Global CityIntelligence

Brazil / South America

Santa Maria, Brazil City Intelligence

Santa Maria is an indexed city in Brazil (South America), with a metropolitan population of about ~285K. This profile brings together deterministic city-intelligence indicators for Santa Maria spanning cost of living, climate, safety and quality of life, economy and jobs, education, and healthcare. Santa Maria is a south america city of about ~285K in Brazil. On the composite city-intelligence score, Santa Maria sits below the indexed median, with practical gaps to close (68/100).

Last updated
2026-05-16
Data year
2025
Population
~285K
View of Santa Maria, Brazil

Image credit: Image: CLUBE TREKKING SANTA MARIA RS BRASIL / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Composite profile

Overall score

68/100

Use the Santa Maria profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in Brazil and across South America, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations.

Overall68/100
Affordability62/100
Air quality60/100
Energy72/100

Overall city intelligence

Mixed

68/100

Composite directional score across affordability, air quality, clean energy, and resilience.

Data confidence

Directional

Directional indicators pending integration of verified city-level data.

Verified utility layers

See country hub

Emergency, healthcare, and transport verification status appears on the country hub.

Santa Maria data table

The table is part of the initial server-rendered HTML and mirrors the key city score cards.

Santa Maria city intelligence data table
MetricValueContext
Overall score68/100Composite score across major city intelligence modules.
Cost of Living62/100Santa Maria's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.
Air Quality60/100Santa Maria's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.
Energy72/100Santa Maria's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.
Safety71/100Santa Maria's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.
Internet Speed70/100Santa Maria's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.
Climate Risk74/100Santa Maria's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.
Resilience74/100Climate adaptation and infrastructure continuity context.

Safety

Deterministic safety estimates from our index — planning signals derived from country priors and city data, not official crime statistics.

Safety

Overall safety49/100
Low crime49/100
Personal safety49/100
Night safety45/100
Road safety52/100

Santa Maria scores below average for safety in our index (49/100); research neighborhoods and take standard precautions.

Quality of Life

A composite quality-of-life estimate and its component indicators.

Quality of Life

Quality of life64/100
Healthcare61/100
Education64/100
Green space92/100
Cleanliness52/100
Infrastructure62/100
Mobility53/100

Santa Maria has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (64/100), with notable strengths in green space.

Family Friendliness

How the city scores for raising a family, with the indicators that drive it.

Family Friendliness

Family friendliness62/100
Education64/100
Green space92/100
Overall safety49/100

Santa Maria scores moderate for family living (62/100), helped by parks and green space.

Digital Nomad Suitability

Suitability for remote workers, based on connectivity, mobility, and livability.

Digital Nomad Suitability

Digital nomad suitability63/100
Walkability69/100
Cycling54/100
Infrastructure62/100

Santa Maria is moderate for remote workers (63/100), based on connectivity, affordability and day-to-day amenities.

Retirement Suitability

Suitability for retirement, weighing healthcare, affordability, climate, and environment.

Retirement Suitability

Retirement suitability63/100
Healthcare61/100
Cleanliness52/100
Outdoor lifestyle57/100

Santa Maria is moderate for retirement (63/100), appealing for affordability and a comfortable climate.

Emergency and public safety in Santa Maria

Local public safety guidance for Santa Maria, with the country-level emergency contacts that apply when calling for police, fire, or ambulance.

Unverified

For the universal emergency contacts that apply in Santa Maria, including police, fire, and ambulance, see the Brazil emergency profile, which currently lists no verified national contacts.

Methodology and the wider source registry are documented on the scoring methodology and data sources pages.

Healthcare and hospitals in Santa Maria

Healthcare context for Santa Maria, with national-level information from Brazil where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only and does not provide medical advice.

Unverified

For the national healthcare and public-health context that applies in Santa Maria, see the Brazil healthcare profile, which currently lists no verified national healthcare information.

Related sections: emergency and public safety, scoring methodology, and data sources.

Transport and mobility in Santa Maria

Local mobility context for Santa Maria, with national-level context from Brazil where city-specific data is not yet verified. This is informational only.

Unverified

For national transport authorities and operators that apply in Santa Maria, see the Brazil transport profile, which currently lists no verified national transport information.

Related sections: emergency and public safety, healthcare and hospitals, cities directory, countries directory, scoring methodology, data sources.

Air quality dataset

Source-attributed air-quality dataset for Santa Maria. Verified measurements are surfaced when published from accepted official datasets; transparent fallback is shown otherwise.

Air quality dataset for Santa Maria

Verified data unavailableLast updated 2026-05-16 / data year 2025

Verified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location

Source-attributed values for Santa Maria will appear here after the platform integrates verified measurements from accepted official publishers. Until then, structured air-quality module context remains available on the dedicated module page.

Santa Maria air-quality dataset coverage
MetricValueData yearStatus
Air qualityVerified air-quality measurements are not yet published for this location.

