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02/19/23 Welcome, acapulcogringo!  In your place, I'd definitely check out the smaller capitals of the Northeast:

• Aracaju, Sergipe
• Maceió, Alagoas
• João Pessoa, Paraíba
• Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

Up that close to the Equator it's not only warm all the time, but day and night are about the same length all year 'round.  Aracaju has about 300 sunny days a year, and the others should be comparable.

Salvador, Recife, and Fortaleza are all very nice, but probably would be a little too much like Rio for you to be happy there.  Worth visiting, though.

Any of the coastal towns of Espírito Santo are worth a look, and not too far from you.  They won't be as cheap as the Northeast, but they'll be cheaper -- and a lot more relaxed -- than Rio.

Thank you so much!  How is Manaus?  I for sure plan to visit there, just havent got around to it yet!  I dont have to live on the coast, just want a beautiful place where I can live a good life with less money.  and I am single and not dead yet so preferably a good mix of old and YOUNGER. kkk..  I have heard that ES is very " conservative" ??  I mean I dont mind that as I have some tendencies that are conservative nut I dont wish to be judged as a gay man... 

Thanks again

02/19/23  Thank you so much! How is Manaus? I for sure plan to visit there, just havent got around to it yet! I dont have to live on the coast, just want a beautiful place where I can live a good life with less money. and I am single and not dead yet so preferably a good mix of old and YOUNGER. kkk.. I have heard that ES is very " conservative" ?? I mean I dont mind that as I have some tendencies that are conservative nut I dont wish to be judged as a gay man...
Thanks again
-@acapulcogringo

I love Manaus.  I didn't mention it because it's not coastal, and although it's the seventh largest city in Brazil (in population; it's also enormous in land area), it's pretty isolated, having no land connections with the rest of the country.  It has a nice beach, but it's a river beach on the Rio Negro.  We don't have a car.  We spend R$200-400 a month on Uber, and get everywhere we want to go without the additional costs of a car.  There's also an extensive bus network, although since the pandemic it's had a sporadic crime problem.  Cost of living isn't bad, although it's not as cheap as the Northeast:  with no roads south, everything that isn't grown or fished locally arrives by river barge, after a journey of well over 1000 miles, which costs money.  In some ways, it's very much like living on an island.  As big as the city is, the forest is never very far away.

Manaus is usually assumed in southern and southeastern Brazil to be very hot; in fact, there are a LOT of much hotter places in Brazil.  Daily average temperatures range from about 74º to about 89º, or about like July in the places (upstate New York, Chicago) where I've lived most in the US, although the hottest days I've experienced here weren't nearly as unpleasant as the hottest days in Chicago.  Twelve months of July a year suits me, and there's a breeze most days.  It's rainy -- they don't call this a "rain forest" for nothing -- but it seldom rains all day, even during the rainy season.  Being only about 200 miles south of the Equator means that the force of the sun is STRONG, especially in the middle of the day.  I feel it like a weight, some people may identify it more with heat.

Being "judged" is part of being an expat in Brazil; I'm not sure that being gay complicates it much, certainly not in the capitals or larger cities.  I'm a man married to a man -- a native Manauara, which is basically how we ended up here -- and I've never found it to be an issue, except on rare occasions with some Evangelicals.  We don't have many Evangelical friends.  Our Evangelical and Mormon in-laws are nice to our faces; what they say to each other at home is their concern, and we don't worry about it.

I've heard -- and to some extent experienced -- Minas Gerais as being somewhat conservative, but not Espírito Santo.  My husband has a job search going on now, and that's definitely one of our target states.  It's worth the trouble of checking it out.

@acapulcogringo I bought a place in Itauna neighborhood of Saquerema and love it.  Very inexpensive,  easy to walk or Bike!  I make it easily on my SS income.

Hello everyone.
I have permanent residency and I currently live in RIO, RJ in Santa Teresa.  Visiting RIO and Living here are two completely different things!

