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Santana, Amapá

Brazil · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

63
Overall Score

Santana, located in the state of Amapá, Brazil, is a municipality with a rich history that began in 1753 as an official settlement on Ilha de Santana. Its development accelerated in the 1950s with the discovery of manganese, transforming it into the state's primary harbor and industrial center. Today, Santana is a bustling port city on the Amazon River, serving as a crucial economic hub for the region and forming a metropolitan area with the state capital, Macapá. Its strategic location and historical ties to resource extraction have shaped its identity as a vital center for trade and industry in northern Brazil.

About Amapá

Amapá is a Brazilian state characterized by its extensive Amazon rainforest, covering 90% of its area, and its unique cultural identity shaped by indigenous, African, and Portuguese influences. The economy is primarily driven by the service sector (87.6% of GDP), with significant contributions from mining (gold, iron ore, manganese), timber, and agriculture (soybeans, palm oil, heart of palm). Living in Amapá, particularly in the capital Macapá, is generally considered to have a lower cost of living compared to many other global cities, though the median after-tax salary may only cover a fraction of monthly expenses. The climate is tropical monsoon, meaning it is hot and humid year-round with a long rainy season from December to July and a short dry season. The lifestyle is often described as having a strong sense of community, influenced by its relative isolation, with local cuisine featuring Amazonian ingredients like açaí and fresh fish.

107,373
Population
30
Cost Index
63.0
Quality Score
How this 63/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them
Component Readings used Points Weight Contributes
Safety Safety score: 45 / 100 45.0 30% 13.5
Affordability Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 30.0 100.0 25% 25.0
Economy & jobs Median household income: no usable reading Income needed to live here: no usable reading Unemployment rate: 5.97% 50.4 20% 10.1
Growth No usable reading — dataset average used 56.4 15% 8.5
Business climate assessment Business climate assessment: 60 / 100 60.0 10% 6.0
Overall score 63.0

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 1 (fast) (q=60, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 14 September 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

Businesses in Santana

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Quality Scores

Business
60
Livability
58
Affordability
80
Growth
55

Cost of Living

Santana is considered one of the least expensive cities globally, ranking within the top 16% of affordable cities worldwide. The average cost of living for a single person is estimated at $618 per month, with rent and utilities accounting for a significant portion of this. While overall costs are low compared to many international and even Brazilian cities, the median after-tax salary of $406 means that living expenses can consume a substantial part of an individual's income, with the median salary covering only about 0.7 months of expenses. This affordability makes Santana an attractive option for those seeking a lower cost of living, though income levels should be considered in conjunction with expenses.

Climate

🌡️
27°C
Avg Temp
☀️
30°C
Summer High
❄️
24°C
Winter Low
🌧️
89.30"
Annual Rain
💧
80.00%
Humidity
🌤️
131
Sunny Days

Pros & Cons

Advantages
Santana is one of the least expensive cities in the world, ranking 7827th out of 9294 globally for cost of living.
The Port of Santana is a significant economic driver, facilitating international trade and offering competitive logistics for Brazilian commodities.
The city is a key industrial center for the state of Amapá, with a history linked to resource extraction and a focus on developing its port infrastructure.
Santana's location on the Amazon River provides access to rich biodiversity and potential for ecotourism and scientific research.
The municipality is part of the Macapá Metropolitan Area, indicating a degree of regional integration and economic activity.
Drawbacks
Brazil, and by extension Amapá, has a reputation for crime, with the U.S. State Department advising increased caution due to urban crime and kidnapping.
The Amazon region, where Santana is located, generally scores lower in quality of life metrics compared to more developed areas of Brazil due to infrastructure limitations.
Specific data on public transit and walkability for Santana is not readily available, suggesting potential limitations in urban mobility options.
While affordable, the median salary in Santana may only cover a limited period of living expenses, indicating potential financial strain for some residents.
Infrastructure development in the Amazon region can be a challenge, with some island districts within Santana complaining of neglect.

Questions about Santana

What people ask about living in and moving to Santana, Amapá.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The consumer market basket tracks everyday necessities, including staple grocery items (such as milk, bread, eggs, and produce), residential energy bills (electricity, gas, and water), public and private transit costs, routine outpatient medical care, and standard consumer goods and services to ensure a representative monthly budget.

Even in close geographic proximity, local tax jurisdictions, municipal utility rates, zoning laws, and micro-housing markets can create wide cost discrepancies. For example, a city with strict land-use regulations or higher local sales taxes will typically exhibit elevated housing and consumer goods costs compared to an adjacent county with looser zoning and lower tax burdens.

Even in close geographic proximity, local tax jurisdictions, municipal utility rates, zoning laws, and micro-housing markets can create wide cost discrepancies. For example, a city with strict land-use regulations or higher local sales taxes will typically exhibit elevated housing and consumer goods costs compared to an adjacent county with looser zoning and lower tax burdens.

Local tax climates significantly shift a city's affordability score by directly affecting disposable income. Urblytica factors in state income tax brackets, local municipal property tax millage rates, and combined sales taxes to measure the true tax drag on median household earnings.

Core economic indexes and consumer price metrics undergo a comprehensive quarterly recalibration. This update cycle integrates the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) releases, municipal utility rate adjustments, and regional housing data feeds to ensure all index comparisons reflect current economic conditions.

Housing is weighted as the single largest component in Urblytica's cost-of-living algorithm, typically accounting for roughly 30% to 35% of the composite score. It incorporates both median monthly gross rent and median single-family home purchase prices relative to local median income levels.

Normalization involves adjusting raw economic inputs against localized purchasing power parities (PPPs) and population-weighted density scales. This ensures fair, apples-to-apples comparisons between dense metropolitan hubs and smaller suburban or rural towns.

Utility indexing applies a rolling annual average that captures seasonal climate variations, such as increased summer air conditioning loads in southern climates or heavier winter heating demands in northern regions, providing a realistic year-round average utility expense.

Remote workers leverage the index to calculate real purchasing power parity when moving from a high-cost-of-living area to a lower-cost region. By comparing index differentials against their fixed salary, users can determine if their net savings and lifestyle quality will improve post-relocation.

While the raw Cost of Living Index measures pure expense levels, it is frequently paired with Urblytica’s local wage index and median household income benchmarks. This combined view highlights whether local salaries keep pace with local consumer goods and housing expenses.

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