Living in São Luís, Brazil
São Luís is a mid-sized coastal city in Maranhão, Brazil (250,000 to 1 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 27°C over the year with about 1,947 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,392 a month to live centrally, and Brazil sits in our low to medium tax tier. For citizens from outside Mercosur and its associate states, long-term residency in Brazil is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $2,000 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,392
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 27°C
- 1,947 mm rain a year
- Size
- Mid-sized
- 250,000 to 1 million people
- Safety
- 38/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~150 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about São Luís
- Warmer than 89% of the cities we track
- Wet: about 1,947 mm of rain a year
- On or near the sea
Safety and stability
Brazil scores 38 out of 100 on safety, safer than 3% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 6.7 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Brazil. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Climate
São Luís averages 27°C across the year with about 1,947 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 89% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Healthcare
Brazil scores 58 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 25% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Brazil.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,392 a month to live centrally in São Luís, 12% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 74% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Residency and visas
Comparatively open, for people from outside Mercosur and its associate states. Brazil offers genuine long-term residency through a retiree/pensioner means permit, an investor permit (company or real-estate) that grants permanent residence, and accessible family-based routes, with a temporary digital-nomad permit on top.
Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
Bilateral arrangements make it easier for citizens of Portugal.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Brazil:
- Income: about $2,000 a month (Brazil retiree/pensioner residence permit (RN 40/2019), USD 2,000/mo pension or retirement income, single applicant; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $99k (Brazil VIPER investor permit (RN 13/2017), BRL 500,000 company investment (innovation/tech startups can qualify at BRL 150,000); converted at BRL/USD 5.04; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 103 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 95 need a visa in advance.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: Portuguese. English proficiency: limited. Social openness scores 62 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Brazil sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see São Luís in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Brazil runs at about 150 Mbps, faster than 53% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about São Luís
Is São Luís a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, São Luís scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety, healthcare and English. Expect a warm, very wet climate (27°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks São Luís and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in São Luís?
We estimate about €2,392 a month for a couple living centrally, 12% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in São Luís?
Brazil is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see São Luís in their results.
Can foreigners live in Brazil long term?
Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: comparatively open. Brazil offers genuine long-term residency through a retiree/pensioner means permit, an investor permit (company or real-estate) that grants permanent residence, and accessible family-based routes, with a temporary digital-nomad permit on top. Bilateral arrangements make it easier for citizens of Portugal. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $2,000 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $99k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in São Luís?
São Luís averages 27°C across the year with about 1,947 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 89% of the cities we track.
Cities like São Luís
Closest matches in other countries across climate, size, coast, cost, safety, healthcare, internet, language and politics.
Near São Luís
Moving to Brazil as a couple
Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.