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Pontes e Lacerda, Mato Grosso

Brazil · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

76
Overall Score

Pontes e Lacerda is a prominent municipality located in the southwest of Mato Grosso, Brazil, near the Bolivian border. Founded in the late 1970s during the expansion of Brazil's agricultural frontier, the city has evolved from a remote pioneer settlement into a dynamic regional hub. Characterized by its strong integration between the Amazonian transition zone and the Cerrado, it attracts migrants and investors drawn to its rich agricultural potential and strategic location. Today, it serves as an important commercial and service anchor for the surrounding western Mato Grosso region.

The local culture reflects a unique blend of traditional Midwestern Brazilian roots and frontier resilience, heavily influenced by settlers from various regions of the country, particularly the South. The municipality is well-known for hosting large regional events such as the Expoeste, which highlights its strong ties to the livestock and agricultural sectors. With steady population growth, the community maintains an active civic environment while expanding its urban infrastructure to accommodate new residents and commercial enterprises.

About Mato Grosso

Mato Grosso, a large inland state in central Brazil, is characterized by its diverse ecosystems, including portions of the Amazon rainforest, the Pantanal wetlands, and the Cerrado savanna. The economy is heavily reliant on agribusiness, with the state being a leading producer of soybeans, corn, cotton, and beef, contributing significantly to Brazil's agricultural output. The climate is tropical, featuring consistently high temperatures throughout the year, with a distinct rainy season from November to April and a drier season from May to October. While specific cost of living data for the entire state is aggregated, the capital, Cuiabá, experiences hot and humid conditions, and the lifestyle generally reflects a connection to nature and agriculture, with a growing emphasis on tourism.

56,720
Population
$7K
Avg Salary
52
Cost Index
75.9
Quality Score
How this 76/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them
Component Readings used Points Weight Contributes
Safety Safety score: 62 / 100 62.0 30% 18.6
Affordability Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 52.0 100.0 25% 25.0
Economy & jobs Median household income: $8,500 Income needed to live here: $4,500 Unemployment rate: 5.8% 76.3 20% 15.3
Growth Population growth rate: 1.7% Job growth rate: 2.4% 67.8 15% 10.2
Business climate assessment Business climate assessment: 69 / 100 69.0 10% 6.9
Overall score 75.9

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 1 (fast) (q=66, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 11 October 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.

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Quality Scores

Business
69
Livability
72
Affordability
78
Growth
73

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Pontes e Lacerda is generally moderate, aligning closely with typical regional standards in Mato Grosso while remaining favorable compared to major metropolitan capitals like Cuiabá. Essential expenses such as local food produce, services, and housing are relatively accessible, though imported manufactured goods and specialized technology can command a premium due to transportation logistics. Local markets and regional agricultural output help keep basic grocery costs stable for households.

Utility expenses, particularly electricity used for cooling during hotter months, form a notable part of monthly household budgets. Housing and rental prices vary depending on proximity to the central commercial district, with new residential subdivisions driving modern real estate development. Overall, residents enjoy a balanced cost-to-income ratio compared to coastal Brazilian urban centers, making it an economically viable option for families and professionals alike.

Average Rent
$450/mo
Groceries
$250/mo
Transport
$100/mo
Utilities
$95/mo
Healthcare
$120/mo
Gym membership (monthly)
$30.00
Cinema ticket
$6.00
Restaurant meal (mid-range)
$12.00
Monthly groceries
$220.00
Doctor visit (without insurance)
$50.00

Salary Insights

The economic foundation of Pontes e Lacerda is heavily rooted in agribusiness, featuring robust cattle ranching, grain cultivation such as soy and corn, and local commercial trade. Agribusiness supply chains, machinery maintenance, and transport logistics represent major local employers, alongside a growing service sector that caters to the broader border region. Small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs also make up a substantial portion of the urban economy, supported by regional development programs.

While traditional sectors dominate, digital connectivity and remote work have seen slow but steady adoption among younger professionals and administrative workers. Employment opportunities are closely tied to regional commodity cycles and seasonal agricultural harvests. Economic resilience is reinforced by continuous commercial expansion and infrastructure investments designed to improve trade routes with neighboring municipalities.

The average salary in Pontes e Lacerda is $6,500 per year. You would need approximately $4,500 to live comfortably.

Top Industries

Transportation & Logistics +2.40% Public Administration & Services +1.50% Construction & Real Estate +3.00% Retail & Wholesale Trade +2.20% Agribusiness & Cattle Ranching +2.60%

Climate

🌡️
26°C
Avg Temp
☀️
29°C
Summer High
❄️
22°C
Winter Low
🌧️
59.60"
Annual Rain
💧
75.00%
Humidity
🌤️
199
Sunny Days

Transport

Transportation in Pontes e Lacerda is predominantly centered around private automobiles, motorcycles, and local taxi or ride services, reflecting the city's layout and regional connectivity. The municipality is linked by major federal and state highways, making it a vital transit point for freight and passenger travel toward Cuiabá and the border. Public transit options within the urban core are limited, meaning most daily commuting relies on personal vehicles or short bicycle and walking trips.

Walkability is moderate within the central commercial district where sidewalks and storefronts are closely clustered, though outer residential sectors require motorized transport. Traffic congestion is generally low outside of peak business hours and major event periods, ensuring efficient transit across town.

18 min
Avg Commute
40.00/10
Transit Score
62.00/10
Walkability
Medium
Car Dependency

Pros & Cons

Advantages
Strategic location as a major economic and service hub in the extreme western region of Mato Grosso
Affordable cost of living and housing compared to major Brazilian metropolitan state capitals
Strong, resilient economic base driven by robust agribusiness, cattle ranching, and local commerce
High literacy rate among residents aged 15 and older, standing at nearly 99.8% per official census data
Active community lifestyle with rich local traditions, civic engagement, and regional cultural events like Expoeste
Drawbacks
Distance from major capital cities and specialized tertiary medical centers requires long-distance travel for advanced care
Susceptibility of certain peripheral urban sectors to localized environmental and geological risks such as seasonal flooding
Limited public mass transit infrastructure, creating a high reliance on personal automobiles and motorcycles
Vulnerability of the local job market to commodity price swings and seasonal agricultural cycles
Elevated local crime statistics relative to national averages as reported by public health and safety tracking

Questions about Pontes e Lacerda

What people ask about living in and moving to Pontes e Lacerda, Mato Grosso.

Gathering the most common questions about Pontes e Lacerda…

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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