Anyway...

I still love brazil, I want to live here forever,,, BUT I am NOT TIED TO RIO, as a matter of fact, I find the culture here a little hard to understand ( I am being nice with my statements ) plus its INSANE expensive.

I live on a small pension, which is enough to live here in RJRJ with no extras...

I like the beach vibe , but I want the follwoing:
-nicer people
-CHEAPER TO LIVE
-easy to get around
-CHEAPER TO LIVE
-beautiful
-Cheap to buy land and build a little house or buy a little house.. ( I am not the normal expat gringo.. I dont require 100% americanized... I am ok with 50%...kkk. lol
-mostly safe ( ive lived in acapulco, tijuanana, and not Santa Teresa... I can handle some danger but prefer not to)
-good climate..  hot ok cold NNNNOOOOO!
-no need for car
- .walkable
-
SO...

Any recommendations on smaller towns, cities on or around the coast that fit all or some of these? im very flexible and very NOMAD'ish so im willing to take a chance.  Im only 44 so healthcare isnt a huge deal... I do want internet but really when I say I am ok living a brazilian life mostly... I AM  i dont care if other expats are there or not... Im here for brazil!


THANK YOU for any recommendations of places I should look at and research!
-@GringoDoBrazil

Manaus:   It rains every day!  Unless you are tied to the Amazon Florest ( you are some kind of environmentalist or botanicist,, half of the year will rain every day.  ). Same goes for Belem,PA. You are living next to a large body of Water and Florest. So you are bound to get soaked on rain .

The plus side, specially Belem, is that you will develop a taste for the local fare and ingredients, which you can't find anywhere else. You will eat handsomely and all kinds of exotic stuff.  Your diet might improve.

Suggested around here..... Natal-RN, Recife-PE, Aracaju-SE

They are fine.  Recife has a reputation for violent crimes.  i would go with Natal, RN.   

Cold Climates - That takes you off anything South of Sao Paulo.   

You mentiond house,, For me that means single family home in a private parcel, free standing. 

if staying in Rio, but outside the City.  As far as seaside, that goes for

Paraty - Great if you are some sort of Artisan.  The Artisan Community there, specially the ones dealing in semi precious stones is sizeable.

Angra dos Reis.  It's quaint, but you are next to a Nuke Power Plant. 

Macae and Cabo Frio-  Lots of surf and sand, and it is scorching hot.

South of Rio, there is Santa Cruz do Sul.,,

In Sao Paulo

Santos - Affordable, decent infra-structure ( Health Care, Water & Sewer, Broadband ), the shore isn't spic span clean. And as far as single family homes, not sure you can score cheap. Although you might get a cheap apartment.  Condo fees there, for some reason, tend to be pricey . Maybe something to do with delinquencies on dues, Santos is a town a lot of Paulistanos buy in when the economy is doing well, and as it sours, they all try to dump their holdings.    Santos is also a Port City.

Right outside Santos, next town over we have Sao Vicente ( affordable ), Praia Grande.

If you don't need to be a couple miles from a health care facility, then the South Shore has more options. Itanhaem, Cananeia, Registro, Iguape.

Those are by Natural Reserves, so over development is severely restricted.  Registro and iguape has a strong Nissei and Sansei community that is in the Seafaring and Tea Harvesting Business. 

North Shore is sought after and it can become expensive.  And if you follow the news, the floods in Sao Sebastiao are evidence that overbuild without infra-structure is all too common there. Lots of unscrupulous real estate agents hawking plots of land to unsuspecting  and guilible moneyed Paulistanos.

Espirito Santo

Great state for Seaside exploration, North of Vitoria ideal. 

Some  decent possibilities.  If you don't need to live by the seaside, there are some excellent possibilities that will save you money and afford you to buy a plot and live not far from the sea.  You will need to own a car at these locales, thought...

In Sao Paulo State....

