Cost of Living in Porto Alegre

Ana Gabriela Verotti Farah

Staff Writer
The Brazil Business

Updated

8 March 2013

Porto Alegre is one of the cities hosting the 2014 World Cup, what has drawn some attention to it and to the services available. In this article you will find some of the primary costs related to relocation to Porto Alegre.

Introduction

Located in Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre is the most meridional capital in Brazil. It was funded in March, 26th, 1772 as a parish, and in 1821 was considered a city by Emperor Dom Pedro II. It has a privileged localization as the geographic center of the South Cone's main routes, considering that it's equidistant not only from Buenos Aires and Montevideo but also from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

With its 497 km², Porto Alegre is the home of 1.409.939 inhabitants, according to the last Census, made in 2010 by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, IBGE. This number places Porto Alegre as the tenth biggest capital of Brazil. In 2000, it was considered by ONU as the capital with the better rates of education, longevity and income in Brazil.

Accommodation

In a recent list of the 15 more expense neighborhoods of the main cities of Brazil, the 7th place went to Três Figueiras, in Porto Alegre. The sqm² in this area costs approximately BRL 6,834. Moinhos de Vento, Petrópolis and Bela Vista have the most valorized streets in the city.

Food and Beverages

Brazilians spend a lot of money when it comes to food and beverages. Prices are usually the same in different places of the country, with some exceptions.

Transportation

Porto Alegre faces the same problems every other big city faces, and one of the main ones is traffic, specially in rush hour. There are several buses routes that cross the city, but they are not enough for all the inhabitants, being necessary to use taxis an jitneys. The city has grown in number of citizens but the infrastructure didn't follow this growth.

In Porto Alegre there is one railroad managed by Trensurb, with 19 stations that connects the city to other cities in the metropolitan area. An extension of this road is being built and it should be completed by the end of the first semester of 2013. It will probably work along with the buses routes that go all over the city.

The subway system is planned to start being built in 2013 as well, as a stage of development of the city, which will host some of the soccer matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Porto Alegre port is located within the city limits, but it is only used to the transportation of foods and not by passengers.

Entertainment

Porto Alegre offers different options of amusement for all kinds of people. It's increasing the number of internationally known singers and bands who are recently coming to perform in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro and also performed in Porto Alegre's stages.

There are also performances of Brazilian artists, as well as options of theaters and movies. And since Rio Grande do Sul has one of the most important state soccer championships in Brazil, it's also possible to watch a soccer match during the week (but mostly at the weekends).

Other services