👍

👎

How to find a short-term apartment in Rio de Janeiro?

in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by @chrispreynolds | 5yr 5yr | 4 comments

Hi all, I am looking for apartments to rent for 2 months starting in late January 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. I know of AirBnb, vivareal.com, easyquarto.com, and one Rio apartment FB group. Any others out there? Thanks

👍

453

👎

👍

👎

@chrispreynolds | 5yr 5yr

Amazing info…I didn’t know about EasyTaxi…downloading it now

👍

👎

👍

👎

@giovanni | 5yr 5yr

Think you have the most important sites.

Focus on Ipanema, Leblon, Copacabana, Leme or Botafogo/Flamengo location wise. In that order . Ipanema and Leblon are by far the best areas to stay, with the nicest beaches, Lagoa (lake), bars and restaurants. Copacabana is ok. It’s cheaper, but more run down. Leme is a nice small neighborhood (at the end of Copacabana), but it’s quiet and further away from the metro. As you’ll probably be spending a lot of time in Ipanema/Leblon, I would stay in Ipanema/Leblon or somewhere close to the metro. Botafogo/Flamengo are nice in their own way. Botofago has a nightlife as well, but way more alternative.

Make sure to download Uber and Easytaxi. They are great! Get in touch if you have any questions. Spend over 3 years in Rio, so know know my way around & happy to help.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@chrispreynolds | 5yr 5yr

Thank you…much appreciation

👍

👎

👍

👎

@anamatsusaki | 5yr 5yr

I don´t know exactly in which FB group you are, but there are a couple of others:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/320637194747667/

Anyway, it´s a tough task to find a cheap and good accomodation in Rio =/

👍

👎

👍

👎

What's the best mobile-data option in Brazil for nomads?

in Brazil by @phil | 4yr 4yr | 4 comments

Hi everyone. I am new on this forum and will post in the introductory thread when I have some more time. My question is:

What’s the best mobile-data option in Brazil for nomads?

background info to the question: I bought a vevo (vivo?) sim the other day and charged up around $7US on recharge.com. it seems now that I can only send text messages but cannot call other people or get internet. I will be in brazil for min 5 weeks max 3 months. sorry if I’ve posted this in the wrong section.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@phil | 3yr 3yr

Hi all just to let you know what happened . A Brazilian friend of mine used his Brazilian ID to sign up to a data only plan. 14GB for one month costing 120 reals

I found vivo to not be very accommodating for tourists/digital nomads but luckily found a solution

👍

👎

👍

140

👎

@tehgreggles | 3yr 3yr

Here’s what I ended up doing when I lived there for these last 3 months:

VIVO as my carrier. (O2, Claro, and TIM were pretty awful. I tried switching between them when I was roaming.)
Prepaid SIM card with no voice plan.
“VIVO TURBO” prepaid data for 14.99 BRL/week (~65 BRL/month)
- Gets you 1 GB per week, no rollover

4 GB/month for ~$21/month isn’t a bad deal. You really don’t need voice or SMS in Brazil. Literally everyone uses WhatsApp. For any calls/texts outside of Brazil, you’re better off using VoIP (like Skype or Google Voice).

You do not need a CPF (Brazilian tax ID number) for a prepaid plan. You can just go to any VIVO store and show them your passport. In São Paulo, you’re likely to be able to find a store with an English-speaking manager.

Tip: After you get your prepaid phone, you can manage the account online with the “Meu Vivo” mobile app, including managing your plan. You can also manage your prepaid account using the Meu Vivo website. Instead of authenticating with a CPF, use “Mobile Connect Log-in” to authenticate via SMS.

👍

140

👎

👍

👎

@stringnikolic | 4yr 4yr

@phil.spyrou I am in Rio and went into a TIM store and got a monthly data plan. You may need some form of ID. I used my driving license.

