Expert: Ken Rapoza Cruz - 5/24/2008

Question
Ken

I work for an oilfield service company and am considering a relocation to Macae'.  I am married and have 2 daughters age 9 and 3.  Do you know much about Macae' itself?  Would you recommend moving a family (crime, healthcare, etc.)?  My wife and kids have no Portuguese language background, but I know a bit as I have  worked on and off in Angola over the last 2 years.  What is the cost of living compared to say Texas?  Thank you for your time.

Answer
I dont know the region at all. I just know its in Rio. You can google Macae and find out about it. It's near the ocean and there is beautiful ocean there. I dont know what kind of city it is; if it is an oil city, then it is probably an industry town, though of course Brazil being Brazil, Im sure there is plenty of poverty. That said, Macae is no Rio city. Poverty will be much less, and so will teh violence.  Your company will give you -- probably -- an intl healthplan, though you might be just as better off with a local one. The doctors I have been to here in Sao Paulo are first rate; Im sure they are in Rio too, and like I said, if Macae is an oil industry town, Im sure the servies there are B+ at least.

Without any Portuguese under your belts, as  a family, you better have a little bit of Swiss Family Robinson in you because life will be hard. I do not know if there are any English only schools...as in international schools that teach courses in English.  If so, maybe youre lucky and your co will pay for it. Otherwise, it will cost you around $700 a month, per kid, if not more. Figure $1,000 will be a good bet.

Im sorry I cant help you further.. I have no idea how much it costs to live in Macae. I can tell you that in Sao Paulo, I pay just about what it would cost to live in a two bedroom in Boston, and Boston is more expensive than, say, Houston or Austin. That said, if Sao Paulo is cheaper than Texas, and I live in a very old bldg with about 1,000 square feet, a doorman, two pools, and a lot of greenery around, then Im sure Macae is cheaper than here.

Ken