*Paraibuna ( this is close to the North Shore coast line *Small town between Sao Jose dos Campos and the North Shore.

nested in a valley.  Pop well under 20,000. Very, Very underrated.

Salesópolis  oddly The Tiete river starts here )

Lorena

Paranapiacaba ( Formerly a railroad outpost incorporated by the British at the turn  of the XX Century )

Rio Grande da Serra ( on the rail line to Sao Paulo )

Ribeirao Pires ( on the rail line to Sao Paulo )

Bananal

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Ubatuba ( Seaside )

Resende (Rio de Janeiro) a militar town

Cruzeiro ( on Rio-Sao Paulo border )

Campos do Jordão  - On the Mantiqueira Mountain Range.  Not cheap. This is a Winter Town for Classical Music Lovers.

Natal, Rio Grande do Norte

There is an US Military Facility there. Not quite a base.  It's been there for years. 

Being gay or not being gay.

Irrelevant.  Unless you are in some backward hinterland community.

In most coastal communities, it's a non issue. 

Now, having said that, it pays to be not removed from a large urban center, so that you can occasionally get a social life, cruise gay bars ( a bit risque these days, but to each its own ).

In Sao Paulo, the gay community strongholds are Republica, Consolacao, Bela Vista. 

There, through the grapevine, you will be given tips on where to go to sink your flagpole and call it your homestead.    You won't necessarily live in the Capital , as it might not be affordable,. but that is a starting point in terms of starting some networking. 

In Sao Paulo, you can get mixers at

Rua Frei Caneca - Several bars along and accross. In fact the street is actually dubbed Gay Caneca. 

Largo do Arouche, by Avenida Vieira de Carvalho on Republica by the Yellow and Red Lines.  There by the Arouche there are places you can mingle and actually lead to good pointers where to settle.   Not sure how it is now, pre-COVID this strip was the home of the gay happy hour.

Bela Vista - the lower Bela Vista, no specific street. The Bixiga italian enclave , by Rua 13 de Maio, might be a start.  Around Rua Major Diogo x Rua Santo Antonio, there are some hangouts.   

By the Arlinda Building at the Largo do Arouche, 96 - Republica, São Paulo

above there's a gay cafe, mostly a staid middle aged professional gay crowd.

Not far from there, there was this bar at the Junction of Avenida Vieira de Carvalho and Praca da Republica, accross the old Vermont ( Lesbian ),

it's a street side cafe. A couple places door-to-door.

The ones above are not your typical gay bar with dark themese and neon/ strobe lights.  These are places you can actually sit and have a conversation and step curbside. So they are more in tune with networking .

I would visit Sao Paulo, and seek out tips on where to live with the gay perspective. I think you will end up with quality pointers. 

Yes, Rio is a bit too much.  Rio is the kind of place they will stick you with the tab, specially if you are American.

Frei Caneca Street is the younger crowd.  Same goes for Rua Augusta.

Around Republica & Vila Buarque neighborhood are your best prospects to network.

I dont have to be in a gay area, by any means..  I just dont want to go to a super conservative area...  I am ok living anywhere as long as its affordable, pretty and comfortable..  Rio is ok to visit.... but.....

I dont have to be in a gay area, by any means.. I just dont want to go to a super conservative area... I am ok living anywhere as long as its affordable, pretty and comfortable.. Rio is ok to visit.... but.....
-@GringoDoBrazil

Understood beforehand. 

The gay locales are so that you can tune in with the grapevine and score the best tips.  That's what it was meant for.   

The nice places, it's kind of subjective.  Everyone has a different definition of nice. So i can't make assumptions on your behalf.

Then the possibility to buy a lot and build.  Land in desirable places, even outside of Rio, tend to become prohibitively expensive.

Outside Rio, there's Buzios, Macae, Cabo Frio, Paraty, Angra dos Reis.  All tourist destinations. All quaint.

I am partial to Sao Paulo's North Shore, as you are within a 1 hour drive max to decent health care facilities. Even as a 44yo, that should be weighed in upon consideration. 

