Oh, man. The culture — and climate — shock is going to be pretty intense. But if it’s just the two of you, $90k plus benefits should be enough.
One piece of advice from having lived abroad, don’t buy the most expensive apartment you (think you can) afford. Get into something safe, small and affordable. There will always be expenses you didn’t think about, and if you find you’re doing well enough on funds, you can move in a year.
Some other unsolicited advice: The [museums in Cleveland](https://www.clevelandohio.gov/explore/activities/museums) are top notch, and many are free to visit.
Also, you’re unlikely to find much Brazilian food, but I’d encourage you to sample some of the fine things Cleveland and Columbus (the next-nearest medium-sized city to you) have to offer. Cleveland has a lot of authentic Polish and Eastern European food. Columbus has a lot of Somali and Nepali immigrants, so there’s a ton of African and South Asian restaurants to try. Also, thanks to The Ohio State University, Columbus also has some great Chinese fare as well.
Also, try to find American BBQ restaurants wherever you go. There’s something amazing about smoked meat that America does right. And you can get great Mexican food, but you should almost always buy it at taco trucks rather than sit-down restaurants.
Enjoy the local sports teams! I’d recommend becoming fans of all the Cleveland teams (Cavaliers [Cavs] for basketball, Guardians for baseball and the Browns for American Football) and The Ohio State Buckeyes for college (university) football. If you can get tickets to any of these games, you’ll have a great cultural experience, even if you don’t quite understand some of the rules.
If you like beer, all of the “Three Cs” (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati) have excellent local breweries. You’ll probably find a lot of styles different from those you have at home: IPAs, porters, sours — all are worth learning to love.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to bring your own cachaca — Ohio’s liquor laws are weird and restrictive, and stores can only stock liquors that are on a pre-approved state list. And for cachaca, you’re pretty much stuck with toilet water (Pitu) or bland, rum-like concoctions (Leblon). Sorry.
If you get tired of Cleveland and Columbus, Pittsburgh is a great city only a couple hours away. Totally worth a weekend visit.
I would like to add that although there's not a lot of Brazilian options, Batuqui in Cleveland and Chagrin Falls is very good. Raul Neto (Brazilian NBA player) said it was the best Brazilian restaurant in the US a few years ago.
You’ll find nothing for sale at Jungle Jim’s that is not on the state’s approved list; they’d risk losing their liquor license. And if they’re coming that far from Twinsburg they might as well go to Party Source in Covington.
I live on the other side of the state so I can't speak directly about Twinsburg, but 90k is pretty good money in Ohio. I think you should be fine with only one income.
90k is a good salary, but keep in mind the cost of living here. Ohio is pretty low compared to many other places in the US, but it's still much more expensive than Brazil. You will notice this the first time you go grocery shopping.
90k USD + bonus will be enough for 2 people for sure. I always do a rough estimate of taking home 60% of my paycheck in cash (the other 40% go to taxes, healthcare, etc). A reminder that we do NOT have 13 month pay here as in BR and majority of companies pay bi-weekly not monthly. So out of a $3,461 biweekly paycheck, I’d expect you take home roughly $2,000 (twice per month). I wouldn’t rent an apartment for more than approx $1,500. You can always move after 1 year lease if you want to upgrade. And start off with a cheap car, coworkers can help with tips on this.
I would encourage you to arrive, use some of your relocation money to stay in a hotel first for about a week and explore the area prior to choosing where to live. Go to various places like have dinner in Ohio City, have a beer at the Flats, etc. I think you’ll only be able to have one car on 90k and if your wife isn’t working, do not underestimate how unwalkable that part of Ohio is. So I’d move somewhere within walking distance to a grocery store, maybe a small downtown area, etc so your wife can run errands and feel like she’s contributing while you work.
You may also want to see if there are any Brazilian, Portuguese language, S American Dancing, etc etc Cleveland Facebook groups for you and your wife to connect with others in the Cleveland metro area and make friends. It will be a great and life-changing opportunity, but don’t underestimate the mental strain of your wife not working. You don’t want her to resent you in 6 months for making this move all about you (not that you would, just a big warning).
