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    Maceio, Brazil

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    Maceio, Brazil: Cost Of Living And Retirement Information

    Reviewed by Kathleen Peddicord

    Kathleen is the Live and Invest Overseas Founding Publisher. She has more than 30 years of hands-on experience traveling, living, and buying property around the world.


    A sunny day in Maceio, Brazil.
    iStock/luoman

    Maceio, Brazil, is modern, clean, and elegant…with miles of brilliant, white-sand beaches studded with colorful umbrellas and bordered by tall, swaying palms. Its warm turquoise waters gently lap the shores as beachgoers from all over enjoy the sun and sand.

    And what’s even better, you can buy a large, three-bedroom apartment here for less than US$75,000, and live in it for under US$1,400 per month.

    The cost of living is moderate in Maceio by Brazilian standards, (and low by North American standards). I’ve seen places in Brazil that were considerably less—and also considerably more—although you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better place to live than Maceio.

    Cost Of Living In Maceio, Brazil

    For a basic retiree’s budget, I’d plan on spending no less than US$1,800 per month if you plan on renting; US$1,350 per month if you plan to buy your own home. Neither of these includes the cost of running a car.

    But remember that these numbers will vary for everyone.

    Manufactured goods in Brazil can be surprisingly expensive; when buying clothes, you’ll pay prices similar to back home.

    When spending most of your time at home (or on the beach), you spend less. And, you can certainly spend a lot more…especially if you rely on North American brand names and imported items.

    Regardless of what you spend for the household budget, you’ll need to add about US$300 per month if you plan on using a car to get around…more if you were commuting every day to work.

    To make the budgeting somewhat less subjective, I’ve broken down my number into specific line items for both household budgets and car ownership.

    When calculating your own budget, be sure to add those items you want that are not shown below…things like household help, trips home, country exploration, and medical. And then subtract those items we’ve included that you don’t need.

    Also, if you own a car, you can subtract some or all of the public transportation cost. Remember that these costs will change as the exchange rate fluctuates.

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    Renting An Apartment In Maceio, Brazil

    ItemRealsUS dollars
    RentR$700US$400Two-bed, two-bath apartment in Ponta Verde, unfurnished.
    Condominium feesR$250US$143Average condo fee for Maceió
    Property taxesR$0US$0
    Transportation (public)R$106US$61
    GasR$11US$6Used for cooking; costs about R$32 per tank
    WaterR$21US$12
    ElectricityR$125US$71Assumes only occasional Air Conditioning
    TelephoneR$37US$21Basic landline service
    InternetR$85US$48For broadband. Dial-up starts at about R$30 reals per month
    Cable TVR$159US$91For satellite, with all movies and sports; normal cable average US$32
    Household help, full timeR$185US$325Minimum wage is US$283 per month
    FoodR$850US$486
    EntertainmentR$750US$429
    Homeowner’s insuranceR$0US$0
    TotalR$3,279US$2,093

    Owning Your Own House In Maceio

    This budget assumes that you own a house in the area of Maceio, Brazil. The specific tax and utility rates are from a three-bedroom, two-bath house in the Farol district.

    ItemRealsDollarsRemarks
    RentR$0US$0
    Condominium feesR$0US$0
    Property taxesR$76US$43Tax rate taken from a three-bed/two-bath home in Farol district
    Transportation (public)R$106US$61
    GasR$11US$6Used for cooking; costs about R$32 per tank
    WaterR$25US$14
    ElectricityR$138US$79Assumes only occasional Air Conditioning
    TelephoneR$37US$21Basic landline service
    InternetR$85US$48For broadband. Dial-up starts at about R$30 reals per month
    Cable TVR$159US$91For satellite, with all movies and sports; normal cable averages US$32
    Household help, full timeR$185US$325Minimum wage is US$283 per month for 2010
    FoodR$850US$486
    EntertainmentR$750US$429
    Homeowner’s insuranceR$88US$50
    TotalR$2,510US$1,653

    And finally, here are the approximate costs of car ownership. Here I’m assuming that you’re using the car to get around town, but not using it for commuting a distance to work every day.

    Owning A Car – Budget

    ItemRealsDollarsRemarks
    Car registrationR$71US$40Based on a US$20,000 car
    InsuranceR$101US$58Full coverage on a US$20,000 car
    MaintenanceR$80US$45
    FuelR$265US$151R$2.71 per liter for Gasoline
    Car totalR$516US$295

    Brazil - FAQs

    Is Brazil A Safe Country?

    Brazil does have a high crime rate, but what statistics don’t reveal is that most of the violent crime takes place in the rough, low-income areas that foreigners are unlikely to frequent. By avoiding the high-crime areas, you will greatly reduce your risk of becoming a victim.

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