The cost of acquiring basic food items has risen across all 27 capitals, according to monitoring by the Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socioeconomic Studies (Dieese) and the National Supply Company (Conab). São Paulo remains the most expensive city, with a recorded value of R$ 883.94, while Aracaju offers the cheapest basket, averaging R$ 598.45.
The most impacted food items were beans, potatoes, tomatoes, beef, and milk, all of which saw price increases. The first three were significantly affected by rainfall in key production regions. Conversely, sugar prices fell in 19 cities due to an oversupply.
The National Basic Food Basket Survey indicated that the most significant price increases occurred in Manaus (7.42%), Salvador (7.15%), Recife (6.97%), Maceió (6.76%), Belo Horizonte (6.44%), Aracaju (6.32%), Natal (5.99%), Cuiabá (5.62%), João Pessoa (5.53%), and Fortaleza (5.04%). In terms of nominal values, besides São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro (R$ 867.97), Cuiabá (R$ 838.40), Florianópolis (R$ 824.35), and Campo Grande (R$ 805.93) stood out, with other capitals averaging below R$ 800.
With the minimum wage at R$ 1,621.00, workers in these cities need about 109 hours to afford the basket. Despite being high, this value has decreased compared to income from the previous year.
“When comparing the basket cost to the net minimum wage, after a 7.5% deduction for Social Security, it is observed that workers earning the national minimum wage spent an average of 48.12% of their income on basic food items in the 27 capitals surveyed in March 2026, and 46.13% in February. In March 2025, considering 17 capitals, the average percentage was 52.29%,” the survey indicated.
In March, the average time needed to acquire the basic food basket was 97 hours and 55 minutes, compared to 93 hours and 53 minutes in February. Compared to March 2025, considering a restricted set of 17 capitals, the average time was 106 hours and 24 minutes.
The study also allows for a comparison of increases since last year, showing rises in 13 cities and declines in four over the past 12 months, with notable increases in Aracaju (5.09%), Salvador (4.51%), and Recife (4.38%). The main reductions occurred in Brasília (-4.63%) and Florianópolis (-0.91%). The annual interval comparison is limited to 17 capitals, as Dieese does not conduct monthly surveys in Boa Vista, Cuiabá, Macapá, Maceió, Manaus, Palmas, Porto Velho, Rio Branco, São Luiz, and Teresina.
The study indicates that bean prices rose in all cities. The black bean, surveyed in the Southern Region, Rio de Janeiro, and Vitória, saw increases ranging from 1.68% in Curitiba to 7.17% in Florianópolis. For the carioca bean, collected in other capitals, increases ranged from 1.86% in Macapá to 21.48% in Belém. The bean price hike was due to supply restrictions caused by harvest difficulties, reduced planting area in the first crop, and expectations of lower production in the second crop, the survey shows.
“When we see a price increase, we tend to think producers are profiting more, but in these cases, fewer producers have the product and may sell for more. However, what happened a lot this year is that those who planted, for example, 60 sacks, harvested only 30 or 40. The climate affected Paraná and Bahia, and we have a smaller planted area,” explained Marcelo Lüders, president of the Brazilian Bean Institute (Ibrafe).
Lüders noted that production is still considerably delayed in other areas, such as Mato Grosso do Sul, where excessive rainfall led to a shorter window between crops and forced substitution with a type of black bean mainly destined for the Indian market.
“The numbers we have today do not reflect our reality; we have less carioca bean because it’s a bean the government doesn’t guarantee a price for, as the minimum price is just for show, and the producer doesn’t benefit from it at any point, as there’s no external market.” These factors have led to a considerable price difference between carioca and black beans, the most sought-after varieties in major markets.
The carioca bean is currently sold at R$ 350 per sack, with a potential price drop expected from August to October, when the irrigated crop is harvested. The black bean still holds a better value, around R$ 200 to R$ 210 per sack, as there is a large stock from the two 2025 harvests. However, this surplus will be pressured since little was planted in the second crop, which is at the beginning of the year, and the culture suffered from heavy rain in Paraná. The expectation is for a price inversion, with black beans becoming more expensive than carioca beans in 2026.
“This is terrible for producers. Exports decreased in 2025, which is cyclical. The incentive to plant carioca beans is very high, and this is a risk as it could lower the price,” the analyst added.
Conab’s estimate indicates a production exceeding 3 million tons, with a 0.5% increase compared to the 2024/2025 cycle. The impact of rising fertilizer and fuel costs has yet to be felt by the sector, increasing uncertainty. There is an expectation of a global increase in food prices.
Dieese also shows the ideal minimum wage value. For this, it considers the most expensive basket, in São Paulo, and the basic costs that would cover the needs guaranteed by the Constitution for the worker and their family: food, housing, health, education, clothing, hygiene, transportation, leisure, and social security. In March, the value for a family of four would be R$ 7,425.99 or 4.58 times the current minimum. In February, the necessary value was R$ 7,164.94, corresponding to 4.42 times the minimum wage. Compared to March 2025, the necessary minimum would be R$ 7,398.94 or 4.87 times the value at the time, which was R$ 1,518.00.
Source: Agência Brasil.
Original published at O Cafezinho.