🇧🇷 Brazil · A realistic 2026 budget for newcomers — rent, food, transport, and what a month actually costs.
Wondering how far your salary goes in Manaus? Here’s what everyday life costs, in local prices — the numbers that matter when you’re deciding to move or negotiating a package.
What things cost
One-bed flat, Adrianópolis, Vieiralves or Ponta NegraBRL 2,000–3,800 / month plus condomínio
One-bed flat, Parque 10, Aleixo or FloresBRL 1,400–2,600 / month plus condomínio
Condomínio charge on a mid-range one-bedBRL 400–1,000 / month, quoted separately from rent
DIEESE food basket, one adult, June 2026BRL 732.90 — 48.88% of the net minimum wage, and the figure rose 18.13% over 2026 to that point
Single bus fare, and a lunch at a market counter≈BRL 5 per journey; BRL 20–35 for lunch
Good to know
Population
≈2.3 million — the largest city in the Amazon and in Brazil's North region
Languages
Portuguese, with a large Amazonian and indigenous-derived vocabulary for the river, the forest and the food
Currency
Brazilian real (BRL)
Time zone
AMT (GMT−4) — one hour behind Brasília, São Paulo and Rio, with no daylight saving anywhere in Brazil since 2019
Power plug
Type N at 127 V, as in Salvador, Rio and Curitiba — unlike Recife and Brasília at 220 V
Climate
Equatorial — hot and humid every day of the year, with a wetter season from around December to May
Driving side
Right
Access
No paved road connection to the rest of Brazil. The BR-174 runs north to Boa Vista; everything else arrives by air or by barge up the Amazon
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.
A note on budgeting
Rent is usually the swing factor — location and whether bills are included move the number most. Build your estimate from the rent band above, add a monthly living figure, and keep a buffer for one-off setup costs (deposits, a residence permit, a local SIM, first-month transport). Globe Quest turns this into a personalized Manaus checklist so nothing setup-related catches you off guard.
Plan your move to Manaus
A free, AI-personalized plan — the language, culture, and setup steps timed to your move date.