Cost of Living in Belo Horizonte in 2015
Belo Horizonte is one of the Brazilian cities that hosted matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup including a semifinal match, which has drawn international attention to the city and to the services that it offers. In this article you will find some of the primary costs related to relocating to Belo Horizonte.
City Overview
One of the major Brazilian cities, Belo Horizonte is located in the state of Minas Gerais, in the Southeastern region of Brazil. The city, commonly addressed as BH, is the fifth wealthiest city in Brazil and sixth most populated, being home to almost 2,5 million inhabitants.
Its metropolitan area is constituted of 34 municipalities, being the third major conurbation in Brazil and is responsible for 45% of the state's GDP. Located in a strategical position for logistics, as it is located between the coastline and Brazil’s inland, it is the seventh municipality in terms of infrastructure, being served by roads and railway networks connected to major cities and ports.
More than 80% of its economy is concentrated in the services sector especially commerce, financial services and real estate.
The arrival of multinational companies started in the 70s, with the establishment of FIAT Automóveis, who were partly responsible for the creation of an industrial hub in Betim, a city located in the metropolitan area of Belo Horizonte.
Accommodation
The cost of renting an apartment in Belo Horizonte varies a lot according to the neighbourhood. Since the middle of 2000, prices in the real estate market grew at an average of 6% per year, roughly the inflation index during the same time span.
The most upmarket neighbourhoods in Belo Horizonte are:
- Belvedere
- Cidade Jardim
- Funcionários
- Lourdes
- Mangabeiras
- Pampulha
- Santa Lúcia
Prices for monthly rent of accommodation in Belo Horizonte are:
| Kitchenette (in an upmarket area) | BRL 1.013 |
| Two bedroom apartment (in an upmarket area) | BRL 1.678 |
| Three bedroom apartment (in an upmarket area) | BRL 2.351 |
| Kitchenette (in an affordable area ) | BRL 598 |
| Two bedroom apartment (in an affordable area | BRL 966 |
| Three bedroom apartment (in an affordable area) | BRL 1.227 |
Average prices for hotel accommodation for one person are:
| Daily rate in a luxury hotel | BRL 293 |
| Daily rate in an economic hotel | BRL 102 |
Prices for housing utilities and different apparels are:
| Public utilities (electricity, gas, water and telephone) for one month in an average two bedroom apartment | BRL 187 |
| Monthly rate for 8MB of internet access | BRL 69 |
| 40” flat screen TV | BRL 1.941 |
| Mainstream brand microwave | BRL 375 |
| Laundry detergent (300 ml) | BRL 2 |
| Hourly rate for housekeeper | BRL 12 |
Foods and beverage
Average prices for food and beverages in restaurants are:
| Lunch at cheap restaurants | BRL 10 |
| Lunch at expensive restaurants | BRL 46 |
| Combo meal at fast food restaurant (Big Mac or similar) | BRL 21 |
| Bottle of beer (600 ml) | BRL 7 |
| Can of beer can (350 ml) | BRL 3,50 |
| Draft beer (300 ml) | BRL 5,50 |
| Coca-cola (2 liters) | BRL 5,50 |
| Small black coffee | BRL 1,70 |
Average prices for food and beverages in supermarkets and grocery stores are:
| Soybean oil (1 liter) | BRL 2,85 |
| Instant coffee (500g) | BRL 6,30 |
| Beans (1 kg) | BRL 5,05 |
| Potatoes (2 kg) | BRL 2,90 |
| Local beer (0,5 L) | BRL 3,30 |
| Boneless chicken breast (½ kg) | BRL 7 |
| Apples (1 kg) | BRL 4,75 |
| Local cheese (500 g) | BRL 13 |
| Eggs (Dozen) | BRL 5,85 |
| Tomatoes (1 kg) | BRL 4,15 |
| Sugar (5 kg) | BRL 7,50 |
| Rice (5kg) | BRL 10,50 |
| French rolls (1 kg) | BRL 8,65 |
| Milk (1 liter) | BRL 2,50 |
Personal care
The average price for personal care items is:
| Cold and flu medicine for six days | BRL 17 |
| Box of 32 tampons | BRL 12 |
| Deodorant (50 ml) | BRL 10 |
| Shampoo (400 ml) | BRL 10 |
| Four rolls of toilet paper | BRL 5,50 |
| Toothpaste | BRL 3,25 |
Entertainment
The average price for different entertainment options in Belo Horizonte are:
| Cinema ticket | BRL 17,75 |
| 3D Cinema ticket | BRL 25,50 |
| Monthly gym membership | BRL 104,50 |
| Theater ticket | BRL 33,50 |
| National concert | BRL 58,50 |
| Football ticket | BRL 65,50 |
| Entry to a night club | BRL 37 |
Transportation
Transportation prices were raised in December 2014, as in all other major Brazilian cities.
The tariffs for public transportation and average prices for private transportation are:
| Bus | BRL 3,10 |
| Subway | BRL 1,80 |
| BRL 5,17 | |
| Taxi price per km - Bandeira 1 | BRL 2,85 |
| Taxi price per km - Bandeira 2 | BRL 3,42 |
| Gasoline (liter) | BRL 3,10 |
| Ethanol (liter) | BRL 2,25 |
| Cost to park for 1 hour downtown | BRL 11,30 |
Education
The average prices for education in Belo Horizonte are:
| Monthly kindergarten rate | BRL 545 |
| Monthly rate at elementary school | BRL 689,40 |
| Monthly rate at high school | BRL 834,50 |
| Monthly rate at college | BRL 927,40 |