Cost of Living in Brazil in 2020

Fortunately I am no longer living in Brazil, but I remain here because I have at least one friend with whom I enjoy exchanging ideas, perhaps more.

It really depends on area which you live or want to live.
Cost of food has go up 15%. We spend around $R500 per month on food.
Gasoline, has increased. Elect and water is very reasonable here in Foz. (We have the 2nd largest hydrogeneration plant and many rivers and lakes.) Cell $R50
Heath Insurance is a little more here with only 3 plans to choose. Full coverage is $R400 to $R2000 ( includes specialist) depending on age. Scripts run around $R200 a month for two.
As to renting and buying a house or apt, there is a wide range. All depends on wants.
Housekeep is $R1000 + retirement at end of the year and pool service just increased 20%.

Similar to the States, where you live determines your cost of living. Smaller neighborhood markets charge more for their goods and services than bigger supermarkets, such as Bom Preço or Extras. Prices of things fluctuate with the effect of overall regional and national economy. I drive back & forth between Recife and João Pessoa and pay anything between R$ 4.19 & 4.39 per liter. Groceries easily costs over R$500/week for my family of 3, in Boa Viagem.

As most people have stated, many costs depend on location.  Food is expensive in Manaus because, except for freshwater fish and fruits from the forest, almost everything else is "imported" from the Southeast and, since the government has allowed the highway linking us to the rest of the country to deteriorate to the point that it's unusable, the only way to get goods here in bulk is via a long, expensive trip by water.  We spend about R$1000/mo. on food prepared at home.

We spend R$600/mo on electricity.  Our condominium has its own water supply, so we spend nothing on municipal water, R$100/mo keeping our cooler for drinking water supplied. 

We pay R$1,100/mo for health plans.  Internet runs R$198/mo, cable TV R$150/mo.  Membership for two in a good (and air conditioned) gym is R$220/mo; other entertainment is less than R$200/mo:  the State Department of Culture runs a lot of good free programming in Teatro Amazonas, and we take advantage of that.  R$100/mo for cell service for two.  We don't have a car; we probably average R$600/mo on Uber, and consider it a good trade-off on the bother and expense of car ownership.

I´ve stopped looking at costs of goods and services in Brazil as it changes daily. The
government declares a low inflation but I don´t see the evidence as all keeps going up
everytime. I alone spend around R$7,500 monthly. I´m helping a family and I spend around R$7,0000 monthly on them. Go figure. Luckily I´m still very comfortable with the expenses involved. So I can´t complain.

robal

Hi Robal,
Just before I returned to the US I was seeing the gov. reporting 4 or 5% inflation. 
My shopping in Brazil was quite repetitive every week, with me buying the same frozen dinners, fruit, bread, etc., always at the same market, Pão de Açucar across from the Shopping Ibirapuera.
In January of 2018 I would spend 150 to 160 every week.  By July, before I left I was spending, with the same junk I always bought, around 260/week.  That, in my book, is over 60% increase since January.
Maybe my math is wrong.
Be well,
Ron

Ron Pinto wrote:

Hi Robal,
Just before I returned to the US I was seeing the gov. reporting 4 or 5% inflation. 
My shopping in Brazil was quite repetitive every week, with me buying the same frozen dinners, fruit, bread, etc., always at the same market, Pão de Açucar across from the Shopping Ibirapuera.
In January of 2018 I would spend 150 to 160 every week.  By July, before I left I was spending, with the same junk I always bought, around 260/week.  That, in my book, is over 60% increase since January.
Maybe my math is wrong.
Be well,
Ron

I believe you. It´s sometimes frustrating to see the sudden changes of the price of meat, to gasoline etc. So i don´t look at prices anymore. I just buy.

Quick question about medical insurance.  Are prescriptions normally covered?  I purchased traveler insurance when I was last there (Vitoria).  The policy included prescriptions, however the pharmacy I went to did not accept insurance. 

Thanks.

I was in Vitoria, last August.  Food seemed to be quite cheap compared to the states, alcohol about the same.  Housing has gone up considerably in this city in the past 5 or so years.   Gasoline more expensive, but not by much.

stay22 wrote:

Quick question about medical insurance.  Are prescriptions normally covered?  I purchased traveler insurance when I was last there (Vitoria).  The policy included prescriptions, however the pharmacy I went to did not accept insurance. 

Thanks.

I was in Vitoria, last August.  Food seemed to be quite cheap compared to the states, alcohol about the same.  Housing has gone up considerably in this city in the past 5 or so years.   Gasoline more expensive, but not by much.

Every pharmacy has specific partnership with different clinics or insurance companies. So your provider did not have any "convenio" with the pharmacy.

Your cost of living depends on geography. It´s more expensive in the south.

robal

I suspect that total costs here in Bom Jesus da Lapa are just about ideal.  We are about 500 km from the nearest city, but not that far from Br rt 116 so the trucks can get here.  The downsides are that there is zero english spoken here and US currency looks like monopoly money to everyone, including the bankers.  There are only one or two businesses in town that will accept international plastic.

I bought off my girlfriends mortgage last winter with cash carried from home.  The total value of the property right now is around R$90.000 ....for that you get a nice new home, tiled throughout, 3 bdrooms, 2 baths, kitchen, common room, and small patio.  She also has a large family room which she rents out to a non-denominational church.  Cant beat this deal with a stick ....

In Embu das Artes and Taboão da Serra, everything's fairly reasonable.  Daughter in law pays R$400 for a small apartment; her water, gas and electric run about $R60 altogether. 

Cell service runs about R$50 and internet is right at $R10 for a simple 5Mb line, although we're contemplating an upgrade to fibre.

We might spend R$4-500 on food and household goods.

A haircut and shave runs about R$25.

A good sized sack of rice runs R$22,50 at the moment; 500gr of Pilão extraforte averages R$7,50.  Bread is reasonable, too - I'd say we spend maybe R$5/day.  Only gripe I have is the fluctuating price of garlic.  LOL

Public transportation runs about R$4-6 per one way.  I've got no clue as far as gasoline, etc., is concerned, as I haven't yet entertained the notion of getting my CNH.  Most of my wife's family is local, as well as some of mine - there's not an overwhelming need for personal transportation.

Prices have definitely augmented somewhat on account of the current pandemic, but for us they're not insupportable.