Conab and Dieese data show that São Paulo's basic food basket cost R$ 852.87 in February, the highest among Brazilian capitals, equating to 56.88% of the minimum wage. It requires 115 hours and 45 minutes of work to purchase, the longest time recorded. Despite a 0.18% drop from January, costs remain high.
In February, São Paulo's basic food basket reached R$ 852.87, according to a survey by the National Supply Company (Conab) in partnership with the Intersindical Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies (Dieese). This amount is 56.88% of the R$ 1,621 minimum wage and is the highest among Brazil's capitals. Following are Rio de Janeiro (R$ 826.98, 55.15%), Florianópolis (R$ 797.53, 53.19%), Cuiabá (R$ 793.77, 52.94%), and Porto Alegre (R$ 786.84, 52.48%). Purchasing the basket in São Paulo requires 115 hours and 45 minutes of work, the longest among the capitals studied. There was a 0.18% decrease from January, driven by price drops in tomato, sugar, coffee, rice, and soy oil. However, items like carioca beans, beef, French bread, butter, and whole milk rose in price. Over the past 12 months, coffee and beans saw significant increases, while rice, potato, and milk declined, without substantially easing the total cost. Dieese estimates the minimum wage needed to support a family of four at R$ 7,164.94, about 4.4 times the current one.
