Preparing for a Move to Rio: The Hard to Find, Expensive to Find, Impossible to Find...

If you're anything like me, before moving to Rio you're doing a lot of research on what will and will not be easy to find once you get here.  Along with the help of several other expat women throughout the city, this list is a work in progress and will be edited as items are found in Rio! Please feel free to advise me if you know of a place to find any of our impossible-to-find items and add your comments!

I've included some of the anecdotes of the ladies for entertainment value!

Hard to find and/or expensive in Rio (and in some cases, where you can find it)
(In most cases, anything that's hard to find is also expensive but I've marked the particularly heinously expensive items with "$!")
Mexican Food - many items available at Zona Sul & Sendas, including:
Refried Beans ($!)
Tortilla Chips ($!)
Salsa ($!)
Tortilla Shells
Enchilada Sauce

Rice Noodles &
Goji Berries - available at Asian food stores
Pam Cooking Spray ($)
Ziplock Bags - not as much selection of different types/sizes here and anything plastic. ($!)
Plastic storage containers - everywhere, but not of as good of quality. ($!)
Sour cream - very hard to find but apparently it's been done!
Peanut butter - particularly if you have a brand you like. Brazilian "amedocreme" readily available here.
Chicken stock in a can. ($!)
High quality linen and towels - Trousseau - ($!)
Philadelphia creme cheese
Fritos Corn chips ($!)
Potato chips ($!)
Greeting cards ($!)
Wrapping paper ($!)
Nice stationary ($!)
Crystal wine glasses (not glass) ($!)
Sun screen SPF 50 - ($!)
Cosmetics - particularly name brand ($!)
Cheeses - Brie, Camembert ($!)
Biscuit/pancake mix
Magazines/books in english ($!)
Campbell's soups ($!)
Neutrogena sunblock ($!)
Good hard candy
Dehumidifiers
Plain Peanut Butter
Maple Syrup ($!)
Great Chocolate ($!)
Swim Goggles ($!)
Running Shoes ($!)
Quality Clothes ($!)
Contact Solution ($!)
Children's Toys
Electronics ($!)
Depending on the time of year - blueberries & pomegranates.
Spices
Baking Powder
Good tea towels
Cheddar cheese (S!) available at Zona Sul in Leblon
Ketchup & Mustard ($!)
Heintz 57 Sauce
Designer jeans ($!)
Dish soap that works
Batteries ($!)

Impossible to find in Rio
Salt & Vinegar Chips (or any type of chips other than BBQ, plain or sour cream & onion for that matter)
Green Chilies
Velveeta Shells and Cheese
Chlorox Wipes
Swiffers
Reach Flosser refills
Horseradish
Chocolate Chips
Laundry detergent for HE machines
Organic pet food
Italian bread crumbs (or regular bread crumbs of any kind besides panko bread crumbs)
Cocktail sauce
Organic Peanut butter
Bathing Suits with full coverage
U.S. Brown Sugar (and yellow sugar)
Real cranberry juice - not cocktail, the thick, horrible stuff that is hard to drink but great for UTI's.
Pomegranate juice
Craisins
Most types of breakfast cereal - pretty much everything but all bran flakes, granola, sugary cereal.
Cream of wheat hot cereal - there is a similar one here but it's not the same.
Muffins & bagels & English Muffins
Granola Bars without nuts
Most types of protein bars
Baking soda in a box rather than a little packet that holds about a 1/4 cup
Facecloths
Honey Mustard Sauce
PEPPERmint tea (lots of mint but no PEPPERmint)
Certain types of soda/pop like Ginger Ale and Root Beer
Rotel Tomatoes
Canned Green Beans
Dill Pickles
Pretzels
Many Salad Dressings: Poppy Seed, Blue Cheese, Ranch
Italian Dressing Mix (although there is "Vinegarette")
Ranch Dressing Mix
Wheat Thins
Triscuits
Convenience Mixes - for cookies, gravy, sauces, etc.
Bean Dip
Refrigerated dips, such as dill pickle, french onion, ranch, etc.

