Financing an apartment in São Luís: simulate and compare with renting
17.7% of households in São Luís are apartments, and 28.7% of those are still being paid off (2022 Census). Simulate the payment with Brazil’s central bank rates and compare it with renting.
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São Luís at a glance
In the 2022 Census, São Luís had 1,037,775 inhabitants and 348,484 occupied permanent private households, 61,615 of them apartments.
Mortgage simulator
Enter the property and choose the bank. The rate is pre-filled with the average across banks, and you can replace it with the one in your offer.
Results appear as soon as the rates are loaded.
The simulation holds the month's TR (or IPCA) constant and excludes insurance and fees (unless you fill in the optional field). It is not a credit offer or financial advice: the total effective cost (CET) is the figure the bank gives you.
Buy or rent: which builds more wealth?
Buyers pay a down payment, installments and property costs, and end up with an asset that may or may not appreciate. Renters invest the down payment and the monthly difference. Compare the net worth of each over the years.
The result appears as soon as the rates are loaded.
The model ignores the cost of selling the property, capital gains tax and rate changes over the years. The appreciation and yield defaults are assumptions, not forecasts: change them and see how the result responds.
São Luís in official data
Apartments in the city and in Brazil, 2022 Census. The Rank column is the position among the 133 cities we track (1st = highest share).
| Indicator | São Luís | Brazil | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that are apartments | 17.7% | 14.7% | 60th |
| Rented apartments | 36.1% | 36.8% | 72nd |
| Apartments still being paid off | 28.7% | 20.5% | 43rd |
Source: IBGE (Brazil’s statistics agency), 2022 Census, SIDRA 9935 and 4714. No listing prices: enter the property value you have in mind in the simulator. Open the table.
The numbers behind it
| Households | All types | Apartments |
|---|---|---|
| Occupied | 348,484 | 61,615 |
| Rented | 76,610 (22.0%) | 22,264 (36.1%) |
| Still being paid off | 30,246 (8.7%) | 17,704 (28.7%) |
| Residents | 1,031,749 | — |
Income and vacant households in São Luís
| Indicator | São Luís | Brazil |
|---|---|---|
| Median income per person, per month | R$ 867 | R$ 1,000 |
| Average income per person, per month | R$ 1,595 | R$ 1,638 |
| Vacant households | 11.2% | 12.6% |
| Occasional-use households | 3.0% | 7.4% |
Median income per person in São Luís is the 91st highest among the 159 cities we track: R$ 867 per month, 13% below Brazil’s median (values from 2022); it does not measure what a family can afford to finance. Vacant households make up 11.2% in São Luís (Brazil: 12.6%), and occasional-use homes 3.0% (Brazil: 7.4%).
São Luís compared with cities in Maranhão
| City | Apts. | Rented | Paying off | Diff. (p.p.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| São Luís | 17.7% | 36.1% | 28.7% | — |
| Imperatriz | 3.4% | 50.3% | 18.4% | −14.3 |
| São José de Ribamar | 13.5% | 31.6% | 52.2% | −4.1 |
| Timon | 0.8% | — | — | −16.8 |
| Caxias | 0.3% | — | — | −17.3 |
Apts. = % of households that are apartments; Rented and Paying = % of apartments; — = small sample; Diff. = percentage points of apartments relative to São Luís.
São Luís is 2.9 percentage points above the national average in the share of households that are apartments, 0.6 percentage points below for rented apartments and 8.2 percentage points above for apartments still being paid off. Counting all household types, 18.9% of residents live in rented property and 8.2% in property still being paid off.
See also
Frequently asked questions about apartments in São Luís
How many households are apartments in São Luís?
61,615 of 348,484 (17.7%), versus 14.7% in Brazil: 60th place among the 133 cities we track.
How many apartments in São Luís are rented?
22,264 (36.1%), versus 36.8% nationwide: 72nd place.
How many apartments in São Luís are still being paid off?
17,704 (28.7%), versus 20.5% in Brazil: 43rd place. It is a reference for how common installment buying is, not a forecast of credit approval.