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City comparison

Esquel vs Curitiba

In short

Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.

  • Rent

    in Esquel cheaper — −23%

  • Family groceries

    in Curitiba cheaper — −13%

  • Ready-made house

    in Esquel cheaper — −19%

In numbers

Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.

  • House or apartment rent

    per month
    Esquel≈ $450–643ARS 700k – 1M
    cheaper by 23%
    Curitiba≈ $650–767R$3,260–3,850
  • Family groceries

    per month
    Esquel≈ $546ARS 844,304
    Curitiba≈ $478R$2,397
    cheaper by 13%
  • Winter

    average
    Esquel2 °C2 °C
    Curitiba9–20 °C9–20 °C
  • Summer

    average
    Esquel15 °C15 °C
    Curitiba18–27 °C18–27 °C
  • Precipitation

    per year
    Esquel472.5 mm472.5 mm
    Curitiba1,631 mm1,631 mm
  • Ready-made house

    purchase
    Esquel$142–250k$142–250k
    cheaper by 19%
    Curitiba≈ $149–335kR$750k – 1.68M

By topic

A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.

Daily life

Esquel

Nothing yet

Curitiba

City size

By the IBGE estimate Curitiba has 1.83 million residents in 2026, and growth has almost stopped: plus 1,400 people over the year. The 2022 census counted 1.77 million.

OfficialIBGE: population estimate for Curitiba, 2024-2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about daily life in Curitiba →

Housing

Esquel

Long-term rental

A house or duplex with 2 bedrooms, per month. Few listings: for your first winter, budget at the top of the range.

SpecialistLong-term rental listings — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, local agencies · checked 30 Aug 2026

Rent by number of bedrooms

1 bedroom: about 430–450k; 2 bedrooms: 560–800k; 3 bedrooms in the center: about 1 million; 4 bedrooms: 1.05 million (ARS, summer 2026).

SpecialistLong-term rental listings — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, local agencies · checked 21 Aug 2026

Building plot

700–800 m² with water, electricity and gas in the suburbs. Plots with views and prepared plots go up to $73k.

SpecialistListings for land and houses for sale — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, Argenprop · checked 1 Sep 2026

Ready-built house

From 59 m² to 230 m² in the Mercado Libre results at the beginning of September.

SpecialistListings for land and houses for sale — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, Argenprop · checked 1 Sep 2026

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Curitiba

Two-bedroom rent

By listings, a two-bedroom is about 3,260 reais a month in Bigorrilho, 3,300 in Portão, 3,850 in Água Verde. Building fee and tax extra. Few listings.

SpecialistQuintoAndar: rentals with two or more bedrooms, Bigorrilho · checked 6 Oct 2026

Rent: price per meter

49.11 reais per m² a month in August 2026, 14th of 22 capitals, a quarter cheaper than São Paulo. Rent rose 9.5% over the year.

SpecialistFipeZAP Index: residential rent, August 2026 report, Curitiba page · checked 6 Oct 2026

Buying a house or apartment

An apartment averages 11,766 reais per m² (September 2026). A house with three or more bedrooms in Água Verde is listed at 0.75-1.68 million reais.

SpecialistFipeZAP Index: historical series of sale and rent prices, Curitiba sheet · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about housing in Curitiba →

Money and prices

Esquel

Budget for a family of four

The poverty line, without rent: food, utilities, transport, clothing. With a rented house, from ARS 2.6–2.9 million.

SpecialistObservatorio de Economía UNPSJB — cost of the basket in Patagonian cities, July 2026 · checked 9 Sep 2026

Groceries for a family

The minimum basket per month. The cheapest of 7 cities in Southern Patagonia: Trelew is 876k, Comodoro is 901k.

SpecialistObservatorio de Economía UNPSJB — cost of the basket in Patagonian cities, July 2026 · checked 9 Sep 2026

Everything about money and prices in Esquel →

Curitiba

Groceries for a family

The DIEESE basic basket in August 2026 was 798.87 reais per adult, 11% cheaper than São Paulo. For a family of two adults and two children, about 2,400.