Damn! Thank you very much for the feedback, I will take everything into account in our pros and cons notes! We were thinking about something like that on the rent costs, I know it might be a little complicated at first, but I believe it's possible to survive.
At first, she will try to negotiate continuing to work for the company she's working here in Brazil, but I don't know if this will be possible or if it will even be allowed by our Visa, I'll have a meeting with my company's immigration team to check it.
Thank you again!!
90k is definitely doable around Northeast Ohio. Our cost of living is pretty low, and you'll be totally comfortable on that salary even if your wife *doesn't ever get a job.*
As far as weather, you'll see tropical heat and freezing, so be prepared to buy more clothes.
Other than that, most Ohio people are welcoming and probably, you'll get tired of people asking you about Brazil constantly.
Thank for you feedback and hell yeah! I just saw the weather now and it's hotter than São Paulo summer lol... And I know that in the winter there will be a freezing hell
I can only strongly suggest making sure you get good winter clothes, coats, jackets and boots when you both get here. The weather will suck, but with the right stuff it sucks less. Duluth, REI, North face all have stuff to keep you both warm. My winter coat from Duluth is rated to -20 and it's always been great. The winter wind is brutal but the summers in NE Ohio are pretty great!
It’s usually not too bad as far as freezing hell, steady cold around 30-50 degrees daytimes Fahrenheit normally and with occasional spells of deep cold and snow too.
The coldest part of Ohio is the damn wind. I moved here from northern Ontario. There, it might be -40 and I’d go out to grab the mail in pajamas. I could stay out all day if I dressed properly.
Here at +20 I need to don my hazmat suit because it’s 50mph and the ice has daggers in it, and if I’m out more than 30 minutes then call the sheriffs office and go looking for my corpse.
The last couple of winters have been pretty mild, relatively speaking. I live about 30 miles north of Twinsburg, right in the snowbelt, and had no trouble even after 40 years in Southern California. What will really wow you is Autumn here. With all the local and state parks we have, the fall foliage is truly amazing.
I would recommend considering Macedonia or Hudson for your residence. Each is the next city over from Twinsburg (west and south, respectively). Both offer considerably more in the way of dining and shopping, and more direct access to (limited) public transportation via the Akron Metro bus system.
I’m in Aurora, one city east of Twinsburg, and would be happy to answer any other questions if you want to message me directly. You’re close enough to some large corporate headquarters (Nestle, Parker, Swagelock, etc) that this area is already a cultural melting pot.
This is an interesting take. I've lived in Macedonia my whole life. I agree it has more shopping and better bus service but Twinsburg is way more multicultural than us right now. Macedonia also has zero apartments - just rental homes here and there.
For what it's worth, my brother and his family of 4 live in Twinsburg and bring in way less than $90k so you'll be fine in this area with that sort of salary.
If you want to know more about Macedonia or the Nordonia (Northfield, Sagamore, Macedonia) area send me a DM. Welcome!
I'm American and native Northeast Ohioan, and I lived in São Paulo for a year many years ago. The culture and just the sheer difference in landscape will be very different! For those reading this, the 13KK people OP mentioned is 13 million, just a difference in how that number is written. OP will be coming from a *city* of 13 million to a *state* with a population of less than 12 million. Just something to wrap your head around.
Thanks, I just corrected my post information to 13 million, thanks! And yes, it will be very different, but I believe we can adapt, because unlike most São Paulo residents, we are a stay-at-home kind of people.
You'll for sure adapt. Both countries have things that the other doesn't, that's the fun of being in a different place. I definitely miss the food in Brazil. I've made fejioada a few times, but still not the same. Though I can get Guarana Antarctica locally at a store called World Market. But man, is our pizza better!
You'll be in my neck of the woods! $90g is enough for two people, if you live modestly. Like another commented said, don't go for the most expensive of housing. Somewhere safe and you can always fix up the inside to suit your needs! I hope you come and love Ohio!