3GB, 30 Days for BRL90
5GB, 30 Days for BRL110

Not sure about online. I don’t speak Portuguese so I don’t do any purchases online here - because I can’t dispute in Portuguese if something goes wrong and they have my credit card on file.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@lopesrosanna | 4yr 4yr

When you call do you get a recorded voice? I had TIM but I believe you have to register the number. For that you need some sort of Brazilian ID/fiscal number. I speak portuguese and the gentleman at the kiosk did it for me. Do you know someone there or go to a coworking space? Maybe a native can help.

👍

👎

👍

209

👎

Where should I go for Carnaval in Brazil?

in Brazil by @etc | 5yr 5yr | 7 comments

I’ll be in Rio for 10 days next year during Carvanal. Although I’m flying into Rio, I’d like to spend at least half the time somewhere else as well. I’ve gotten a solid recommendation for Olinda and receptive to other suggestions (or further endorsements of Olinda).

While in Rio, it’s been suggested to avoid Copacabana and possibly find a house in Ipanema to rent. Is this a good suggestion?

What about Olinda?

Any and all recommendations are welcome, solicited and appreciated! Thanks to everyone!

👍

209

👎

👍

👎

@petrosyuk | 5yr 5yr

Hi, guys. It appears that I will be in Rio on these days. So, I’ve decided to book tickets for Sambodromo event.
Which day is the most promising?
Do you have any recommendations as to the best seats? Grandstands, front box, special areas for tourists - too much information for a person, who have never experienced the Carnaval.
Also, is there any chance to take part in Carnaval?

👍

👎

👍

👎

@etc | 5yr 5yr

Sunday and Monday have the best “schools.” This is also why it’s much more expensive that on those days as well.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@rafaelfe | 5yr 5yr

You should definitely go to Olinda. I’m Brazilian and I’ve experienced Carnival in São Paulo, Rio and Olinda.
São Paulo (I lived there for 7 years) looks like a ghost city in carnival holidays. Rio (2 carnivals) is great but most part of the fun is watching to samba schools parade. In Salvador (had friends there) you can pay to join the parades, the music is mostly Brazilian pop music and you have to stay inside the band’s vip area, otherwise is very unsafe.
Olinda (my favourite spot, currently my home town) is very cultural with authentic music played by orchestras on the streets. You don’t need to pay anything to stay close to the presentation and all the fun. In my opinion, is the most traditional carnival in Brazil. Check this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4PvCc-CZvk

👍

👎

👍

👎

@chrispreynolds | 5yr 5yr

We will be in Rio during Carnival and have a place in Copacabana. I hear great things about the festival and location. We will be having some digital nomad meetups during that time if yall are interested in joining us…PM me

👍

👎

👍

👎

@giovanni | 5yr 5yr

Ipanema is by far the best area to stay in Rio. You’ll have lots of bars & restaurants, a great beach (Praia de Ipanema) at one side and Lagoa (lake) at the other.
Carnival in Olinda is great, less tourists vs Rio and more of a ‘authentic’ feel. Salvador is great party wise, but shady (and rather ugly). Also stay away from Salvador if you are looking for something more classy.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@shayna | 5yr 5yr

I’ve also heard good things about Olinda.

I live in Salvador, and this is the place to be if you like ENORMOUS street parties. Carnaval here is famous for the trios eletricos, giant trucks / floats / sound systems with famous bands performing on them and thousands of people following in the streets. For better or worse. (Don’t bring anything to the streets you wouldn’t want to lose).

Make sure to check the timing; the exact length of Carnaval varies in each city. Here’s an overview of Rio, Salvador, Olinda, and Sao Paulo. You can see that Rio’s events are mostly Feb 5-8, Olinda’s are Feb 5-9, and Salvador’s are Jan 31 - Feb 10 (yeah, they really stretch it out here ). There are often pre- and post- Carnaval parties, though, beyond the official processions.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@etc | 5yr 5yr

@shayna - thanks for much for the advice. You’ve convinced me that I want to spend a couple of days in Salvador as well. Do you mind recommending some good places to stay?

