Pernumbuco is way cheaper and beautiful aswell,but Natal prices are ridiculous.It is a great pity that it is difficult to get to.Considering Brazil produces fruit and veg it is way over priced.It is true that they pay high taxes to get it to the supermarkets,from the south to ere in some cases,but I still feel it is unjust.Twinings teabags cost 17,00 reais for 20!We have local markets too where you can buy produce much cheaper,but sometimes the quality it not too good.Buy 4 pinapples for 1 real,etc,etc.When iptu is charged it goes along location prices.At a beach you can pay practically nothing,or a fortune the same for the city,so day in day out and year in year out unless you have a good income the chances of surviving are slim.
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Originally Posted by debzor
I live in Pernambuco - the 3rd most popular NE state with tourists after Bahia and Ceara, well ahead of RN - and do not pay anything like these prices. For example -
I drive a 1600cc 16V car which is flex, so I can use petrol or alcool. Alcool is between 1.35 & 1.55 per litre. I buy all my fruit, salad and veg from a local market, and can get between 1 and 4 pineapples for R$1 depending on size. (Apparently it does matter with pineapples!)
I live in a large 400+ sq m detached house on the beach on a double lot. It is a work in progress, but my electric is R$250-350 per month, my IPTU totalled R$420 this year but I got a 20% discount off that by paying before 31st Jan.
Supermarket milk is R$1.49 (city, about 1 hour away) or R$1.89 from local shop. A whole fillet mignon from a city supermarket costs R$24-30, trimmed and that is the most expensive, but cuts into 6+ steaks. Good sized fresh whole prawns are delivered to my door for R$10-12 per kilo.
However anything that has been imported is very expensive due to the heavy taxes importation brings. If I am sent a parcel by airmail, it is opened by customs who then charge me 60% of whatever value they place on it plus 60% of the postage or shipping costs! If I do not pay it is destroyed.
Our medical insurance is acually R$200-250 per month per person, as we have been here less than 1 year, and we have the top cover. I do have a caretaker who I pay R$460 per month (x13).
I agree with Michael about wine (unfortunately). Brazil makes quite good sparkling wines, but only reasonable sweet and rubbish dry wines. The only reasonably priced semi-dry red wine I would recommend is Saint Germain Merlot at between R$7.50 and R$9.50 per bottle.
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