Moving to California from Brazil
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Brazil to California — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Brazil to California, you would find that California is 3.3 times more expensive than Brazil overall. A R$391,642 salary in Brazil would need to be roughly $190,836 in California to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
How your spending power changes when you relocate from Brazil to California.
What does your salary buy?
R$391,642 → $190,836
To maintain the same standard of living in California
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.9 times more
Groceries
pay 2.6 times more
Transportation
pay 62.3% more
Housing
pay 6.0 times more
Childcare
pay 5.1 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.5 times more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in California cost about 195% more than cities in Brazil.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Brazil to California, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from Brazil to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
19.517,519
Brazil
Key Indicator Comparison
How Brazil and California stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Brazil performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
California performs significantly better than Brazil across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
California generally does better on employment & economy, though Brazil leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
California performs significantly better than Brazil across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brasilia | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 60°/41°F (15°/5°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/11°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 80°/58°F (27°/14°C) | 90°/57°F (32°/14°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 80°/64°F (27°/17°C) | 65°/44°F (18°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brasilia | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.9°/17.4°C) | 54°/39°F (12.1°/3.8°C) |
| Feb | 80°/63°F (26.7°/17.4°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.2°C) |
| Mar | 81°/64°F (27.1°/17.5°C) | 65°/44°F (18.4°/6.7°C) |
| Apr | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.8°C) | 71°/46°F (21.7°/7.9°C) |
| May | 78°/59°F (25.7°/15.0°C) | 80°/51°F (26.6°/10.6°C) |
| Jun | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.3°C) | 87°/56°F (30.6°/13.2°C) |
| Jul | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.9°C) | 92°/58°F (33.4°/14.7°C) |
| Aug | 81°/58°F (27.3°/14.6°C) | 91°/58°F (32.9°/14.4°C) |
| Sep | 83°/61°F (28.3°/16.0°C) | 87°/56°F (30.7°/13.2°C) |
| Oct | 82°/63°F (27.5°/17.4°C) | 78°/50°F (25.3°/10.1°C) |
| Nov | 80°/64°F (26.6°/17.5°C) | 64°/43°F (17.7°/6.0°C) |
| Dec | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.5°C) | 54°/38°F (12.2°/3.6°C) |
Data:
Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Brazil and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Brazil passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Brazil
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in California than Brazil?
Day-to-day costs in California run about 154% higher than Brazil on average; specific cities can swing further.
How much money do I need to move to California?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a R$391,642 comparable salary, that's around $47,709 in California for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from California?
Working remotely from California's major cities is generally feasible. The legal layer matters more — visa category, employer policy on overseas employees, and tax residency in Brazil and California.
How is healthcare in California compared to Brazil?
Brazil performs better than California across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in California compared to Brazil?
The average high temperature in Sacramento is 74°F, compared to 80°F in Brasilia. Sacramento receives around 18.5 in of rainfall per year, while Brasilia gets 61.1 in.
What language do they speak in California?
The official language in California is English. In Brazil, the official language is Portuguese.
