Ever since I started coming to São Paulo, I have complained and duly noted the complaints of others about how expensive this city is, both in absolute terms and when compared to the rest of the country. Nowhere do people talk about high São Paulo prices than when talking about food services (and to a somewhat lesser extent transport). Now I know what you're going to say: "Jay, food prices are rising all over the world." Indeed they are. But if you go to the market or even to the grocery store, the food itself is not expensive. Brazilians often pride themselves on having a country where just about anything will grow. It is the price of eating out that has risen substantially. And this is true across all eating options--from prato feitos (think lunchtime diner food) to haute cuisine. The former category usually includes rice, beans, salad, and a meat. And up until a few years ago, it was reasonable to try to find something for around R$5 (at the time US$2.50- although the US-Brazil exchange rate has also tipped way in Brazil's favor and now R$5 is about US$3.80). Nowadays, you would be lucky (but maybe not hardpressed) to find a prato feito for under R$10, even in poor suburbs. As for high-end cuisine, a nice but nowhere near fancy meal will cost you minimum US$25, and top-end restaurants are as expensive as New York top-end restaurants. Although I have yet to drop US$100 on a meal, I hear that some upper-middle class people here to it like it's no big thing.
**Also, the other item that exceeds New York price rates?? Taxis.**
These rising prices, even in the middle of the Brazilian 'mini-miracle' (there ability to have respectable growth and low unemployment in the middle of a world financial crisis), is slowly coming to the attention of many of my middle class interlocutors. That is, amongst these people, my complaints are finally reciprocated. Despite and partially because of this, I was surprised to see a new study that seems to be making the rounds of Brazilian political media:
That the Brazilian lower-middle class (commonly referred to as Class C), eats more meals outside the home than Classes A or B (the middle and upper classes). A lot more. 55% of them eat lunch (remember those pratos feitos) outside the house. Of course, this makes sense as more working class jobs are entering the market but at sites that are farther and farther from working class neighborhoods. It's not uncommon to hear people complain of 3.5 hour commutes (one way) on inhumanely-packed public transit. Anybody who has the resources to 1. drive or 2. live closer to work (my option) probably does so, and ends up saving money on eating out. But the high property and rental prices due to speculation are also keeping people at home longer. This is all to say that the US$150 meal is not the scandal. It is the US$8 minimum to eat outside the house that is probably making São Paulo more unlivable for many people.
To end on a side note, I keep on wondering when brown bag lunches are going to come in style.
