You can't compare Pipa to the rest of Brazil. The place is tiny and very popular!! Its a basic demand and supply graph, high demand, low supply = high prices!! But they are not that high, I stayed in a hotel there in december which cost R$90 for three of us per night!! And other hotels where similar prices. And of course there are expensive restaurants in Natal, but an expensive restaurant in Natal is the same price as a cheap restaurant in Europe. Beer was like R$1.50 a bottle? Thats not anywhere near Europe prices.
Car Hire was R$45 a day, I wouldn't call that expensive? Petrol was way cheaper. Was just over r$1.4 per litre compared to over EUR1.5 in europe.
Wine I will agree with you is sh*t and overpriced but that is because hardly anyone drinks it in Brazil.
I don't think anywhere is a cheap as it was five years ago? Its called inflation.
I have never been to Rio or SP so I can't comment on them.
Would disagree with you on the cosmetics and electrical goods. I would say they are about the same price.
Soft drinks I didn't find more expensive unless you are comparing the price of a can in a multipack from asda to the price they charge in an expensive restaurant in Natal. Wholesale cost may be more expensive but that is probably due to demand. Brazilians don't really like coke. Hardly saw anyone drinking the stuff out there and there are much cheaper local brands to buy instead. Why would anyone buy coke when there is Guarana is beyond me anyway
If you go to a pub here a pint of beer is the same price as a pint of coke too.