She has all the time in the world to explain, how much does she need??

My crush on Dotty is so secret even I don't know about it.

You know what they say about opposites Dave.

Can someone give me a rough idea of how much cash would be needed for 1 month for 1 person living in brazil (belo horizonte if it makes a difference) as a tourist - only food and going out costs, accomodation at a friends is already sorted.

Thanks

Hi AZ08
I would say around 3000 - 3500 Reais should be comfortable for a month.
I go to BH a lot (every couple of months) and stay at my girlfriends so I live very cheaply there compared to UK.
It depends how much you go out and what part of BH, you can eat and drink cheaply at some great places or go to the posh restaurants and pay more.
There is not much to see and do as a tourist in Belo, get your friend to take you to Ouro Preto that is a very nice place.
Hope this helps

whoah is that a typo?

thats like £800-£1000...here in London my food cost is about £100 a month...say £50/week for going out..and another £100 a month for other stuff..so about £500 easy.

maybe i shouldnt have said 'as a tourist'...going to visit the girlfriend so will be living with her...so at first im sure will visit a few places..but after that..im more interested in just living as if im brazilian(lol)..rather then visiting tourist places and spending loads etc!

You can live out just about any lifestyle in Brazil - what you consider "cheap and cheerful" might be luxurious for me or the other way around, or DGM42 may consider 3500 R$ is the absolute minimum required to live in bearable conditions yet to you he's living in the lap of luxury.

I normally take around that but I'm eating out in expensive restaurants some days for work, other days eating from the food stalls on the beach for next to nothing - all depends. I always end up spending way more because I end up buying 1001 pieces of trinkets from the guys selling coconut water.

__________________
Yes, I work for a Real Estate company doing market research and analysis but I'm not involved in sales.

Have a nice day

AZ08
Your question really is like "how long is a piece of string"
I go to BH approx 6 times per year and I stay at my girlfriends place so have minimal living costs and like to go out every night, but some nights we spend very little (less than 30 Reias) eat and drink and have a good time. Other times we will go to an expensive restaurant (Japanese) and spend 4 times or more. I go to Minas Tennis a lot when my girlfriend is at work which is members only and expensive. I also always go to Ouro Preto to vist friends and my girlfriends family. It varies where in BH you are staying, like any city there are expensive areas as well as less well off areas.
One of my favorute places is a bar owned by my girlfriends uncle which is not in the best part of town but very friendly and great value for food and drink. They have won awards for the past 6 years for their food.

Like JM Broad says I too end up buying lots of things and bringing them home, I always have a large list from friends and relative to bring things home. If you plan going to Brasil lots look at doing this, I sell the things on and it subsidises the airfare.
It is better to take more money than you need and bring it back home rather than run out. If you are in UK open an account with Nationwide, you can then use the Visa debit and credit cards and pay no overseas fee to draw money out like the other banks charge. That alone has saved me hundreds of pounds in not paying fees to use bank cards abroad.

Thanks for the replies guys.

I will be in the Sao Marcos area if you know it (I don't lol).

What is the name of your girlfriends uncle's bar? Curious to check it out now!

What kind of things do you buy to sell on back home?

My main bank account is with Natwest, where I have a Maestro debit card, as well as Mastercard credit card, although I recently opened an account with LLoyds TSB so I also have a Visa debit card. So its free to use Visa debit, debit cards and not Maestro in Brasil when withdrawing?

When you arrive in Brazil, do they ask to see proof of sufficient funds for your stay?

Thanks for all the advice

I'd imagine it depends on how long you are staying for - I know they refused entry to a Spaniard a while back because he hadn't got a hotel reservation for his stay and couldn't provide enough proof of available funds for the stay, but that was their way of sending a message to the Spanish government in retaliation for a Brazilian lady being held at Madrid airport for a week for the same reasons.

I've never been asked for proof of funds but I have always been asked for the name of the hotel where I'll be staying.

__________________
Yes, I work for a Real Estate company doing market research and analysis but I'm not involved in sales.

Have a nice day

Immigration law, the world over, is all about protecting jobs.

The reason for all the form filling and questions is if you cannot support yourself, do not have an accomodation address nor a return ticket, then the obvious conclusion is that you are not there just as a tourist and that you are going to seek employment and possibly outstay your visa.

If you allow the authorities to even consider this might be the case then you will be repatriated forthwith, without the right of appeal.