Recommendations of Items to consider bringing, depending on your preferences... in the words of the expat wives themselves...

• I bring in my favorite oatmeal and grits. A good coffeepot with the filters to fit. These are very expensive here. We also bring in our favorite coffee (but there are several good ones here.) Pots and skillets. Be certain to bring your good ones. Most apartments use natural gas stoves.
• I bring Reach Flosser refills and my favorite toothpaste.  Over time, my list has shrunk because I find Brazilian items that work for me.  Someone from Brazil told me to stock up on underwear before I moved because the cut is different here-like the swimsuits.  She had a hard time with US underwear and figured we would feel the same about theirs.  One thing that I wish I had more of is the 3 prong to 2 prong electrical adaptors.  I bought some extension cords here, but to plug in a 3 pronger, you really need the US adapter.
• Bring 3 way light bulbs, certain spices you're used to cooking with; I bring pecans and lemon pudding to make pies. I buy canned or whole wheel cheeses in the USA and bring them here...but be sure to unpack your suitcase as soon as you get here...or the cheese will stink. I brought 2 or 3  wheels of brie back - or rather I sent them with my husband, and he never unpacked them...needless to say I had to throw them out when I arrived a week later. Also expensive - fine quality sheets and pillowcases - you can buy 500 thread count at Penny's for less than what you would pay for 100ct here.
• Any medicinal teas, herbal remedies, specialty items you like to have - bring from home! They are hard to find here. Things like oil of oregano, etc. impossible...
• If you have a baby or are having one, bring as much as you can from home as everything for baby is very expensive here!

 

Comments

[GingerV]

I have been living in Brasil going on 6 years and over that time have found most items on the list or a workable substitute. What I still bring back is peppermint tea / hersheys chocolate chips and from time to time horseradish (ruiz forte), you can find it here but for some reason is sweeter. Oh I still buy my undies in the USA - less expensive and fit my wider butt better. I boil beef and chicken and make containers of broth for the freezer - I like it better than canned, can control the salt content. Coffee-I have a grinder(from USA) and buy coffee beans here and I use their way (drip with filter and boiling water to make my coffee) I used to bring coffee back in ziplock bags - kill two birds with one stone- but found over time that I like Brasilian coffee better. (Bom Dia brand is good to me)email me at [email protected] if any other cooking in Brasil questions.

[André]

Magazines/books in english ($!)
English magazines in Rio are uber expensive but books are cheaper than in Portuguese in stores like Saraiva (Rio Sul) and Jammer (Gávea Trade Center). Twilight in English costs 35 reais and in Portuguese it is 50 reais (that's an example but since there's no paperback book in Brazil, imported paperbacks are usually cheaper than the translated national version. They're probably more expensive than in Canada but they're not that much).

Marshmellow and chocolate chips are also not impossible to find. There's marshemellow in some Zona Sul and chocolate chips in places like Casa do Pão de Queijo and also Chocookie. The chocolate chip however is not as good as in North America.

[GingerV]

I forgot to add - books in English are hard for me. A paperback in English can be over (converted) over US$17.00. When I know I am going to the states I go online to http://www.1stchoiceusedbooks.com/
order a few dozen used books (12 plus shipping about US$30.00) and I bring back nearly a suitcase full every trip - during rainy season I read about 3 a week it is necessary to plan ahead. I have about 500 up here in Friburgo. Come up to visit if desperate and borrow or buy, let me know.

[Corinne]

Mexican food and ingredients are hard to find and uber-expensive (and not very good when you do find it). Asian ingredientes are a little easier to find, because of the Japenese and Lebanese communities in Brazil. Chili powder is one of the spices I always bring back. You can get marshmellows at the supermarkets and I have found chocolate chips in party goods/baking stores. However, the quality of the chips is not too good. I always just chop up a bar of Garoto dark chocolate for cookies (it is actually what the baking gurus suggest anyway). I have found baking powder EVERYWHERE, don't understand why it is on the list. Royal is a very popular brand.

In general, if it is imported it will be extremely expensive (there is an 80% import tax and then the store profit on top of that).