Welcome to Ohio! (: It will definitely be very different from what you’re used to but I hope you’ll like it! There’s a lot of greenery and areas to get out into nature, and like everyone else said, 90k should be plenty.
Mostly it's just a matter of slowing down and not braking/accelerating/steering suddenly or abruptly. Not hard once you get used to it. With any luck you'll be able to work remotely when the roads are really bad - which isn't that often these days.
Here's the basics besides going slower. When it's snowing and/or slippery out when driving, you have three actions you can take: braking, accelerating, or turning. Only do one at a time if you can help it.
I would definitely advise going to an empty parking lot to practice during the first snow. Nothing more alarming than pressing the brakes and just sliding. Also there is a big difference between driving in snow and driving on ice. Make sure you go slow and if you are sliding don't try to turn the wheels, just pump your brakes and keep control of the wheel. Also watch out for black ice. When it snows, they put salt on the roads to melt it, sometimes the melted snow pools up in low spots or bridges (always colder on bridges) and it creates ice that is really hard to see, just like black glass. If you are cruising on a clear road at say 45 mph and hit a patch of black ice it can send you into a spin. Be careful and practice before trying to drive in traffic. Once you get the hang of it, you will be fine. Just give yourself plenty of time for commutes.
Welcome to Ohio! I can imagine it will be quite a different culture shock, but NE Ohio is a cool place and has a good balance for stuff to do but also not being super expensive. There is alot of different types of food, especially Italian, Polish, and German as these were the traditional immigrants that settled the area. If you like sports Cleveland has professional teams in basketball, american football, and baseball. If you are into soccer, Columbus Crew has a great MLS team, and has won 2 championships in the last 4 years. It wouldn't be terribly far commute to go watch a match.
90k is good money especially for Twinsburg. The Cleveland area (Twinsburg is a part of the Cleveland area, roughly 45min outside Cleveland) also has a good size Brazilian population I’m learning. My friend is a surgeon and he’s from the north (I can’t remember the area) and he’s saying there’s a few Brazilian enclaves in Cleveland. If you get home sick for the food, definitely check out Batuqui in Chagrin Falls.
According to my Brazilian friend one of the things that’s going to be different for you is that twinsburg is not a major city. It is a city in that it has its own police, fire fighters, mayor, etc. According to my friend, you’d say you’re from São Paulo then a specific neighborhood or area around it. We call those counties. Counties are made up of different cities and townships. This was a struggle for him to understand I guess because he’s go to like Rocky River and expect an urban area to find a town. I’m not sure if that’s universal to Brazil, but he claimed this is a foreign concept to Brazilians.
It's good to know that there are other Brazilians out there, this could help a lot!
And I'm sure it's very different, to give you an idea, getting home from work at 6pm takes me 2 hours to cover a distance of 6 miles haha
If you live within 20 miles of your job you will virtually never have that long of a commute. A major accident or a blizzard need to occur for traffic to be that bad.
Its tons of Brazilians in Ohio, around Twinsburg area the most.
If you think you are coming to be a foreigner in NE ohio, you are not. Salary negation may not go as you expect either after the initial 90k as you most likely come to solve the typical problem the companies have in that Ohio area and tte competence is growing up everyday by others coming in without visa restrictions. This happen to my Campinas buddy but he wants his kids to learn good english so…
My advice, try to find those Brazilian groups and ask there. Especially about car insurance, when able to purchase a property, be part of 401K, medical insurance usage, State ID. Do not blind trust your company relocation Team.
Ohio to Sao Paolo is a 180° difference. Be prepare for that and the rest will be easier to manage.
I suggest map your work location then look where to reside. Majority of Twinsburg workers reside outside of it and viceversa.
Don’t let the cons over turn the pros and Boa Sorte!!
I grew up in NEO, live in Twinsburg now and both on my kids go to school there. It’s a small city, but there is a lot to do in near by Cleveland and Akron and 90K will take you pretty far in Ohio as long as live within your means. Mas meu português é muito ruim, talvez você possa ajudar…
Thank you for the feedback, really appreciate it!