SpecialistDIEESE: national survey of the basic food basket, August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Monthly family budget

DIEESE estimates a family of four needed 7,566 reais a month in August 2026. The figure is national and already includes housing; it does not reflect Curitiba rents.

SpecialistDIEESE: nominal and necessary minimum wage by month · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in Curitiba →

Family and kids

Esquel

Schools and kindergartens

Places in salas de 3, 4, 5 and in first grade are assigned by the provincial DINO system. A place at the school you choose is not guaranteed.

OfficialChubut — allocation of school places through the DINO system, 2026 · checked 31 Aug 2026

Everything about family and kids in Esquel →

Curitiba

Schools and kindergartens

In 2025 there were 501 schools with grades 1-9; 30% of pupils attend private schools. Nurseries (creche): 640 facilities, 225 of them municipal.

OfficialIBGE Cidades from the INEP school census: schools and pupils in Curitiba, 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Private schools: prices

A private school averages about 1,765 reais a month on a scholarship platform, range 430-3,100. These are participating schools at a discount; the market is pricier.

SpecialistMelhor Escola: monthly fees of private schools in Curitiba (scholarship platform) · checked 6 Oct 2026

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Healthcare

Esquel

Hospital

Hospital Zonal Esquel: pediatrics, gastroenterology, endoscopy, laboratory. Intensive care and part of the surgery are in Trelew and Comodoro Rivadavia.

OfficialMinisterio de Salud — services of Hospital Zonal Esquel · checked 25 Aug 2026

Private clinic

Clínica Esquel: two operating rooms, a delivery room, obstetrics, neonatology. Esquel Diagnóstico: MRI, CT and pediatric specialists.

SpecialistClínica Esquel — medical services · checked 25 Aug 2026

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Curitiba

Hospitals and giving birth

Hospital de Clínicas: 609 beds, all SUS. SUS maternity hospitals: Victor Ferreira do Amaral and Mater Dei; private: Maternidade Curitiba. Children's: Pequeno Príncipe.

OfficialBrazil Ministry of Health, open data "Hospitals and beds": Hospital de Clínicas record · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about healthcare in Curitiba →

Transport

Esquel

Airport

About 21 km from town, part of the national airport system.

OfficialEsquel airport · checked 25 Aug 2026

Roads in winter

RN 259 to Trevelin is paved and maintained in winter, but ice, wind and animals on the road can occur. The last kilometers on provincial roads matter more: they are gravel.

OfficialDNV — maintenance project for RN 40 / RN 259 · checked 25 Aug 2026

Everything about transport in Esquel →

Curitiba

Gasoline

Regular gasoline in Curitiba in the week of 27 September - 3 October 2026 averaged 6.78 reais per liter (6.39 to 6.89), per the ANP survey of 48 stations.

OfficialANP: weekly survey of fuel and bottled gas prices by municipality, 27 September - 3 October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Airport and buses

Afonso Pena airport (CWB) is in São José dos Pinhais, 18 km from the center. The city has 81 km of dedicated bus corridors; we could not confirm the fare.

SpecialistWikipedia: Afonso Pena International Airport (CWB) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about transport in Curitiba →

Climate

Esquel

Summer

The average January temperature is 15.4 °C, according to the SMN 1991–2020 normals.

OfficialSMN — climate normals 1991–2020 · checked 24 Aug 2026

Winter

The average July temperature is 1.7 °C, with about 106.6 frost days a year. The winter is moderate in length, on the dry eastern edge of the Andes.

OfficialSMN — climate normals 1991–2020 · checked 24 Aug 2026

Annual precipitation

472.5 mm, with the maximum falling in winter. For comparison: Bariloche gets 812.5 mm and El Bolsón about 906 mm.

OfficialSMN — climate normals 1991–2020 · checked 24 Aug 2026

Seasons and extremes

Four distinct seasons: up to +32 °C in summer, down to −10 °C in winter, and snow is common. It is noticeably drier than the western Andes.

