In short
On a R$ 500 thousand home in São Luís, the capital of Maranhão, the ITBI transfer tax, the notary deed and the registration come to at least R$ 17,125. 12% of occupied homes were rented in the 2022 Census.
Calculate for Maranhão
The questions, answered
How much are the purchase costs on a R$ 500 thousand home in São Luís?
On a R$ 500 thousand home in São Luís, the capital of Maranhão, notary deed (escritura) R$ 8,389, registration at the property registry R$ 8,736: at least R$ 17,125 in all, from the rates and fee tables read on 15 October 2026 (the city's ITBI rate could not be read at an official source).
How much are the purchase costs on a R$ 1 million home in São Luís?
On a R$ 1 million home in São Luís, the capital of Maranhão: notary deed (escritura) R$ 16,383, registration at the property registry R$ 16,210, at least R$ 32,593 in all.
What is the ITBI rate in São Luís?
Payotte could not read São Luís's ITBI law or the city's finance department page (the official site refused the connection or the text could not be found), so it publishes no rate: ask the city before signing.
What monthly payment on a R$ 500 thousand home in Maranhão?
R$ 400,000 borrowed on a R$ 500 thousand home (CMN cap 80%) costs R$ 3,730 a month with Price over 30 years at 11.28% (August 2026), or R$ 4,690 the first month with SAC.
Do more people rent in Maranhão than in Brazil as a whole?
In the 2022 Census, 12% of the 2,091,131 occupied homes in Maranhão were rented and 82% owned by a resident, against 22.2% rented across Brazil (IBGE).
What is the typical value of a financed home in Maranhão?
The median appraisal value of homes financed in Maranhão was R$ 222,920 in June 2026, against R$ 290,545 for Brazil (Banco Central do Brasil, homes bought with a loan only, not all sales).
What is the average construction cost per square metre in Maranhão?
The SINAPI average construction cost published by the IBGE for Maranhão was R$ 1,975 per square metre in September 2026, against R$ 2,000 for Brazil.
How much tax when you sell a home in Maranhão?
Federal rules apply in Maranhão as everywhere in Brazil. A non-resident pays 15% on a gain up to R$ 5 million, rising by bands to 22.5% (Law 8,981, art. 21), withheld by the buyer: bought R$ 800 thousand, sold R$ 1.2 million, a gain of R$ 400,000 costs R$ 60,000 (R$ 100,000 in a low-tax jurisdiction, 25%). A resident selling an only property for R$ 440,000 or less is exempt, as is one reinvesting within 180 days.
How many people live in Maranhão?
Maranhão had 6,776,699 residents in the 2022 Census, and 7,024,557 in the IBGE estimate for 2026.
How Maranhão compares
Maranhão counted 6,776,699 residents in 2022, 3.3% of Brazil's 203,080,756 across the 27 federative units and the 12th largest. The IBGE estimate for 2026, 7,024,557, is 3.7% higher (Brazil: 5.5%), the 25th fastest of the 27. São Luís is the city of the state on Payotte, holding 15.3% of its residents. Region: Nordeste; 3.24 residents per occupied home against 2.8 nationally.
12% of the 2,091,131 occupied homes of Maranhão were rented in 2022, well below the 22.2% national share; 82% were owned by a resident. That is the 26th highest rental share of 27 units.
Payotte could not read the ITBI rate of São Luís, the capital, so it adds no tax line to the purchase costs. No other city of Maranhão on Payotte has a rate read either. Across the 41 cities with a rate read, the median is 2%.
On R$ 500 thousand, the Maranhão fee table gives the notary deed R$ 8,389 (R$ 16,383 on R$ 1 million) and registration R$ 8,736 (R$ 16,210 on R$ 1 million). All the lines Payotte computes add up to at least R$ 17,125, 3.43% of the price, and 3.26% on R$ 1 million: fees weigh less as the price doubles. The table prints the amount the user pays.
In Maranhão the median appraisal of a financed home is R$ 222,920, 23.3% below the national R$ 290,545 and 19th of 27 units; a R$ 500 thousand purchase is 2.2 times that median. A loan of 80% on the median home would cost R$ 1,663 a month over 30 years with the Price system at 11.28%, against R$ 3,730 for R$ 500 thousand. The SINAPI construction cost, R$ 1,975 per square metre, is 1.3% below the national R$ 2,000 (15th of 27).
| Measure | Value | Reference | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maranhão: residents, 2022 Census | 6,776,699 | median unit 3,941,613 | 12th of 27 |
| Share of Brazil's residents | 3.34% | 203,080,756 in Brazil | 12th of 27 |
| Maranhão: estimate for 2026 against the census | +3.7% | Brazil +5.5% | 25th of 27 |
| Maranhão: occupied homes, 2022 | 2,091,131 | Brazil 72,461,369 | 12th of 27 |
| Maranhão: residents per occupied home | 3.24 | Brazil 2.8 | 5th of 27 |
| Maranhão: homes rented | 12% | Brazil 22.2% | 26th of 27 |
| Maranhão: homes owned by a resident | 82% | median unit 71.6% | 2nd of 27 |
| Maranhão: ITBI rate (São Luís) | not read | 41 of 55 cities read, median 2% | 0 read in Maranhão |
| Median value of financed homes | R$ 222,920 | Brazil R$ 290,545 | 19th of 27 |
| SINAPI cost per square metre | R$ 1,975 | Brazil R$ 2,000 | 15th of 27 |
| Cities on Payotte | 1 | 15.3% of the state's residents | - |
The figures
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Notary deed (escritura), São Luís, on R$ 500 thousand | R$ 8,389 | Maranhão 2026 fee table |
| Registration at the property registry, São Luís, on R$ 500 thousand | R$ 8,736 | Maranhão 2026 fee table |
| Population, 2022 Census | 6,776,699 | IBGE |
| Population estimate, 2026 | 7,024,557 | IBGE |
| Occupied homes rented, 2022 Census | 12% | IBGE |
| Median appraisal value of financed homes (2026-06) | R$ 222,920 | Banco Central do Brasil (ODbL) |
| SINAPI average construction cost per m² (September 2026) | R$ 1,975 | IBGE |
| Average rate, new housing loans to individuals (2026-08) | 11.28% | Banco Central do Brasil, SGS 20774 |
| Selic target, since 2026-09-17 | 13.75% | Banco Central do Brasil, Copom |
No open official series gives home prices by city in Brazil; the Banco Central median is by state.
Cities of Maranhão on Payotte
Sources
- Notary and registry fees, Maranhão: TJMA Resolucao-GP n. 143 of 15/12/2025 (monetary update 4.17780% INPC of the tables of Lei estadual 9.109/2009; general cap R$21,380.93), in force 01/01/2026; the calculator.
- Census and construction cost: IBGE, SIDRA (4714, 6579, 9930, 2296).
- Loans and values: Banco Central do Brasil open data (ODbL 1.0); Copom decisions.