A sleeper....

To get the best of both worlds, I would look into Santos-SP It's slow paced, has decent city infra-structure, it's by the seaside, good enough for beach combing, not great for a swim.  If you put yourself away from the beachfront, your rental/ acquisition costs would drop considerably.

Also, a great scoop in Santos, is the Port Area, or Historical Downtown or Valongo.  It's semi desert, but for a 44 yo with inkling to spread a decent revolution in terms of getting there before gentrification. 

This is not meant to be a showcase.. I made these photos a few years back when I shot a few commercial listings and decided to take shots at the The vicinity

Around the Tribuna newspaper, the Coffee Museum, Rua XV de Novembro, Rua do Comercio.

They are giving these places away.  Even the city is doing Tax Exemptions to get business moving in there. 

This is not the tourist area, therefore is severely underrated.   

Wow.  Thank you so much. I LOVE the architecture it's amazing. Thanks for all the tips. I may be calling on you for  advice in the future if it's ok.  Tha ks again. 

@sprealestatebroker with all this said...   what site do you recommend I look on?  I use OLX but it seems to not be accurate ( search for long term rental it gives you daily, etc..).  I am looking to rent first to see if I like the place....     THANK YOU AGAIN!

Try Saquarema

Wow. Thank you so much. I LOVE the architecture it's amazing. Thanks for all the tips. I may be calling on you for advice in the future if it's ok. Tha ks again.
-@GringoDoBrazil

anytime.

@sprealestatebroker with all this said...  what site do you recommend I look on? I use OLX but it seems to not be accurate ( search for long term rental it gives you daily, etc..). I am looking to rent first to see if I like the place....   THANK YOU AGAIN!
-@GringoDoBrazil

Ok,

Before you start looking into any listing, and you can use listings to situate yourself on cost of renting/buying, you need to actually visit these places to feel the vibe, get an idea in terms of places you can rent short and long term .

So you are left to chart places you might consider going and then actually buying the bus pass and spend a few days in it.  Got to pound the pavement. 

Once you find what you look after, then you can go about finding listings.  Most of these you can actually do a Google Search with a neighborhood  and type of abode, and the stuff will pop up trough  the most popular RE Portals, which are omnipresent on first page rank.

The reason i place Santos, for the sake of the argument, it is because it is a coastal city, it is a metro area ( MSA ) on itself, which brings in the infra-structure into the picture ( broadband footprint, health care network, law enforcement, proper sewage, shopping ).

Santos has issues, but IMHO nowhere as bad as in Rio. 

*The pace  of life is pronouncing slow, so don't expect things to be expedited to satisfaction.

*Half of the city is basically a weekend getaway, so in high season you will deal with higher prices and lines. You might get around this by developing relationships with your providers for essentials ( Groceries, Dry Cleaner, Drugstore ).

*The other half is the Port District, which comprises of the docks and historic downtown ( in my view, totally underrated and underpriced  and ripe for repurposing and redevelopment ).

*There are issues with the docks.  It has become a conduit for illegal drug exports ( corruption ) towards the European Unit ( From Colombia through Brazil and overseas ). This might change as Ecuador and Colombia might be shipping straight to the Port of Antwerp, Belgium

*Some buildings facing the coastal waterfront at the touristy side were actually tilted ( not built into the bedrock , but rather over the sand with poor foundations ).

*For condo dwellers, some of the buildings have gone through dramatic price hikes on the monthly maintenance fee due to delinquencies on condo dues. People buy in Santos often as a secondary residence for weekend & holiday getaways.

Lesser heralded ( smaller ) coastal communities have issues with lack of proper infra-structure, and poor building practices ( see the issues with Sao Sebastiao in the news ).  Going to the emergency infirmary is an adventure. They can be a great place to spend time away, but as for being your primary place of residence, not a good choice if you balance all the pros and cons. 

