São Carlos – Brazil’s “Climate City”

São Carlos (Saint Charles) is a city of 256,000 in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. With over 230 tech companies, a strong agricultural sector and a significant presence of universities, Sao Carlos blends a dynamic climate, tech hub and innovation center, and vibrant academic atmosphere with a more relaxed country-side feel. The city scores well in areas like internet coverage, water supply, health care and life expectancy, access to higher education, urban parks and leisure activities.

Sao Carlos boasts a subtropical climate with distinct seasons, a range of restaurants and cafes, museums, and cultural attractions like the Festa do Clima and Chorando Brazilian music festival, while maintaining a relatively lower cost of living compared with other major Brazilian and global cities. Overall, a single person can potentially live comfortably on $1,000-$2,000 USD per month, depending on lifestyle. São Carlos consistently ranks well for quality of life in Brazil.

São Carlos features a landscape that blends urban areas with surrounding countryside, offering a mix of city amenities and natural surroundings. Its abundant museums and cultural centers reflect its history and academic influence, with The Universidade de São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar) campuses providing significant educational opportunities and contributing to the city’s intellectual and cultural life.

São Carlos offers a good quality of life, a lower cost of living than major cities, and a strong academic and tech presence. While not as large or diverse as in major hubs like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Sao Carlos has a solid expat community. In general, Brazil expats should be prepared for the challenges of finding employment, navigating the local bureaucracy (especially for visas and work permits), and being aware of general safety, especially in larger cities.