👍

👎

👍

453

👎

How to find a short-term apartment in Rio de Janeiro?

in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by @chrispreynolds | 5yr 5yr | 4 comments

👍

453

👎

👍

👎

@chrispreynolds | 5yr 5yr

Amazing info…I didn’t know about EasyTaxi…downloading it now

👍

👎

👍

👎

@giovanni | 5yr 5yr

Think you have the most important sites.

Make sure to download Uber and Easytaxi. They are great! Get in touch if you have any questions. Spend over 3 years in Rio, so know know my way around & happy to help.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@chrispreynolds | 5yr 5yr

Thank you…much appreciation

👍

👎

👍

👎

@anamatsusaki | 5yr 5yr

I don´t know exactly in which FB group you are, but there are a couple of others:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/320637194747667/

Anyway, it´s a tough task to find a cheap and good accomodation in Rio =/

👍

👎

👍

385

👎

How to acquire a 180 days visa for Brazil as a French citizen?

in Brazil by @matthieudrula | 5yr 5yr | 14 comments

Hey guys!
I’m going to Brazil to bootstrap my company (I will use my UK company because it’s easier) in 4 months.
I’m French and since France-Brazil’s match in 1998, they decided to disable the 90 days extension of stay for France (kidding about the world cup wink).
I want to stay there for 180 days, every visa that I see require an extension(that us French people can’t use) after the first 90 days.
Anybody got into this situation?

👍

385

👎

👍

👎

@matthieudrula | 5yr 5yr

Indeed those are good options but I am just making the hypothesis that I am going to meet cool people that i won’t want to leave there.
I would have loved to use the student VISA but the courses there are quite expensive (Porto Alegre)

👍

👎

👍

👎

@matthieudrula | 5yr 5yr

So I should use a bank like HSBC with low (or none) fees to internationally withdraw money every time?

👍

👎

👍

👎

@db8871 | 5yr 5yr

Maybe Brazilians can chime in and confirm very bad things happen if br federal police finds someone with expired visa. All I can say based on personal experience: crossed from cde to foz, Brazil and tried to catch plane out. Airline agent asked me if I have br visa and I unwisely said I do not, without further explanation. He smiled, picked up phone and called cops. Cops arrived ready to arrest me until I showed them paraguayan residency. Took them a while to confirm it and they let me go.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@matthieudrula | 5yr 5yr

I already thought about that, I will move by train or bus if i want to switch city.
It’s normal that you get caught by airplane agents.
I never heard about cops though, I thought they would tell you that you have 8 days to leave the country and that’s it.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@kroger | 5yr 5yr

Brazilian here. I don’t recommend overstaying in Brazil in the same way I wouldn’t recommend a Brazilian to overstay in France. In the end of the day it’s illegal and you could have problems. This article says that the “Brazilian government and immigration have announced that they will be clamping harder down on illegals and making it more difficult for them.” It suggests that the easiest way is to get a student visa, so you may want to check that out.

If you don’t want to get a student visa, why not break your trip and stay 3 months in Brazil and 3 months in another country, such as Colombia or Chile? (both lovely countries).

👍

👎

👍

👎

@matthieudrula | 5yr 5yr

Btw this article was made in 2013.
In 2013 France-Brazil started to create a working holiday VISA.
They take it slow in both case so I guess it is still good ^^.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@kroger | 5yr 5yr

Cool, good luck! I hope it works out for you!

👍

👎

👍

👎

@anonym | 5yr 5yr

Doing things in Brazil take tremendous long time. Doing anything bureaucratic on a tourist visa is hopeless. Opening a bank account can easy take 3+ months.

You should get a CPF number if you want to do anything (sim card, bank account, etc). This is easy to get though.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@matthieudrula | 5yr 5yr

Ok so I will go for the ‘bad boy fine’, I know that you can’t do things like opening a bank account once the VISA is over.
Are there other vital things that I should do while my VISA is still legit?

👍

👎

👍

👎

@filipecrosk | 5yr 5yr

As a Brazilian I don’t know how to apply for this visa. But I can sure that they will never kick you out, unless you make a really mess.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@anonym | 5yr 5yr

Overstaying in Brazil is the easiest thing. When you leave the country you pay a fine R$8,28 per day you overstayed, capped at 100 days (max fine R$828).

