What Is The Best City to Live In Brazil? It’s not Rio, neither São Paulo. When I first saw what was considered the best city to live in in Brazil, I got surprised. But then I went to visit the place and It totally changed my mind.
Maringá is the best city to live in Brazil, according to the ranking of “Best Cities to Live” from “Macroplan”. Located in the state of Paraná, in the South of the country, this city has a population of just over 400 thousand inhabitants and HDI levels of 0,808, considered very high.
Everyone knows that rankings do not always reflect the truth, but in this case, I could not agree more with the results provided by “Macroplan”, one of the most experienced Brazilian consultancy companies in prospective scenarios.
I’ve been to this city a couple of times and you can immediately feel the great energy of the place. Hundreds of parks and diners, a well-functioning health system, good transportation, great schools, and universities.
Where Exactly Maringá is Located?
Maringá is one of the few cities in the country that manages to reconcile economic growth with environmental preservation.
A planned city, with wide avenues, wide green area and excellent quality of life, enchants both residents, tourists and specialists from all over the world.
Maringá is located geographically to the North of Paraná, between Parallel 23 ° 25 ′ and Meridian 51 ° 57 ′, in a watershed, being cut by the Tropic of Capricorn.
Pole of a region that covers more than 100 cities, Maringá has stood out in the state, and also in Brazil, since, in half a century of existence, the city has built a high-quality urban structure.
For years, Maringá has maintained the title of Ecological City, as it has one of the highest concentrations of green area per inhabitant – 26 square meters. There are 90 bushels of native forests, spread over 17 forests, and thousands of trees of different species planted along the streets and avenues.
Formed by ethnic miscegenation, Maringá has the predominance of Japanese, German, Arab, Portuguese and Italian colonies, which migrated from regions of the state of Paraná where they were already installed, thus providing a cultural plurality that stands out with its folklore. and traditions.
Why Maringá is The Best City to Live in Brazil?
Maringá is not a success by luck. Founded in 1947, is one of the few planned cities in the country. It all started as a simple village planned by a company, in 1947. The project grew fast and in 1951 Maringá was elevated to the category of city.
The project for the city of Maringá is dated 1943 and signed by São Paulo city planner Jorge de Macedo Vieira, adept at the concept of “Cidade Jardim” (Garden City) developed by the British Ebenezer Howard and responsible for the project of countless neighborhoods in São Paulo.
The layout of Maringá was designed with wide avenues, flower beds that valued the landscaping and streets that followed the natural inclination of the relief as faithfully as possible. An interesting fact is that Jorge de Macedo Vieira was never in the city.
How The Ranking Works
With just over 400 thousand inhabitants, the city of Maringá was elected the first in the list of the best large cities in Brazil, according to a study by the consultancy Macroplan.
To reach this conclusion, the consultancy analyzed the municipalities with more than 266 thousand inhabitants in 16 indicators divided into four distinct areas: health, education and culture, safety and sanitation, and sustainability.
The weights of the indicators and the areas that make up the index were divided as follows: 35.3% for education and culture; 35.3% for health; 20.6% for infrastructure and sustainability and 8.8% for security.
It is important to remember that this is not a recent study, Macroplan has been doing this study for over 10 years and, if we take the historical evolution of these indexes, Maringá has always been in the top positions, always at the top.
In the last 2 years, the city was in 2nd place and now it has taken the lead.
Economy
The backbone of the city economy is agriculture and livestock.
The soil of Maringá has the red coloration, characteristic of the region, caused by the decomposition of basalt, which makes the soil extremely fertile for agriculture. This is the reason why people that born in the city are often called “pés vermelhos” (red feet).
Maringá is one of the biggest producers of Soy, Corn, Cotton, Coffee, and Beans in the state. Also, is the largest exporter of honey in Brazil. In addition, the region is becoming a powerhouse in dairy farming, with some of the most innovative dairies in the country.
Although it’s exciting, there’s a lot of cities in the state of Paraná with great indexes in the agribusiness areas. What makes Maringá better is that their economy is expanding a lot in other businesses, especially in the areas of education, clothing factories, and software. Maringá is the pole for a lot of tech companies, some of them internationally recognized.
Infrastructure
Maringá is beautiful and well-planned and it reflects directly into its infrastructure. One of the best grades of the city in the ranking was in the sanitation indexes. The city is the second-highest score in the entire country, which means that there’s universal coverage of sanitation.
Top 5 Cities with Best Sanitation Rates in Brazil
| Position | City | State | Grade |
| #1 | Santos | SP | 0,982 |
| #2 | Maringá | PR | 0,975 |
| #3 | Franca | SP | 0,970 |
| #4 | Cascavel | PR | 0,964 |
| #5 | Curitiba | PR | 0,964 |
Traffic in the city also works very well. With great avenues, roads and a good public transport system, all in a well-planned road network, it is possible to take off quickly without problems in most of the city.
Health System
In the health area, Maringá was in the 5th position among the 100 cities of the ranking, with an index of 0.686. This, according to the analysis of “Macroplan”, means that the city has high coverage of basic care, a low infant mortality rate, and a high proportion of babies born alive. That’s talking only about public health.
As the cost of living in the city is very affordable, it means that is easy to complement the public health system with private options for people that need to use health services more often.
Education
One of the biggest concerns of anyone thinking about moving to a new place is with education and in that sense, Maringá is doing great. There are public schools and universities in the area, UEM (State University of Maringá) is amongst the best in Brazil. There are also excellent options of private schools and universities in the city for those that like to invest in better education.