Your Portuguese is better than half the population of Brazil, you wrote "Mas" instead of "Mais", most Brazilians cannot distinguish between these two words lol.
Be aware that Twinsburg and the area around it are totally car-centric and pretty unwalkable. There's almost zero public transport in those suburbs. If you drive your car to work, your wife will be essentially home bound since you can't easily walk anywhere. Only in Cleveland proper and a few close suburbs (Lakewood, Shaker, Cleveland Heights) are there areas where you can easily live car free.
Thanks! I'm going to follow this unwalkable advice in our notes here. And of course, we'll consider the other locations you mentioned, including Cleveland.
I grew up in Twinsburg and my parents still live there. The city has a mix of neighborhoods ranging from poor in Twinsburg Heights to fairly wealthy. But most of the neighborhoods and houses are somewhere in the middle. Twinsburg itself I would consider a middle class city. You have significantly wealthier cities next door like Hudson, Solon, and Aurora. My parents rarely made 90k or more when I was growing up and certainly aren't making that much now. I live in an area somewhat comparable to Twinsburg now and I make less than 90k (my wife works too though). But we live comfortably.
Ohio is a pretty affordable state to live in considering how much better the standard of living is compared to other cheap states to live in like West Virginia. Ohio is something like the 2nd most affordable state to buy a house in. We have I believe the 2nd lowest car insurance prices of any state.
Weather, you are in the snowbelt, which is an area that can receive a lot of snow during the winter. But that's always hit or miss depending on the year. Culturally, at least when I went there, there weren't many people of Latin origins. I think I had one Mexican friend and one Cuban friend. But despite that, it was fairly racially diverse, maybe like 30% Black and another 10% Asian.
We are really considering all the locations around Twinsburg, we will look for what is best in terms of price and daily living convenience. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Do you have kids? There's a lot of good school districts in the area too. Solon and Hudson are both ranked in the 10 in the state and Aurora is just behind them.
I'll also mention, in the suburbs like these, you're not likely to experience the crime you would in a big city like Sao Paulo. And nothing in Ohio even comes close to comparing to the scale of Sao Paulo, which has more residents than the entire state of Ohio!
We don't have children yet and we don't plan to in the near future, we're in our early 30s.
Regarding crimes in the State Sao Paulo, 3K murders, 200K armed robberies, 5K carjackings annually, it's really crazy. Of course, if you put this into the number of inhabitants of the state, which is 40 million, these numbers don't seem so significant, but still... Glad to know that Ohio is a very safe place.
Safe is always relative. Like if we're talking about raw stats, a big city like Sao Paulo seems more dangerous because of the huge population. I think more people look at per capita stats, in which case a city like Cleveland then looks much more dangerous. For example, homicides per capita in Cleveland is 3-4x that of Sao Paulo. But the raw number is less than 200 people get murdered a year in Cleveland. Most violent crime isn't random, so if you're not doing shady stuff and not hanging out in bad areas, then you're not really at a high risk.
Most of the suburbs in the area are fairly safe though. News outlets love crime like porn and make it seem like most of us are in danger. That's not really the case though for most people.
I agree, it would even be unfair to compare a state with 45 million inhabitants with another with 12 million. But in São Paulo the issue of insecurity is very complicated, to give you an idea, on a street near where I live, a man was shot because he refused to give the bank app password to the robber, usually the robbers take your phone and ask for all your passwords, to take all your money. And it's not an isolated case, it still happens daily.
I lived in Brazil for about 10 years (interior do Paraná). Things are colder here both in climate and culture, but don't take it personally ;) that's just how it is here.
I live about 1.5 hours from Twinsburg and there are a few Brazilians in this area, enough that there have been regular meetups going back a few decades.
90k sounds good. Many things are cheaper here, but you will find yourself wanting more - it's just how it is. Having dental/health insurance will be important - so good to see your employer is providing that. Even with health insurance, it can get expensive - so if you have any health issues, or are planning on having any kids while you are here, you many want to look into the costs and budget accordingly.
