Inexpensive housing in São Paulo for the world cup (6 weeks)?
April 9, 2014 11:11 AM Subscribe
I'm looking to go to Brazil with my male friend for about 6 weeks (from about June 1 to July 15). We'd like to rent a room, apartment, house, shared house, hostel for relatively cheap (preferably under $500 per person). It seems like if we go outside São Paulo city center we can get cheaper prices, how should we go about looking? I am aware of Airbnb and couchsurfing.com Thanks
Response by poster: I plan on renting a motorcycle or scooter or something similar and weaving through traffic FYI. Ty though.
posted by crawltopslow at 1:21 PM on April 9, 2014
posted by crawltopslow at 1:21 PM on April 9, 2014
AirBnB is in Sao Paulo, but BOY do they know that they've got a good commodity.
There are maybe 20 AirBnB places for $1000 per month.
Are you both going to need separate beds? Can you camp out on a tile floor with sleeping bags?
Here is a listing of hostels in Sao Paulo on Trip Advisor.
Just read your update re: scooter. That sounds serously dangerous. Traffic is already insane and there are tons of cycles and scooters doing the same.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:25 PM on April 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
There are maybe 20 AirBnB places for $1000 per month.
Are you both going to need separate beds? Can you camp out on a tile floor with sleeping bags?
Here is a listing of hostels in Sao Paulo on Trip Advisor.
Just read your update re: scooter. That sounds serously dangerous. Traffic is already insane and there are tons of cycles and scooters doing the same.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:25 PM on April 9, 2014 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Cool, thanks for the tips Ruthless Bunny. I hope it's even worse than when I was motorcycling in HCMC Vietnam
posted by crawltopslow at 1:32 PM on April 9, 2014
posted by crawltopslow at 1:32 PM on April 9, 2014
Anywhere near (50 km) of a soccer stadium is going to be very, very high rent. Prices here in Rio are already surreal.
Alongside the Soccer there are going to be a whole load of protests which will probably get very ugly very quickly.
Me, I would head for a beach.
Try Craigs list but you will be paying gringo prices.
When you work out where you want to be, google the name and ''pousada''. This site could be helpful.
You could then travel into the city for match days.
posted by adamvasco at 5:29 PM on April 9, 2014 [3 favorites]
Alongside the Soccer there are going to be a whole load of protests which will probably get very ugly very quickly.
Me, I would head for a beach.
Try Craigs list but you will be paying gringo prices.
When you work out where you want to be, google the name and ''pousada''. This site could be helpful.
You could then travel into the city for match days.
posted by adamvasco at 5:29 PM on April 9, 2014 [3 favorites]
Hi, Sampa mefite here. I think the cheapest way to stay here would be in a hostel. There's a lot of new hostels opening here in anticipation of the World Cup.
Personally, I'd recommend Ô de Casa, a friend runs it, it's in a cool neighborhood, next to the subway etc. Shared accomodation, R$ 30-50 depending on room.
Other options:
Ten Hostels in São Paulo
9 Cheap Hotels next to the subway
List of Hostels and cheap hotels in São Paulo
Rooms and houses for share will be all on airbnb and couchsurfing.
Regarding renting a scooter or motorcycle, please ***DO NOT DO THIS***
REPEAT, DO NOT RENT A SCOOTER OR MOTORCYCLE, YOU WILL DIE
It's a whole different traffic ecosystem from Hanoi, traffic is brutal and actively hostile towards motorcyclists, you will be squeezed between cars, trucks and buses who hate you, not to mention "motoboys", the local motorcycle messengers also known as "mad dogs" (cachorro louco, search on youtube). The city is a sprawling, confusing mess, you will get lost, mugged, killed, run over and killed again. Paramedics scraping dead motorcyclists off the pavement is a common sight around here. Take the subway.
Feel free to memail me with any more questions!
posted by Tom-B at 6:43 PM on April 9, 2014 [6 favorites]
Personally, I'd recommend Ô de Casa, a friend runs it, it's in a cool neighborhood, next to the subway etc. Shared accomodation, R$ 30-50 depending on room.
Other options:
Ten Hostels in São Paulo
9 Cheap Hotels next to the subway
List of Hostels and cheap hotels in São Paulo
Rooms and houses for share will be all on airbnb and couchsurfing.
