tendency to go up everytime there´s an economic turmoil. Higher gas prices lead to more expensive transport of goods and services and so on - a chain reaction. Any truck divers´strike will propel prices way up at an instant.

The expats´ children need to go to school. Most public primary education is a joke so parents tend to
send their children to private schools. Very expensive when compared to the low salaries in reais.
Teachers in public schools have frequent strikes due to poor compensation. Private universities are
also very expensive. A minimum salary of R$998.... A medical student at a private university in Novo
Hamburgo, RS pays R$8,000 a month! So, this is a country for the privileged...

Medical care free through SUS, the state´s health care program? Not really since most of the time you
have to pay for the medicine yourself! And then the long lines due to insufficient staffing. So you want to obtain a private health insurance... If you´re 60, the health insurance is capped. You can obtain a regional health insurer for around R$500. That´s the cheapest. Are you being paid R$998 a month?
Then don´t even think about it. You have to eat. You have to pay the utilities and rent if you don´t own a house. Financing also has high interest rates and then there´s the yearly readjustment...

Children´s vaccination is not free. I just spent R$600 for the 2 children of a friend of mine. Unless the children are very sick and with a doctor´s prescription, can they receive a free vaccination from SUS.

High poverty rates lead to crimes as the population strive to feed their families. Unemployment is high and the population is stressed. Robberies against tourists is common especially in big cities and there are rapes committed against foreign women.

Friendly Brazilians? Sure. Many times overly friendly. But be always watchful! At these situations are you going to be happy as an expat in Brazil? I´m very thankful most of my income is in dollars and
I´m living a very comfortable life. But how about the others expats? I´m sure tourists are very cautious
about their safety in Brazil. That´s the reason of the low rankings despite being a beautiful country.

Romance? Sure! Lots of opportunities. Women would be glad to exchange places with you, gringo!

I´m sure Tex and others especially me would love to hear others´opinions.

robal