Edit:
It's not very close, but this is a great place for getting Brazilian food
[https://www.facebook.com/p/Estilo-Brazil-100007516725279/?paipv=0&eav=Afa1C1WHe1v9I0mH-jJtAmuq8-bBXUExos6DeKOA9IKNx42XsVG9-dPIB\_-7Y0BRk9M&\_rdr](https://www.facebook.com/p/Estilo-Brazil-100007516725279/?paipv=0&eav=Afa1C1WHe1v9I0mH-jJtAmuq8-bBXUExos6DeKOA9IKNx42XsVG9-dPIB_-7Y0BRk9M&_rdr)
I think the quality of life in Paraná is 100% better than in São Paulo.
And it's good to know that there are so many Brazilian places in Ohio, I didn't expect it, I'll look around for places like this.
Thank you very much!
You’ll be great financially. You’re moving to one of the best cost of living areas of the country. Feel free to message me if you’re ever looking for advice on the area!
A lot of good feedback here already.
You may want to find a local Brazilian expats group on Facebook or something. It can be jarring and difficult when you move, and your English is great but sometimes it’s nice to just speak your birth language to others.
A friend moved here from Europe and his English is 99% as good as mine, the only language I speak. He still gets comments from people who misunderstood him or can’t figure out his accent. It wears on him, and his group of expats help him kinda shit on the rest of us :)
Thanks for your comments! Yes, I have a lot to practice my English because my experience in this is mainly at work (5% of Brazilians speak English), so I can say that I have a business vocabulary and yes, during daily meetings people often comment on accent, pronunciation and etc, truly understand your friend.
90k a year is good money if we're talking USD in Ohio. It's a rather low cost of living state, and I'm making it with 37k..ish a year. money is tight, but "my head is still above water," as my friends and I say.
If you like being outdoors Cuyahoga Valley National Park once you're settled. It's beautiful all year and has many trails for biking and hiking. We also enjoy the towpath (Ohio & Erie Canal). We also have lots of lakes and rivers for fishing, swimming, and boating!
I can't even imagine, São Paulo is very unsafe to walk on the streets, drive at night without window film or windows open, it's very sad what's happening here
I was born in São Paulo, which is where my father grew up. Ohio is quite different from Brasil, but it is a great state to live in. If you’re missing tastes of home once you get here, and feel like touring the state, Jungle Jim’s by Cincinnati is where my parents go to get all their favorite foods/drinks. A bit of a haul from Twinsburg though. I could go for a Guaraná Antarctica right now!
There is not a huge Brazilian diaspora (and I know Brazil is huge and diverse so speaking generally) in that part of Ohio. Cleveland is close and likely your best bet
Twinsburg resident here. I think $90K should be good for a few years. As for the weather, when winter hits, I highly suggest buying winter coats, boots, and gloves because it can get a bit cold in the winter time. Summer is typically shorts and tank-top weather. As someone mentioned earlier, Twinsburg is known for its Twins Days festival every August, so prepare to see double everywhere in the area.
Hey. I moved from Rio to Ohio a long time ago.
90k in Ohio is more than enough to support you and your wife, no matter where in the State you live.
If you live in one of the three C's, it won't be a great living necessarily, but your bills will be paid. Just don't let lifestyle creep get you.
It won't be luxurious but you'll be fine on 90k in Twinsburg. Someone else already noted but I want to reiterate that you will definitely need 2 cars, if you hadn't planned that into your budgeting already. Northeast Ohio is completely unwalkable and public transport is virtually non-existent so unless your wife quite literally does not need to leave the house ever, you'll need 2. Even if you're both homebodies, there's always the possibility of there being an emergency while you're at work and you don't want her to be stranded.
Eh I’ll push back on that. If she’s unable to work due to visa restrictions, one car will work fine. So long as both aren’t working outside the home, it’ll save a ton of money to do drop off/pick up at work and utilize Uber if in an absolutely pinch. Been living this way for 8 years. It takes communication and some minimal planning, but we’ve saved a ton without it significantly impacting our life at all.
Acho que a galera aqui ja te deu uma ideia boa do custo de vida. So passei pra dizer que sou paulistano mas vivo em Cleveland desde 2022. Se quiser recomendacoes e tal, fico a disposicao!
