money began to circulate in brazil in 1580, during the colonial years, brought by the portuguese. the name 'real' was first used in 1703, although the currency would undergo several major and interesting changes before becoming the 'real' in use today. click here for a brief history of the real.

nowadays, the brazilian currency is still the real, and currently one american dollar is exchanged at about two and a half brazilian reals, while one euro is exchanged at about three brazilian reals - accurate exchange rates. can be seen on this page.

relative purchasing power of the brazilian real is high, and the cost of living in rio de janeiro is normally lower than most main cities in europe or in the usa - in particular in terms of restaurants, food, travel, clothing, jewelry, entertainment, and housing.