What if you were born in Brazil?

If you had grown up in Brazil instead of Pakistan, here is what your money, your home and your day in São Paulo could look like.

Try it with my numbers

Sugarloaf Mountain and Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Donatas Dabravolskas, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Three alternate lives in Brazil

Each person keeps the same place on the income ladder they have in Pakistan. Amounts are per month, after tax, in BRL and in rupees at today’s rate.

Single, starting out

Earns Rs 60,000 a month in Pakistan, on your own.

Take-home in Brazil: BRL 4,990Rs 247,000
Rent (city centre): BRL 1,440
Transport (public transport): BRL 254
Food: BRL 720
Saved: BRL 748

Family of four

Earns Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, as a family of four.

Take-home in Brazil: BRL 11,500Rs 569,000
Rent (suburbs): BRL 2,920
Transport (public transport): BRL 584
Food: BRL 1,950
Saved: BRL 1,720

High-earning couple

Earns Rs 300,000 a month in Pakistan, as a couple.

Take-home in Brazil: BRL 18,600Rs 922,000
Rent (city centre): BRL 4,540
Transport (car): BRL 1,740
Food: BRL 2,270
Saved: BRL 5,200

Try it with my own income

A day in São Paulo

The family of four above, with one parent working as an engineer.

Morning
You wake up in São Paulo, a city of mild winters around 16°C and warm summers around 22°C.
Commute
You take a bus and a train: about 40 minutes, a bit longer in bad weather.
Work
As an engineer: You spend the morning on site and the afternoon on drawings and calls with suppliers.
Language
Everything happens in Portuguese; English is not widely spoken.
Lunch
Lunch might be feijoada: a black bean stew with pork, served with rice and orange slices.
Evening
You get home with BRL 1,720 saved each month. You stay alert in some areas at night.
Weekend
Weekends are for the coast, the mountains and forest trails.

Brazil compared with Pakistan

	Brazil	Pakistan
Prices of everyday things	2.0× Pakistan	1×
Average life expectancy	76 years	68 years
Air pollution (PM2.5)	13 µg/m³	58 µg/m³
Unemployment	6.0%	5.4%
Average temperature, main city	20°C	26°C
Languages	Portuguese	Urdu, English, regional languages
Currency	BRL	PKR

Sources: World Bank (price levels, household spending, life expectancy, PM2.5, unemployment), NASA POWER (climate), Dareecha’s daily exchange rates.

Thinking of really moving? See Pakistan vs Brazil, living in Brazil and the visa checker.

Questions

How much would I earn if I was born in Brazil?

It depends on where you are on the ladder. A family earning Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, above the national average, would take home around BRL 11,500 a month at the same level in Brazil (about Rs 569,000 at today's rate). Try your own numbers in the simulator.

Is Brazil more expensive than Pakistan?

Yes. Everyday goods and services cost about 2.0 times as much as in Pakistan (World Bank price levels), but incomes there are higher too, so what matters is how far your pay goes.

What language would I speak in Brazil?

Mainly Portuguese. English is not widely spoken.

Can I actually move to Brazil?

This page imagines being born there. For a real move, compare costs, safety and jobs on the Pakistan vs Brazil page, and check visa rules in the visa checker.