If you have a stomach for that.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@matthieudrula | 5yr 5yr

That’s a really cool answer.
I was thinking that they would kick you out if you overstay.
So you are telling me that I can stay for 10 years and nobody will kick me out, all I’ll need to do is pay when I leave?

👍

👎

👍

👎

@shayna | 5yr 5yr

Pretty much. And about once a decade, the Brazilian government does an amnesty offer for people who are currently in the country illegally. I’ve had several friends gain permanent residency that way after overstaying. (No way to predict when and if the next round will come, though).

If you do pay the fine upon leaving, make sure to keep the documentation that you’ve paid it so that you don’t have any problems upon re-entry. I knew someone who overstayed, paid the fine, left, and later upon return they asked her for the documentation that she’d paid, but she’d left it at home - so she had to pay again.

👍

👎

👍

👎

@matthieudrula | 5yr 5yr

I guess it doesn’t work the same in the USA ;).

👍

👎

Post review

To increase honesty, reviews are anonymous. You can only add one review per city or it replaces/edits your old one. Reviews with URLs or emails are removed. If you're writing about data being wrong, please don't do it here as it'll be removed but leave feedback in the bottom right of the frontpage.

I lived in Rio de Janeiro for 6 months and it's my favourite city in the world. I fell in love with the energy, the people, the beaches and of course... the women. Dying to get back there as soon as the lockdown is over. Everybody told me not to go because it's too dangerous. It's definitely not as safe as in Europe (like Portugal for example), but it's nowhere near as dangerous as the media likes to portray. Most of the violence happens in the favelas which skews the stats. If you feel tempted to go but are worried about the safety, just book a flight and see for yourself. You won't regret it. My advice is to 1. Stay in "richer" areas so Ipanema, Copacabana, Leblon and even Barra da Tijuca. Avoid staying next to favelas. 2. Wear non flashy clothes. If you wear bracelets, ear rings or watches, you are increasing the chances of getting robbed. The whole time there I was just wearing a tank top and shorts. 3. Avoid going outside alone at night and also avoid the beaches at night. 4. Use uber. Cheaper and safer. 5. Learn some basic portuguese. It will go a long way! I hope you have fun :)

1 month ago

Rio and Buenos Aires are my favorite cities in Latin America so far, although I haven't yet visited Mexico City, Santiago de Chile and a few others of interest. Rio has beautiful beaches, weather, people, architecture, neighborhoods and green spaces. Great food and a diverse and international population - a Latin American Los Angeles with better public transit and more green space. It's one of the few Latin American cities where most people won't look twice at you for being a white westerner, and are generally friendly. I felt quite safe day and night in Ipanema, Santa Teresa, Leblon and Barra da Tijuca. Other areas can be more dangerous. It's definitely best to learn Portuguese or Spanish, since few here speak English.

2 months ago

Rio is a fantastic city, if u love the outdoors. it is great to be a nomad but u need to be streetsmart and learn the language basics at least to enrich ur ex.

8 months ago

I live in Rio and unfortunately it's not a good place to be a nomad. Most people don't speak English. Most places don't have WiFi. We can't depend on WiFi and 4g anywhere. They don't work well. It's not safe to walk at night. It's not safe to work in public spaces. The city is very big and transportation is terrible. Besides it's too hot most of the year and its polluted.