Data provenance

Source attribution
  • Global City Intelligence — air-quality dataset

    Verified data unavailable
    Publisher
    Global City Intelligence
    Last verified
    2026-05-16

    The air-quality dataset begins empty by design. Verified city-level measurements appear here only after they are sourced from accepted publishers (WHO, EEA, US EPA, OpenAQ, OECD, or official national/city environmental agencies).

Quick answers

Quick, evidence-based answers about Santa Maria drawn from this profile's indexed cost, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data. Figures are deterministic estimates for orientation — verify specifics with official sources.

Quick answers about Santa Maria

Is Santa Maria worth visiting?

Yes — good quality of life (64/100), with nearby nature such as Quarta Colônia State Park, Stones of Segredo Park.

Is Santa Maria good for families?

Good (62/100) on safety, schools and green space.

Is Santa Maria affordable?

More affordable than average; about R$4,790/month for one person (estimate).

When is the best time to visit Santa Maria?

Late spring to early autumn; warmest in Jan, coldest in Jul.

What are Santa Maria's main industries?

Mainly manufacturing, energy, automotive.

What is the climate in Santa Maria?

A temperate climate, averaging about 21.1°C.

Does Santa Maria have universities?

Higher education is good (55/100).

What is healthcare like in Santa Maria?

Healthcare access is good (51/100).

Is Santa Maria good for retirement?

Retirement suitability is good (61/100).

What nature is near Santa Maria?

Within ~170 km: Quarta Colônia State Park, Stones of Segredo Park.

Explore Santa Maria modules

City pages link to module and ranking pages so crawlers can move through the topic cluster naturally.

Cost of Living in Santa Maria

Santa Maria's cost-of-living profile is a directional indicator pending integration of verified city-level data; structured benchmark context applies.

Air Quality in Santa Maria

Santa Maria's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated.

Energy in Santa Maria

Santa Maria's energy-readiness profile is a directional indicator that combines national policy framing with city-level adaptation context.

Safety in Santa Maria

Santa Maria's safety profile is a directional indicator; verified country-level emergency profiles attach via the country hub where available.

Internet Speed in Santa Maria

Santa Maria's connectivity profile is a directional indicator combining national digital-readiness context with widely cited speed-test references.

Climate Risk in Santa Maria

Santa Maria's climate-risk profile is a directional indicator combining regional hazard categories with national adaptation capacity.

City rankings

Compare this city against other indexed cities in crawlable ranking tables.

Cost of living in Santa Maria

Cost of living estimates for Santa Maria — monthly budgets, rent, food, and transport in the local currency, plus an affordability score for comparison. Planning estimates derived from country baselines, not live prices.

Climate in Santa Maria

Climate profile for Santa Maria — Temperate climate, annual average 21.1°C, comfort score 83/100. Month-by-month temperatures, rainfall, sunshine, and the best months to visit. Deterministic planning estimates, not a forecast.

Economy and jobs in Santa Maria

Economy and jobs profile for Santa Maria — tourism economy, economy score 53/100, key industries including manufacturing, energy, automotive. Employment, salary, startup, remote-work, and career indicators. Deterministic planning estimates.

Universities and education in Santa Maria

Education profile for Santa Maria — mixed education base, education score 54/100, 3 representative universities, plus research, student life, and international-student indicators. Deterministic dataset, not institutional rankings.

Healthcare and retirement in Santa Maria

Healthcare and retirement profile for Santa Maria — developing healthcare market, healthcare score 51/100, retirement score 61/100. Medical access, specialist and emergency care, affordability, and retirement suitability. Deterministic planning estimates.

Visual guide to Santa Maria

Source-attributed visual context for Santa Maria using verified Wikimedia imagery from the existing media catalog, alongside structured city intelligence and planning links. Not a tourism guide or attractions ranking.

Weekend trip planning guide for Santa Maria

Weekend trip planning checklist for Santa Maria — links into arrival planning, Summer 2026 travel context, visual orientation, budget tools, transport, public safety, and healthcare context. Not an itinerary, events calendar, hotel-price guide, restaurant guide, or tourism ranking.

Nearby weekend places from Santa Maria

Source-backed nearby place records for local-first weekend planning, with verification status, official source links, Wikidata identity, and visual context.

Estimate a monthly budget for Santa Maria

Estimate a monthly budget for Santa Maria using your own housing, food, transport, healthcare, and lifestyle inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official cost-of-living measurement.

Plan a trip budget for Santa Maria

Plan a trip budget for Santa Maria using your own accommodation, food, local transport, activities, travel, healthcare buffer, and emergency buffer inputs. Planning estimator only — not an official travel cost estimate.

Nearby cities from Santa Maria

Where else nearby you could spend a day or a weekend from Santa Maria. Links are derived from geographic proximity, shared region, shared natural-recreation areas, transport corridors, and country borders — not popularity or tourism rankings.

Bagé, Brazil

Same region · about 185 km from Santa Maria. Explore Bagé's city intelligence profile.

Rivera, Uruguay

Cross-border · about 214 km from Santa Maria. Explore Rivera's city intelligence profile.

Porto Alegre, Brazil

Same region · about 252 km from Santa Maria. Explore Porto Alegre's city intelligence profile.

