aneill42
5/30/2012 05:50 EST
Hi there!
Contrary to what Bill says...and I respect the fact that he has been in Brazil a long time and knows a lot, there are many things you can't get in brazil and many things that, even though you CAN get them, they are extremely expensive compared to North America.
For instance, it's not a good idea, in my opinion, to look for a new car in Brazil...better to buy used, say a couple of years old. New cars have a very heavy federal tax that basically doubles the price.
Almost all electronics are expensive and better to bring things with you from the US or Canada...but they can't be in their orinigal boxes or you will pay tax on them. Brazil doesn't want people bringing in items and selling them here. They want you to BUY here.
A client of mine was relieved of his iPhone the first night he was here and by himself. The next day I got him to a friend of mine who owns a "banka" and who has iPhones and Galaxy phones for sale. My client bought a new iPhone, in the box, for R$1,800. You can work out the price in US$.
Cell phone USE here is very expensive. In the Northeast, it is basically R$1 a minute on pre-paid phones.
You CAN find cheap phones but the cost of running them remains high because you only have 4 choices in terms of networks, Claro, Oi, Tim or Vivo.
As bill says you will soon learn to buy where the Brazilians shop and not in the tourist areas. If the Brazilians had to pay "Gringo" prices for everything, well, they couldn't!
Don't get me wrong, I love Brazil and I'm not going back, but it's a different culture and way of doing things, with many more ties to Europe than to North America. It's just a matter of getting used to a different way of thinking. If you think you are going to live the same way you do in the US, it won't work. Better to keep an open mind and learn from Brazilians and other expats, like Bill.
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