1 year ago

⭐️ Overall Score	3.59/5 253 reviews
🎒 Nomad Score™	3.59/5
👍 Quality of life score	Good
👶 Family score	Okay
💵 Cost	😙 Affordable: $1,367 / mo
📡 Internet	🏎 Fast: 11Mbps (avg)
😝 Fun	Great
⛅️ Temperature (now)	🌞 Perfect: 23°C74°F (feels 23°C73°F)
💦 Humidity (now)	😊 Comfy: 64%
💨 Air quality (now)	🌱 Great: 35 US AQI
👌 Safety	Bad
🎓 Education level	Okay
❤️ Liked by members	👍11 likes vs. 👎1 dislikes
🙊 English speaking	Bad
😤 People density	🧘‍♀️ Low density: 7k ppl/km² (12x12m)
🚶 Walkability	Great
✌️ Peace	Okay
🚦 Traffic safety	Bad
🏥 Hospitals	Great
😄 Happiness	Good
🍸 Nightlife	Great
📶 Free WiFi in city	Bad
🖥 Places to work from	Great
❄️ A/C or heating	Good
😁 Friendly to foreigners	Good
🗯 Freedom of speech	Good
🤚🏿🤚🏻 Racial tolerance	Good
👩 Female friendly	Okay
🌈 LGBTQ+ friendly	Great
🎅 Startup Score	Bad

🌍 Region	Latin America
🚩 Country	Brazil
⏱ Average trip duration	12 days
📡 Internet speed (avg)	11 Mbps
⛅️ Weather (now)	☀️ 23°C 74°F + Humid (64%) = feels 23°C 73°F
💨 Air quality (now)	👍 35 US AQI 🍃 good
🔌 Power	115V 230V 60Hz
🧔 Best neighborhood to stay	Santa Teresa
🚀 Upcoming neighborhood	Tijuca
🚕 Best taxi app (in country)	Uber
🚑 Travel medical insurance	Safetywing
📱 Best wireless carrier	Vivo
💸 10 BRL in USD	USD 1.88
🏧 Suggested ATM take out:	BRL 1,000 = USD 188
💸 Tipping	No
💳 Cashless society	💳 Yes, cards OK almost everywhere
💻 Best coworking space	Tribo
💻 Best alt. coworking space	StartupRio
☕️ Best coffee place	Cafeina
🚰 Safe tap water	🚫 No, not drinkable
♻️ Return rate	14% of visitors return
📸 Visitors per year	2,253,600 visitors
📸 Tourists now	43,190 tourists
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Population	6,300,000 people
😤 Population density	🤨 busy: 12x12m (144m²) per person
🏞 Foreign land ownership allowed	Yes
👫 Gender ratio (overall)	👨 44% 👱‍♀️ 56%
👫 Gender ratio (young adults)	👨 51% 👱‍♀️ 49%
⛪️ Religious government	Non-religious
💻 Online electronics shop	Submarino
🏠 Apartment listings	Zap
✈️ Best short-haul air carrier	Azul
✈️ Best int'l air carrier	Tam
🏥 Best hospital	Rede D'Or
💥 We recommend you to take precautions when traveling to Rio de Janeiro as it may not always be safe for travelers, more info

💵 Cost of living for nomad	$1,367 / month
💵 Cost of living for expat	$1,055 / month
💵 Cost of living for family	$2,552 / month
💵 Cost of living for local	$729 / month
🏠 1br studio rent in center	$652 / month
🏢 Coworking	$186 / month
🏨 Hotel	$544 / month
🏨 Hotel	$25 / night
🏠 Airbnb (1,001 listings)	$1,204 / month
🏠 Airbnb	$39 / night
🍛 Dinner	$4
🥤 Coca-Cola (0.3L)	$1
🍺 Beer (0.5L)	$2
☕️ Coffee	$1
💰 Estimated tax on $50,000	$3,200
💰 Estimated tax on $100,000	$10,460
💰 Estimated tax on $250,000	$28,475

	UI Developer @ CrowdStrike
	UX UI Designer @ Proemion
	Product Designer @ GooseChase
	Junior Designer @ Krit
	Member Support Unicorn @ Interaction Design Foundation

Rio de Janeiro

How to find a short-term apartment in Rio de Janeiro?

What's the best mobile-data option in Brazil for nomads?

Where should I go for Carnaval in Brazil?

How to find a short-term apartment in Rio de Janeiro?

How to acquire a 180 days visa for Brazil as a French citizen?

5 remote workers in Rio de Janeiro now, of which 1+ members checked in (some members are set to private)

Members who will be here soon

Members who have been here

Log in by