As anywhere, the place has problems. One of the critics for the city is that the gap in education levels provided by public and private schools is too big. With some improvement in the public schools’ indexes, Maringá would be even better.
Safety
Another reason that Maringá is considered the best city to live in the country is its positive rates in the aspect of public security since crime rates are small compared to those of medium and large cities.
Maringá has even taken the title of the safest city in Brazil according to data collected by IPEA (Institute of Applied Economic Research), compared to even the safest cities in the world.
In general, the safety in the South of Brazil is bigger than in other cities like Rio de Janeiro or Recife, but Maringá seems to be doing even better. Another impressive piece of information is that Maringá has the lowest homicide rate in Paraná.
The homicide rate in Maringá is 4 times lower than in the rest of Brazil.
Weather
In Maringá, the summer is long, hot, muggy, and almost overcast. The winter is short, pleasant and the sky is almost cloudless. Throughout the year, the weather is rainy. Throughout the year, the temperature generally ranges from 14 °C to 30 °C and is rarely below 9 °C or above 35 °C.
Nature
Maringá is known for its wide green area, so much so that it has already received international recognition in this regard, being one of the most wooded cities in Brazil. Its streets are full of trees forming tunnels of green area, which guarantees the city a more pleasant climate.
With an Atlantic Forest reserve within the urban area, Maringá has an index of 26 square meters of green area per inhabitant, one of the largest in the country.
The city also has many parks, the main one being “Parque do Ingá”, which opened in October 1971. This space has about 47.3 hectares of remaining native forest.
The city’s postcard features a playground, a gym for the elderly, a gym for the first age, a biological museum, a health station, a hiking trail, and a Japanese garden.
In addition, in the lake of the most famous park in Maringá it is possible to ride a pedal boat, a “pirate” boat, and even a kayak. The place also has free-living animals, such as primates and birds.
Another beautiful park is the “Bosque das Grevíleas” (Grove of Grevíleas or Grevíleas Forest), one of the main green areas in the municipality. The site has an area of 44,600 square meters.
The park has a walking trail and stage for events. The name of the park is due to the species of majority tree in the place: the grevílea. In addition to this species, the springs, when flowered, also delight those who visit the place.
Statistics of Maringá
To have a better picture of some important information about the city of Maringá, check the following table with some helpful data:
| Population | 430157 inhabitants |
| Total Area | 487012 km² |
| Density | 883,3 inhabitants/km² |
| HDI | 0,808 (Very High) |
| GDP | U$ 3,8 million (R$ 18,5 million) |
| Health System | Good |
| Number of Universities | 5 |
| Average Wage | 648 USD |
| Timezone | UTC-3 |
When is the best time to visit Maringá?
The best time to visit Maringá will depend on what you like as a tourist. In February and September, you will find warmer temperatures, suitable for outdoor walks and enjoy the sun. However, in September, the city is a little less humid, which generates less rain and can attack breathing problems.
On the other hand, in June and July, the city has its coldest periods. As it is located in the south of Brazil, if you want to visit the city in these cold months, recommend that you put lots of coats in your suitcase!
For the city of Maringá itself, you don’t need to worry that much. Even in the coldest days of winter, the temperature is rarely below 9 °C.
Best Things to Do in Maringá
Now that you know what Is the best city to live in Brazil, how about visiting it? Here I have 3 suggestions of what to do in Maringá.
Visit the Cathedral of Maringá
The “Cathedral of Maringá”, also known as the “Basílica Menor Nossa Senhora da Glória”, is the tallest church in South America. Conceived by the architect José Augusto Bellucci, the Cathedral is over 100 meters high.
Even for those who are not religious, the visit is very worthwhile. This is because its architecture is phenomenal, and, on top of everything, there is a viewpoint. To have a privileged view of Maringá, the visitor will need to climb more than 450 steps. Therefore, you need to be in good shape. But I guarantee that the view is worth it.
Mercadão de Maringá
The “Mercadão de Maringá” is a must for those who like a good bargain and good food. The city’s cuisine is varied, as it mix typically Brazilian traditions with the traditions of its immigrants, including Japanese.
At “Mercadão de Maringá”, visitors will find more than 100 kiosks, with all types of food and all prices. It is possible to buy materials to take home, especially those of vegetable and animal origin. It is certain that they will be fresh and excellent!
In addition, it is also possible to take the opportunity to have lunch at the kiosks that offer this option. Perfect to be that morning program, ending with a delicious and neat lunch.
Parque do Japão
Maringá had strong Japanese immigration and, perhaps as a way of honoring immigrants, the city created the “Parque do Japão” (Japan Park), with a series of unmissable attractions within it.
Among them, the imperial garden, the theater, a sports gym, and even an event room stand out. In addition, greeting the Japanese tradition, even more, the Park also has a koi pond, typical fish from the eastern region.
One of the activities that the kids love in the park is feeding the animals. And that’s totally possible. Visitors can feed the animals, as long as they buy the appropriate rations in the park itself.
Final Considerations
Writing any article demands a lot of responsibility, but when we’re talking about “What is the Best City to Live In Brazil” it adds a lot more.
In that sense, I hope you have enjoyed this content because It took a lot of time researching the area (even visiting the city).
If you liked the article, share it with a friend. Also, if you want, leave a comment down here. I’ll be pleased to read it and answer to you.
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Thanks for reading and have a good one! 🙂
