TRAVELLERS have long known that the richer a country, the more likely a visit is to burn a hole in their wallets. A recent survey by Tripadvisor, a travel website, put Oslo, the capital of super-rich Norway, as the world’s priciest destination, with a one-night stay in a four-star hotel with dinner and drinks for two costing more than $600. But near the top of the sticker-shock rankings is a surprise entry: upper-middle-income Brazil. Hotels in São Paulo, the business capital, or beachside Rio de Janeiro, cost more than in London or Zurich. Visitors who go window-shopping will find the high prices hit locals too. Clothes, cosmetics, electronics and cars are all more expensive, sometimes much more, than in most other places. The Economist’s Big Mac Index finds Brazilian burgers are dearer than everywhere else except in three much richer countries, (Norway, Sweden, Switzerland) and one dysfunctional one (Venezuela). So why is Brazil so pricey?
