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Detailed Expense Comparison Shows Significant Differences Between Brazil and Paraguay in Spending on Housing, Basic Bills, Food, Transportation, and Health, Based on Personal Account and Values Converted to the Real at the Time of Analysis.
Living in Paraguay can represent a significant reduction in the cost of living compared to Brazil, especially in fixed expenses such as rent, energy, food, transportation, and health.
This is the conclusion presented by Marlon Rihayem, in a video published on his YouTube channel, Empresário Safo, in which he compares, point by point, his expenses while living in Paraná with his current expenses in the city of Encarnación, in the Itapúa department of Paraguay.
According to Marlon Rihayem, the analysis aims not to encourage migration solely based on money but to offer concrete data for those considering a move.
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“The cost of living cannot be the only factor in deciding to emigrate.” Still, as he highlighted, the financial impact ends up being decisive for many people.
Comparison of Cost of Living Between Paraná and Encarnación
According to the content creator, the comparison takes into account the reality of those who lived in the west of Paraná and have moved to the south of Paraguay, respecting regional differences that exist within Brazil itself.
He explains that the values presented were converted from guarani to real based on the exchange rate on January 30, 2022, the date of the video recording, which limits the period of analysis.
For this reason, the numbers should be interpreted as a snapshot of that specific moment, without automatic updates for current costs.
As he explained, the expenses considered include only common recurring costs for most families, such as housing, basic bills, groceries, transportation, health, and leisure. Occasional or very specific expenses were left out of the calculation.
Rent in Paraguay Weighs Less on the Budget
In terms of housing, Marlon Rihayem reported that he pays in Paraguay the equivalent of about R$ 1,978 per month for rent. According to him, the property is similar to homes rented for about R$ 3,000 in Cascavel, Paraná.
Thus, the annual cost of rent would be about R$ 23,700 in Paraguay, versus R$ 36,000 in Brazil, considering conservative values for the Brazilian market.
The difference, as he pointed out, represents an annual savings of over R$ 14,000 just on this item, which significantly changes the family budget.
Cheap Electricity Even With Higher Consumption
Another highlighted point was the cost of electricity. Even with practically the same appliances and using more air conditioning in Paraguay, he claims to spend on average R$ 60 to R$ 70 per month.
In Brazil, according to the report, the average monthly value was approximately R$ 445, considering rates and taxes charged in Paraná.
Based on the calculations presented, the annual expenditure on electricity dropped from about R$ 5,300 to just over R$ 800, generating savings of about R$ 4,500 per year.
Water, Gas, and Internet Cost Less Outside Brazil
In the water bill, the difference is also significant. While in Paraná the average monthly expenditure was about R$ 130, in Paraguay the annual converted value was around R$ 359.
Part of this reduction, as he explained, is due to the fact that the neighborhood where he lives does not have a sewage system, using a septic tank, which eliminates the collection fee.
Cooking gas also presented a lower cost. According to the data presented in the video, the annual savings were around R$ 250, even with differences in the sizes of the gas cylinders.
Regarding internet, Marlon Rihayem claimed to pay about R$ 150 per month for a 600 megabit plan in Paraguay, while in Brazil the expenditure was R$ 220 per month for a 1 gigabit plan.
In the annual total, the difference would be approximately R$ 840, remaining sufficiently stable for remote work.
Supermarket Generates Savings of Over R$ 10 Thousand Per Year
One of the points that caught the most attention, as reported in the video, was the spending on groceries. Initially, he thought prices were similar to those in Brazil.
After tracking monthly expenses, he noticed a significant difference in the final purchase amount, even maintaining similar consumption habits.
According to the numbers presented, the average monthly spending dropped from R$ 2,700 in Brazil to about R$ 1,790 in Paraguay.
In the year, this would represent savings of over R$ 10,800, just on domestic food.
Fuel and Vehicle Taxes Widen the Difference
In transportation, Marlon Rihayem considered an average consumption of 60 liters of gasoline per month. In Paraguay, the monthly cost would be around R$ 330.
In Brazil, the same consumption would exceed R$ 460, reflecting the price difference of fuels between the two countries.
The annual savings, according to the calculations presented, would be about R$ 1,600 just on fuel.
The biggest contrast, however, appears in vehicle taxes. As he pointed out, in Brazil the annual costs with IPVA and licensing for a car equivalent to his would reach approximately R$ 4,700.
In Paraguay, similar taxes would not exceed R$ 224 per year, which completely changes the cost of owning a vehicle.
Health Plan and Leisure Also Count
In health, he compared an individual plan in Brazil with a family plan in Paraguay. According to the report, the annual expense decreased from R$ 5,736 to about R$ 2,182.
The savings in this case exceeded R$ 3,500, with coverage considered broader within Paraguayan territory.
In leisure, considering a weekly outing for dinner, the annual cost in Paraguay was close to R$ 9,000, while in Brazil the same habit would reach R$ 12,000.
Annual Savings Exceeds R$ 48 Thousand
Adding up all the analyzed items, Marlon Rihayem stated that the annual cost of living dropped from approximately R$ 111,000 in Brazil to about R$ 63,000 in Paraguay.
The difference, according to the calculation presented in the video, is about R$ 48,500 per year, just with recurring daily expenses.
As he highlighted, this amount would allow, in Paraguay, the purchase of land outright, something that, according to him, would be unfeasible in Brazil with the same annual budget.
Given these numbers, to what extent should the cost of living weigh in the decision to change countries?
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