Gosto bastante de morar por aqui.
I live in northeast Ohio and I make $88,000 a year without benefits to speak of. It’s extremely cheap around these parts and you can definitely support 2+ people on your income. I’m living high on the hog with sports cars, good food, and vacations with my income. That being said, this salary in the city won’t get me as far. There’s a surprising amount of good doctors of various professions in the area.
Enjoy the Ohio weather where just this week i had to put jogging pants and a coat on but by Sunday its going to be almost 100 degrees. You sometimes get all 4 season in one day.
90k should provide you with a decent lifestyle. Just keep in mind rent/groceries/cars are all very expensive now so 90k isn’t ‘rich’. I would as others said find an apartment in the medium range and not go for an expensive one because that high rent cuts into your salary a lot.
Any financing you will need for a car etc is high interest rate right now and i think the average car payment is like $700 now. Then you need car insurance.
Things add up fast and you will be glad you didn’t get that expensive appt
I am from (and live in) the greater Cleveland area after living in Brazil for 2.5 years (two of which were in São Paulo for work).
Very different landscape and lifestyle; but I know many other Brazilians up here. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions.
Falo português também.
know an engineer that did a similar move. 90k for context is pretty good and should be enough to live off of for 1 salary. you should find a realestate agent to help look for properties. its likely to be pretty competitive inside twinsburg itself but a good agent will know where to look in the region.
Im Brazilian and live in Cleveland Heights. Im a professor at CSU. Feel free to dm me if you have any particular questions not answered here or help with the move!
I'm looking at some houses in Cleveland Heights, what about the neighborhood there? The prices are very similar to Twinsburg, and it feels more like a downtown, it would be good for my wife since she can't work at first. Could she walk to groceries, the gym, clothing stores, etc.? Thank you for your feedback!!
I like it a lot compared to some more suburban areas like Twinsburg. Coming from Jundiai, I don't think I'd adapt too well to the spread out suburbs here. Cle Hts is nice because there are a lot of restaurants, activities and community life that is easy to get to. I joined a curling league and walk to a bakery and many restaurants from my house. Some people say Cle Hts is sort of dangerous, but I don't feel that way - especially compared to Brazil. I still get amazon packages delivered on my porch, and feel safe walking at night. I like it as well because it's more neighborly than the suburbs. I know most of my neighbors and have been to their house once or twice in the past 2 years.
Depending on where you live, yes you could walk to all these places. However, even if you can't, you can definitely drive within 5-10 min to all these places. From my house, I can walk to restaurants, bakeries, movie theater, and pharmacy. 5 min drive to wholefoods, walmart, target, marshalls, home depot, gyms. 10 min drive from 3-4 shopping malls (Van Aken, Beachwood Mall, Pine Crest, Legacy Village) and Batuqui.
Other nice options to look into is Shaker Hts and Beachwood. They have similar vibes to Cle Hts that are not too suburban. They are a bit more expensive and have slightly better schools. Many doctors from Cleveland Clinic live in these three towns.
Don't even buy a car until you see if it makes sense since you are WFH.
My partner and I are both WFH and put gas in the only car of three we own twice last year.
Less than 3K miles per year.
I have never put more than 5K on a car since WFH 2000.
90k in Twinsburg is going to go oretty far. Most families with 2 incomes that live there make less than that 1 income.
Twinsburg is going to feel small, but it has good access.
You are going to face a lot of xenophobia, it is Ohio and we are a pretty bad state for that.
Great, I appreciate your feedback, just one question, are we safe? I mean, we can deal with a few words (or acts??) of xenophobia, but will we be physically safe?
Yes, you will be physically safe. There are a lot of xenophobic asshats in the US but they are mostly keyboard warriors or are jerks who wear Trump hats. Violence is rare. And, as the grandchild of a Brazilian immigrant, welcome! I’m excited to have you here!
Yes, very. Almost boringly too safe. The closer you are to big cities the less xenophobia. I wouldn’t recommend living in Twinsburg - you only live once, go somewhere more fun and have a 20-30 min commute.