There are more homogeneous communities in the Country's South.

Americans seem to be enamored with Florianopolis, Santa Catarina.  In Rio Grande do Sul, there are quaint places such as Pelotas, Rio Grande, and even the Porto Alegre Estuary. The whole thing about the Gaucho being Macho and Chauvinist is somewhat overrated.  They might be a bit provincian, but that is all there is to. 

Why I am bullish on Santos's Downtown / Port District.  If you can get past the fact is dead and desolate at times,, and rub the patina and disrepair/abandonment, you are  left with a few coastal cities that are affordable and at the same time somewhat populous.  And impervious to the web and tides of tourist waves.   

Proportions aside, I think these places are your equivalent's to ...

Boston's South End

Florida South Beach

NYC - Soho/Tribeca/West Village/Chelsea

Atlanta's Buckhead

Tampa's Ybor City

Now, who amongst all groups, move into those locales and make them ? 

The answer is Alternative Lifestyle folk. Which includes.... Artists ( Artists need cheap places to work ), Gay Folk, College Students, and any Counterculture folk.   All of them, what we call Urban Adventurers and by nature...  Trailblazers. 

Are there any other places that might fit the mold?   Possibly so. 

In the meantime, if you have the time, and some pocket change, it pays to buy bus fare and check it yourself.  I could be way off ( please don't shoot the messenger ), or you might be onto something.  It's past Mardi Gras ( Or Carnaval ), so accommodations and food will become considerable less expensive.

If you see potential, guaranteed you will get your Real Estate License and become a carpet bagger. You don't have to be a moneyed American to to become a mover and shaker. 

Just go.

There's also Vitoria, Espirito Santo's Capital.  Vitoria is a port City.  North of Victoria, there are plenty beaches sough after  for surfing.

The Port of Victoria is a conduit for mine metal ore, fruits all exports.     

GringoDoBrazil,

What I strongly suggest is visiting all kinds of different places (urban and rural). You can do that better on a budget via ground travel and that also helps you see all that exists between the various points where you visit. I did extensive travel by bus in the 80s-90s covering most regions. I guess that what I most discovered was how each region has its own marvelous attributes.

As for cheap..... well, "cheap" and "coastal" don't go well together just as "cheap" can be hard in larger urban areas. "Really cheap" usually puts one into the interior, not necessarily far from the coast. I'm inland and prefer it that way. I'm in the northeast and inland yet have 3 major coastal large cities just a bus ride away. To top that I'm even closer to a marvelous semi-arid interior where wildlife hasn't been chased totally away by urbanization. Land in the semi-arid doesn't suffer the same speculation as coastal areas (oh, there still is speculation) because Brazilians favor their coastal areas to death. That's where they all want to be (it seems).

Brazilians tend to "love to death" places that have redeeming attributes. An example is how the beach area of Coqueirinho, south of João Pessoa turned from being a heavenly place to Hell in less that 15 years, from cheap to expensive and good only for those interested in being part of the class of speculators. It saddens me to see the huge ecological losses occurring along the coast and the apparent total lack of vision for any kind of intelligent development (little different from what happens back in the USA).

Strategically chosen remote rural areas can provide for real benefits living life simply among very good neighbors and with access to the essentials. You'll certainly find it more complicated to have a N American (or whatever your foreign origin is) community or access to things (goods) from back home, but (for me) that's what living in Brazil is all about.

mberigan

Another place that has been poping up lately is Fortaleza, Ceara's State Capital. The city is about 2 million, is a coastal city, and a lot of foreign and domestic investment has been going their way. 

Lone Dune beaches, sun kissed all year long, progressive politics. 

I would take a look into. 

@GringoDoBrazil I live in Ilhéus. It’s a beach town. It’s cheap. My neighborhood is walkable.

@GringoDoBrazil I live in Ilhéus. It’s a beach town. It’s cheap. My neighborhood is walkable.
-@alan279

Sooo, you finally settled huh?