OfficialEsquel municipal tourism — climate · checked 21 Aug 2026

Everything about climate in Esquel →

Curitiba

Winter

July is the coolest month: on average from 9.3 at night to 20.1 in the day, colder than São Paulo and Florianópolis. There is no dry winter season.

OfficialINMET: climate normals 1991-2020, monthly minimum temperature · checked 6 Oct 2026

Summer

February is the warmest month: on average from 17.8 at night to 27.2 in the day. January is the wettest, 226 mm.

OfficialINMET: climate normals 1991-2020, monthly minimum temperature · checked 6 Oct 2026

Precipitation and seasons

About 1,630 mm a year. The heaviest rain falls in January-February (190-226 mm), but even the driest month, August, gets 82 mm: there is no dry season.

OfficialINMET: climate normals 1991-2020, monthly and annual precipitation · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about climate in Curitiba →

Safety

Esquel

Intentional homicides

In Chubut in 2025 the rate was 3.5 per 100k residents, below the national average (3.6). There are no separate figures for Esquel; most cases are in the coastal cities.

OfficialSNIC — Informe del Sistema Nacional de Información Criminal, year 2025, table 5 (intentional homicides by province) · checked 9 Sep 2026

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Curitiba

Crime in the city

In January-September 2025 there were 118 homicides versus 125 a year earlier, robberies 4,537 (down 16%). Most killings in CIC, Sítio Cercado and Tatuquara.

SpecialistTribuna PR: crime in Curitiba in January-September 2025, SESP data · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about safety in Curitiba →

Internet and phone

Esquel

Internet

In town, fiber up to 600 Mbps; XG offers plans of 100–300 Mbps over fiber and wireless. Outside the ejido, check by address.

SpecialistXG — internet in Esquel and Trevelin · checked 2 Sep 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Esquel →

Curitiba

Home internet

Claro in Curitiba offers 750 Mbps fiber for 99.90 reais a month (promotion). The page also lists 350 Mbps, 1, 5 and 10 Gbps plans without prices.

SpecialistClaro: home fiber internet in Curitiba, plans and the 750 Mbps offer · checked 6 Oct 2026

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Services

Esquel

Gas connection

In 2026, from January, Camuzzi again issues connection permits in Esquel and Trevelin; outside town, check by address before renting.

SpecialistCamuzzi — gas connections resume in the Cordillera · checked 29 Aug 2026

Heating without gas

Outside town, firewood and gas cylinders are the norm: the province hands them out every year under Plan Calor (in 2026, over ARS 600 million).

OfficialChubut — Plan Calor 2026 · checked 29 Aug 2026

Electricity and water

Provided by Cooperativa 16 de Octubre, which has separate emergency lines for Esquel and Trevelin. Without power, the water supply also sags.

SpecialistCooperativa 16 de Octubre — electricity and water in Esquel and Trevelin · checked 29 Aug 2026

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Curitiba

Gas: Compagas and bottle

Compagas piped gas from 1 August 2026: 18.30 reais a month plus tiers of 2.29-9.05 per m³ before taxes. 30 m³ is about 213. A 13 kg bottle is 112.97 per ANP.

OfficialAgepar Resolution 49 of 5 August 2026: Compagas piped gas tariffs from 1 August 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Electricity: Copel tariff

Copel from 24 June 2026: 0.768 reais per kWh before taxes. For 300 kWh that is 230.41 reais before taxes, about 310 with taxes by the calculator site's estimate.

SpecialistEnergy calculator: Copel residential tariff from 24 June 2026 (based on ANEEL data) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Water: Sanepar tariff

Sanepar: the first 5 m³ of water plus sewage cost 101.91 reais, then 3.15 and 17.56 per m³. For 15 m³ about 205 reais, with the October 2026 discount about 180.

OfficialSanepar: current water and sewage tariffs, residential tariff, Curitiba · checked 6 Oct 2026

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