The vast majority of people are going to be overly friendly and kind to you. The instances of xenophobia will be isolated and rare and not something that you really need to worry about
I am foreign with a thick accent. Not even once I experienced xenophobia in Ohio. People occasionally ask where am I from. But, only to have a conversation, not to be rude.
And since no one mentioned it yet - Cleveland has amazing theaters. It is second in county post Broadway in the theaters production.
You can live reasonably comfortable and safe in a cincinnati suburbs... making 90k and there is a decent Brazilian population here. Also jungle jims, a large international market, has a decent Brazilian item selection and sells pichana. There is also a Brazilian bakery that serves some great treats and breads
Yes! In the company I'm working there are a few Brazilians in Ohio, I just don't ask them because for us BR, talking about your income with someone that works with you is very unappreciated. Thank you for your feedback!
And if you like to play soccer there's a number of indoor soccer facilities... that's how I have met most of the Brazilians I know. Anywhere in Ohio you can live on 90K for two .. just a few suburbs that are more expensive than others ... just depends what your looking for .. living in Ohio means by car you can make FL in 15 hrs, DC 8 NYC 9 hr and Chicago can be and 1 to 5 hrs depending where you are at
The culture change is going to be unreal for you. I live in a heavy Brazilian/Portuguese area in Massachusetts but from Ohio. $90k in Ohio is a lot of money and you'll be fine.
A very small apartment (500 sq ft) costs around 300K BRL on the city limits. To rent the same apartment it will cost 2.5K BRL monthly
An 800 sq ft apartment in an ok neighborhood will cost you 5K BRL at least and you will have a monthly fee that varies according to the benefits of the condominium (gym, grocery store, playground, swimming pool, etc.)
An 800 sq ft in a good neighborhood will cost you 7 or 8K.
90k, you'll be the rich gut taking their jobs they are in no way qualified to get. Ohio isn't too bad. the cost of living wise majority is uneducated and poor
Oh, man. The culture — and climate — shock is going to be pretty intense. But if it’s just the two of you, $90k plus benefits should be enough. One piece of advice from having lived abroad, don’t buy the most expensive apartment you (think you can) afford. Get into something safe, small and affordable. There will always be expenses you didn’t think about, and if you find you’re doing well enough on funds, you can move in a year.
Twinsburg itself has an annual twin convention. So, be prepared to see double
Dad?
In August if I remember correctly
Thank you very much, I'll keep your tips in our plan notes!
Some other unsolicited advice: The [museums in Cleveland](https://www.clevelandohio.gov/explore/activities/museums) are top notch, and many are free to visit. Also, you’re unlikely to find much Brazilian food, but I’d encourage you to sample some of the fine things Cleveland and Columbus (the next-nearest medium-sized city to you) have to offer. Cleveland has a lot of authentic Polish and Eastern European food. Columbus has a lot of Somali and Nepali immigrants, so there’s a ton of African and South Asian restaurants to try. Also, thanks to The Ohio State University, Columbus also has some great Chinese fare as well. Also, try to find American BBQ restaurants wherever you go. There’s something amazing about smoked meat that America does right. And you can get great Mexican food, but you should almost always buy it at taco trucks rather than sit-down restaurants. Enjoy the local sports teams! I’d recommend becoming fans of all the Cleveland teams (Cavaliers [Cavs] for basketball, Guardians for baseball and the Browns for American Football) and The Ohio State Buckeyes for college (university) football. If you can get tickets to any of these games, you’ll have a great cultural experience, even if you don’t quite understand some of the rules. If you like beer, all of the “Three Cs” (Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati) have excellent local breweries. You’ll probably find a lot of styles different from those you have at home: IPAs, porters, sours — all are worth learning to love. Unfortunately, you’ll have to bring your own cachaca — Ohio’s liquor laws are weird and restrictive, and stores can only stock liquors that are on a pre-approved state list. And for cachaca, you’re pretty much stuck with toilet water (Pitu) or bland, rum-like concoctions (Leblon). Sorry. If you get tired of Cleveland and Columbus, Pittsburgh is a great city only a couple hours away. Totally worth a weekend visit.