Canoas, Brazil

Same region · about 255 km from Santa Maria. Explore Canoas's city intelligence profile.

São Leopoldo, Brazil

Same region · about 257 km from Santa Maria. Explore São Leopoldo's city intelligence profile.

Novo Hamburgo, Brazil

Same region · about 259 km from Santa Maria. Explore Novo Hamburgo's city intelligence profile.

Caxias do Sul, Brazil

Same region · about 261 km from Santa Maria. Explore Caxias do Sul's city intelligence profile.

Artigas, Uruguay

Cross-border · about 268 km from Santa Maria. Explore Artigas's city intelligence profile.

Pelotas, Brazil

Same region · about 271 km from Santa Maria. Explore Pelotas's city intelligence profile.

Melo, Uruguay

Cross-border · about 300 km from Santa Maria. Explore Melo's city intelligence profile.

Related collections

Regional discovery collections that include Santa Maria — named natural regions grouping nearby nature, parks, lakes, coasts, and mountains for local-first day and weekend planning.

Themed collections

Theme-first discovery collections that include Santa Maria — grouped by outdoor interest (mountains, lakes, coasts, forests, national parks) rather than geography.

Santa Maria FAQ

Common questions about living in, visiting, working in, studying in and retiring to Santa Maria, answered from the indexed cost-of-living, climate, safety, economy, education, healthcare and nearby-nature data on this profile.

Frequently asked questions about Santa Maria

Is Santa Maria worth visiting?

Santa Maria has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (64/100), with notable strengths in green space. Visitors can also reach nature such as Quarta Colônia State Park, Stones of Segredo Park and Serras de Sudeste within weekend range.

What is it like to live in Santa Maria?

Santa Maria has a moderate quality-of-life estimate (64/100), with notable strengths in green space. It indexes 64/100 for overall quality of life.

How much does it cost to live in Santa Maria?

A single resident of Santa Maria spends roughly R$4,790 per month, with a one-bedroom rent near R$2,540. Overall the city is more affordable than average for Brazil. These are modelled estimates, not live quotes — verify locally.

What should I know about moving to Santa Maria?

Plan for below-average living costs and check current rents before relocating. Santa Maria is moderate for remote workers (63/100), based on connectivity, affordability and day-to-day amenities.

What is the job market like in Santa Maria?

Santa Maria's labour market is developing, with opportunities concentrated in manufacturing, tourism and hospitality and technology. Santa Maria has a tourism-driven economy with strengths in manufacturing, energy and automotive.

Is Santa Maria good for digital nomads and remote work?

Santa Maria offers limited infrastructure and amenities for remote professionals, with a remote-work score of 57/100.

What are the education options in Santa Maria?

Santa Maria is a developing education base with a mix of universities and research activity in our dataset, spanning fields such as Economics, Social Sciences and Business.

Is Santa Maria a good place to study?

Santa Maria offers a moderate student environment, supported by relatively affordable living.

What is healthcare like in Santa Maria?

Santa Maria has a developing healthcare market, supported by hospitals, specialist services, and public-health infrastructure, with a healthcare score of 51/100. Residents have solid access to healthcare across primary, specialist, and emergency care.

Is Santa Maria a good place to retire?

Santa Maria offers a combination of healthcare access, safety, and amenities that may appeal to retirees, with a retirement score of 61/100. Residents benefit from parks and green space and walkable streets and day-to-day services.

What is the climate like in Santa Maria?

Santa Maria has a temperate climate, averaging about 21.1°C annually with roughly 1501 mm of rain. The hottest month is Jan and the coldest Jul. The driest is typically Aug.

Is Santa Maria a safe place to live?

Santa Maria scores below average for safety in our index (49/100); research neighborhoods and take standard precautions.

How easy is it to get around Santa Maria?

Santa Maria indexes a walkability score of 69 and a cycling score of 54 out of 100. Check the local operator for live transit routes and fares.

What nature and outdoor places are near Santa Maria?

Nature destinations within about 170 km of Santa Maria include Quarta Colônia State Park, Stones of Segredo Park and Serras de Sudeste. Each is linked with its official source on the profile.

Is Santa Maria good for families?

Santa Maria scores moderate for family living (62/100), helped by parks and green space.

What outdoor activities are there around Santa Maria?

Santa Maria rates 57/100 for outdoor lifestyle and 92/100 for green space. Nearby nature such as Quarta Colônia State Park, Stones of Segredo Park and Serras de Sudeste supports day hikes, water activities and weekend trips.

Interpretation

Use the Santa Maria profile to compare affordability, livability, and economic indicators against other indexed cities in Brazil and across South America, and to explore nearby nature and weekend destinations. Its standout dimensions are climate risk (74/100) and energy (72/100). The area most worth watching is air quality (60/100), where the model registers practical gaps. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 4 institutional references.

Country context is available on the Brazil country page. Related rankings include Overall Intelligence, Quality of Life, Remote Work. See where Santa Maria appears in global rankings or read the scoring methodology.

Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.

Sources

4 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.