As far as clothes, dental and cleaning supplies, I just use what is available, except for some clothing items, since the selection for clothes over a size 10 is pretty weak. This was definitely the case for maternity clothes!!

Also, most Brazilian bras only come in band size with a one size fits all cup size (usually a B). If you are larger than the average Brazilian (read, actually have boobs), get your bras elsewhere.

[Daily Rio Life]

I had a hard time finding baking powder, but maybe now that I know the brand it will be easier. Baking soda, however... pretty much imposssible to find in a decent quantity!

[Chris]

Hi,
I love your blog. I am a fellow expat wife living in Sao Paulo. We share many of the same issues. I have found a source for English books. I used them in the States and thought I would try them here. www.beterworld.com I ordered a book for $18.00 (US) the shipping by mail is $4.00 per book (you can pay more for faster shipping)on the web site they said it would take 21 days in fact it took about 6 weeks. BUT I GOT THE BOOK. They also sell used books. Their profits go to reading programs around the world. Happy reading!

[Daily Rio Life]

Hi everyone - thanks so much for the comments and suggestions!

NEW RULE: if you feel something does not belong on the hard to find/expensive list, you must provide the name of a brand or store where you have found the item, for the rest of us! Thanks!!!

[Tricia]

I remember reading somewhere *apparently not here* that there is no bleach in Brazil. It might be worth mentioning agua sanitário is the same thing.

Maple syrup is close to $25R, I'm surprised that as a Canadian, this didn't make your list, unless you are aware of a place to find it less insanely priced...

Also, re: spices...I found a large (and affordable) section in the Zona Sul in Recreio.

Tchau!

[Tricia]

Also, the Kindle is international now to solve your expensive book problems:
http://postcardsfrombrasil.blogspot.com/2009/10/eu-quero.html

I'd suggest ordering it to a US address and having someone ship it to you in Brazil...it's over $900R here.

[Tricia]

Just read about a swimsuit store in Rio that appears to have some selection with better than typical coverage and some really nice one pieces as well:
http://www.lenny.com.br/

[Charles Schaab]

I see that American-style peanut butter is listed as 'hard to get'. I've never been able to find it. If someone knows a place to go, could you please tell me?

[Mythology Dissertation]

Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!

[cariokate]

American peanut butter (Skippy, actually) is available at Zona Sul grocery stores in (you guessed it) Ipanema and Leblon.

[Hannah]

Hey There! I love the blog and have read it from beginning to end. I am about to move to Rio and am moving into a place with a bed which is "A cama e de casal tamanho normal." So I am from the U.S and I am having trouble figuring out if this is a double bed or a queen size bed. I am hoping to bring sheets down but I cant figure out what size this is. Is there any site or resource online which discusses Brazilian bed sizes?

Thanks so much!

[Daily Rio Life]

padreau is double... hmmm.... I would bring queen sized sheets and just be ok with them being a bit big (that's actually what I did and it's fine).

[Jay English]

I am on the other end. I need something from Brazil that I can no longer find in the states. Here they refer to it as Brazilian Mint Tea, but the her is Hyptis Crenata. I don't recall what they call it in Brazil, but if anyone knows and can tell me or better yet a good place to pick it up... great!

[Daily Rio Life]

Jay, where do you live? Perhaps there's a Brazilian store someone can suggest?

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[jonesy]

hi all
this blog is great! i moved to rio about a month ago and have found most ingredients to be replaceable EXCEPT mexican food! i brought a ton of spices with me, but i'm desperate for quality tortillas. i visited one of the zona sul's but didn't find it... do you have any other suggestions? i live in gloria, near centro but would travel *anywhere* to get some basic staples to cook at home...

[Daily Rio Life]

The Zona Suls in our neighbourhood have them!

[jose alves pereira]

The original peanut butter ( i think it´s imported from USA) you can find at a deli called Raffinee (Paisandu with Senador Vergueiro - Flamengo)I don´t like but my friend is dutch and he loves it (the brazilian similar - amendocrem is too sweet he says). Last time i bought it costed R$ 14,00. I believe it´s the same price or cheaper cause dollar keeps on going down.

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