Regarding renting a scooter or motorcycle, please ***DO NOT DO THIS***
REPEAT, DO NOT RENT A SCOOTER OR MOTORCYCLE, YOU WILL DIE
It's a whole different traffic ecosystem from Hanoi, traffic is brutal and actively hostile towards motorcyclists, you will be squeezed between cars, trucks and buses who hate you, not to mention "motoboys", the local motorcycle messengers also known as "mad dogs" (cachorro louco, search on youtube). The city is a sprawling, confusing mess, you will get lost, mugged, killed, run over and killed again. Paramedics scraping dead motorcyclists off the pavement is a common sight around here. Take the subway.
Feel free to memail me with any more questions!
posted by Tom-B at 6:43 PM on April 9, 2014 [6 favorites]
Response by poster: motorcycle riding in Brazil youtube vid
posted by crawltopslow at 1:49 AM on April 10, 2014
posted by crawltopslow at 1:49 AM on April 10, 2014
I don't live in Brazil (anymore), but I have to emphasize some of the above points especially of Tom-B when you go about choosing a place:
- Traffic SUCKS. Even if you go for the scooter, plan for a lot of slow going and sitting around. 2-wheeled transport is even harder in Brazil than in Viet Nam. I know the North better than HCMC, but at least in Viet Nam you are mostly competing with other 2-wheeled things. In São Paulo that is just not the case: you will be running alongside crazy taxis, bling-bling SUVs with dark windows and bulletproof doors, cement trucks, and semis. Besides being vulnerable to accidents, you are also an easier target for opportunistic crime (ask me how I know!).
- Never, ever compromise on your safety for a better price. You can be lucky for years, but there is logic behind the security precautions taken by locals. I don't care if you are a biggish dude who can fit in with the locals, shit still happens, and my guess is that it will happen more often during World Cup weeks.
I get the impression from your responses that you're ready to ignore the multiple concerns about your transportation plans, but seriously, sometimes it is worth it to rely on advice based on experience rather than luck alone!
posted by whatzit at 5:03 AM on April 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
- Traffic SUCKS. Even if you go for the scooter, plan for a lot of slow going and sitting around. 2-wheeled transport is even harder in Brazil than in Viet Nam. I know the North better than HCMC, but at least in Viet Nam you are mostly competing with other 2-wheeled things. In São Paulo that is just not the case: you will be running alongside crazy taxis, bling-bling SUVs with dark windows and bulletproof doors, cement trucks, and semis. Besides being vulnerable to accidents, you are also an easier target for opportunistic crime (ask me how I know!).
- Never, ever compromise on your safety for a better price. You can be lucky for years, but there is logic behind the security precautions taken by locals. I don't care if you are a biggish dude who can fit in with the locals, shit still happens, and my guess is that it will happen more often during World Cup weeks.
I get the impression from your responses that you're ready to ignore the multiple concerns about your transportation plans, but seriously, sometimes it is worth it to rely on advice based on experience rather than luck alone!
posted by whatzit at 5:03 AM on April 10, 2014 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: I am taking all previous advice into consideration when I make my decision on transportation. I appreciate the concern, and I probably will not actually go the scooter route (because of ask mefi's advice!). But I do think that one can mitigate safety risks more than most admit. Never go above 40 km an hour, and never carry much money on you. If you can't see 3 exits from a route, don't take it, if you can't turn a corner and stop in time to see a car that you don't even think is there, then slow down to a speed where you could stop in time for an old lady or semi truck to pull out right in front of you. Again I probably won't get a scooter, but there has to be some line where it is +EV to chose the scooter route over other transportation. This is more of a philosophical question than anything. "You can't put a price on your safety". Well you do every time you get in a car that doesn't have curtain airbags, or in a car with a sleepy driver, or a million other examples.
posted by crawltopslow at 6:58 AM on April 10, 2014
posted by crawltopslow at 6:58 AM on April 10, 2014
Mod note: OP, at this point ease back and just let people answer. You can ignore the advice that is not useful. Folks, at this point the scooter issue has been noted, so maybe let's stick to the housing angle?
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:27 AM on April 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:27 AM on April 10, 2014 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by HeyAllie at 12:58 PM on April 9, 2014 [1 favorite]