10 Things I Learned After Moving to Brazil
After living eight years in Argentina, I finally made the move to Brazil. I had already spent long periods here before, plus some time in Spain, Mexico and a few other countries. But in 2025 we made the decision of making Brazil our homebase (for me and the wife!). And as anyone who has ever moved countries knows, you learn fast... Or should I say, you have to.
Here are ten things I have learned living here, some practical, some cultural, all real.
1. You have to learn Portuguese. There is no way around it. You can survive with English or Spanish for a bit, but the real stuff happens when you speak the language. Without it, you miss most of what makes life in Brazil so special which is the connection with people.
2. Brazil is not one thing. Forget the idea of a single "Brazilian culture ". The country is massive. Fortaleza feels nothing like São Paulo, and neither feels like Florianópolis or Salvador. Each region has its own rhythm, accent, food, and way of seeing life. I see this as a good thing tho!
3. People are curious, not rude. Brazilians will always ask where you are from. Always. It is not invasive. They are just not used to foreigners in most places, and they genuinely want to know your story, how things are done in your home country, etc. They will assume you have a CPF, Pix and a brazilian phone number with a "DDD" lol.
4. There is much more than Rio and São Paulo. Those cities are incredible in their own way, but Brazil is filled with opportunities elsewhere. Places like Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, João Pessoa, and Joinville are growing fast, affordable, and offer a great quality of life too.
5. Real estate is an adventure. It is a big country with space, and new buildings are going up everywhere. Whether you are looking to buy or rent, there are many interesting opportunities, especially outside the obvious metros.
6. Sports are your shortcut to connection. If you want to make friends, join a sports group. Go to a football match, sign up for a beach tennis club, or join a running group. Sports are part of daily life here and a fast track to community. Also don't focus on "expats" only, local sports will allow you to make friends with "regular" brazilian folks not just people that spend time in between nomad/expat communities.
7. You will probably need a car. Unless you live in a few specific areas in some of the big cities or in "vilas" like Pipa or Jericoacoara, public transport will not get you everywhere. Driving becomes almost essential, especially if you plan to explore or if you're spending a long time here. Ordering ubers every time you go to the supermarket or gym gets old VERY quickly.
8. PIX changed everything in Brazil. This one deserves its own chapter. Brazil’s instant payment system is how literally everyone pays for everything. Even if you are a foreigner, you will need it for rent, groceries, dinner, everything. It became such an obsession for me that I ended up building a business around it. But that is a story for another day.
9. Once you get residency, open a bank account. As soon as your CPF and residency papers are sorted, get a bank account and link it to Wise to send yourself money. Life becomes easier overnight. Obviosuly now you're on Receita Federal's radar but if you want to live in Brazil it's a "price" to pay.
10. Brazil gives back what you put in. If you show genuine interest, people will open doors for you. Learn the language, participate, be kind, and you will see how much this country gives in return.
Moving here has been one of the most challenging and rewarding things I have done. I don't know if this is my "forever" place (Or if i'll ever have one) but i'm planning to spend years here!
