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FipeZAP shows that the square meter for rental in Natal costs R$ 41.66 compared to R$ 60.86 in Florianópolis, but in Itapema the reality is even more extreme: a couple who left the city of Santa Catarina went viral by revealing that they pay R$ 400 for rent for a house with land in the capital of Potiguar.
A couple who lived in Itapema, on the Santa Catarina coast, a city that boasts the second most valued square meter in the country according to FipeZAP, moved to Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte, about 3,500 kilometers away, and went viral on social media by showing that they pay R$ 400 for rent for a residence with free space in the front and back. The video published on TikTok gained thousands of views because the couple compares the amount with at least R$ 2,500 they would spend on a similar home in the region they came from, concluding that for those who left the surroundings of Balneário Camboriú, the amount charged in Natal is equivalent to paying nothing. The residence is located near the main road of the neighborhood, with easy access to the center and a few kilometers from the Potiguar coastline.
The market indicators support the couple’s perception. The FipeZAP survey for the third month of 2026, which analyzes 36 municipalities among capitals and large centers, indicates the average rental cost in Natal at R$ 41.66 per m², while Florianópolis, used as a Santa Catarina parameter for integrating the research, records R$ 60.86 per m². Itapema does not appear in the rental sample, but ranks at the top of the sales ranking, where it occupies the second national place in square meter appreciation, pressure that inevitably reflects in the rent charged to the city’s residents.
Why rent in Itapema became so much more expensive than in Natal
The price escalation on the northern Santa Catarina coast results from a combination of heated demand, high-end real estate investment, and scarcity of land between the mountains and the sea. Itapema and its neighbor Balneário Camboriú have attracted a volume of capital in recent years that has transformed the region into one of the most expensive in Brazil to buy or rent property, a phenomenon that has increased costs all around: from supermarkets to parking, from rent to condominium fees. For those who do not have income compatible with these values, living in the region has become financially unsustainable.
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In Natal, the market dynamics operate at a different speed. The capital of Rio Grande do Norte has a more abundant real estate supply, lower speculative pressure, and an overall cost of living that allows for a rent of R$ 400 to include space that would be unthinkable for that price in Itapema. The couple highlights in the video that the concept of expensive and cheap is relative: for those who have spent years paying premium coastal prices in Santa Catarina, anything below R$ 1,000 already seems like a bargain, and R$ 400 for a functional house sounds like a giveaway.
What the couple gained and what they gave up by swapping expensive rent for cheap rent
Leaving Itapema means leaving behind a consolidated urban infrastructure and proximity to economic hubs in Southern Brazil. The job market in Santa Catarina offers higher average salaries, and access to health and education services in the region is considered a national reference. These factors weigh in on the decision and explain why many people continue to accept paying high rent instead of migrating to more affordable cities.
On the other hand, the calculation the couple made is hard to ignore. The monthly difference of R$ 2,100 between the rent in Itapema and Natal represents R$ 25,200 per year, an amount that finances travel, investments, or simply a life with less financial stress, far from the most expensive square meter in the country. Adding the savings in food, transportation, and services, which are also usually cheaper in the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, the accumulated gain can exceed R$ 30,000 annually. For the couple that went viral, this math spoke louder than their attachment to the Santa Catarina coast and the most valued square meter in the country.
What FipeZAP reveals about rent in the two regions
The FipeZAP index is the main tool for comparing real estate prices between Brazilian cities. The survey covers 36 municipalities and positions Natal among the capitals with the most affordable rentals, while Florianópolis appears in the upper intermediate range, and Itapema, although absent from the rental sample, leads sales rankings that directly pressure the prices charged to renters. The gap in the research prevents a direct comparison, but the R$ 2,500 mentioned by the couple as the floor for Itapema suggests a rental square meter well above that recorded in the capital of Santa Catarina.
The contrast between R$ 41.66 per m² in Natal and the prices practiced on the coast of Santa Catarina helps to understand why a growing number of Brazilians are reconsidering where they live. Remote workers, retirees, and families who can maintain their income regardless of location have discovered that rent is the largest component of the cost of living and that moving it to another region can represent a radical change in comfort standards. The couple from Itapema is a visible example of a silent movement that FipeZAP data confirms month after month: Brazil has regions where one can live well for a fraction of what it costs to survive on the most valued coast of the South.
And you, would you live in another city to pay less rent? Do you think it’s worth trading infrastructure for savings? Have you done the math? Share your experience in the comments.
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