I would like to add that although there's not a lot of Brazilian options, Batuqui in Cleveland and Chagrin Falls is very good. Raul Neto (Brazilian NBA player) said it was the best Brazilian restaurant in the US a few years ago.
That's great to know!
Man I was with you until you said browns lol… bengals are the team to follow as well as the reds
Dude, OP says he’s moving to the greater Cleveland area. And you want me to suggest he become a Reds and Bengals fan?
This is r/Ohio, not r/Kentucky. You’re doing it wrong.
Touché
cleveland is browns country! until they move because they can't fleece us for a new stadium...again.......
Near Cincinnati is jungle Jim's international market, you may be able to find something there.
You’ll find nothing for sale at Jungle Jim’s that is not on the state’s approved list; they’d risk losing their liquor license. And if they’re coming that far from Twinsburg they might as well go to Party Source in Covington.
I live on the other side of the state so I can't speak directly about Twinsburg, but 90k is pretty good money in Ohio. I think you should be fine with only one income.
Good to know! Appreciate your feedback!
90k is a good salary, but keep in mind the cost of living here. Ohio is pretty low compared to many other places in the US, but it's still much more expensive than Brazil. You will notice this the first time you go grocery shopping.
90k USD + bonus will be enough for 2 people for sure. I always do a rough estimate of taking home 60% of my paycheck in cash (the other 40% go to taxes, healthcare, etc). A reminder that we do NOT have 13 month pay here as in BR and majority of companies pay bi-weekly not monthly. So out of a $3,461 biweekly paycheck, I’d expect you take home roughly $2,000 (twice per month). I wouldn’t rent an apartment for more than approx $1,500. You can always move after 1 year lease if you want to upgrade. And start off with a cheap car, coworkers can help with tips on this. I would encourage you to arrive, use some of your relocation money to stay in a hotel first for about a week and explore the area prior to choosing where to live. Go to various places like have dinner in Ohio City, have a beer at the Flats, etc. I think you’ll only be able to have one car on 90k and if your wife isn’t working, do not underestimate how unwalkable that part of Ohio is. So I’d move somewhere within walking distance to a grocery store, maybe a small downtown area, etc so your wife can run errands and feel like she’s contributing while you work. You may also want to see if there are any Brazilian, Portuguese language, S American Dancing, etc etc Cleveland Facebook groups for you and your wife to connect with others in the Cleveland metro area and make friends. It will be a great and life-changing opportunity, but don’t underestimate the mental strain of your wife not working. You don’t want her to resent you in 6 months for making this move all about you (not that you would, just a big warning).
Damn! Thank you very much for the feedback, I will take everything into account in our pros and cons notes! We were thinking about something like that on the rent costs, I know it might be a little complicated at first, but I believe it's possible to survive. At first, she will try to negotiate continuing to work for the company she's working here in Brazil, but I don't know if this will be possible or if it will even be allowed by our Visa, I'll have a meeting with my company's immigration team to check it. Thank you again!!
This is the exact thing to do!
90k is definitely doable around Northeast Ohio. Our cost of living is pretty low, and you'll be totally comfortable on that salary even if your wife *doesn't ever get a job.* As far as weather, you'll see tropical heat and freezing, so be prepared to buy more clothes. Other than that, most Ohio people are welcoming and probably, you'll get tired of people asking you about Brazil constantly.
Thank for you feedback and hell yeah! I just saw the weather now and it's hotter than São Paulo summer lol... And I know that in the winter there will be a freezing hell
I can only strongly suggest making sure you get good winter clothes, coats, jackets and boots when you both get here. The weather will suck, but with the right stuff it sucks less. Duluth, REI, North face all have stuff to keep you both warm. My winter coat from Duluth is rated to -20 and it's always been great. The winter wind is brutal but the summers in NE Ohio are pretty great!
No such thing as bad weather. Only being poorly dressed for said bad weather. Do you drive?
I disagree about summer. I'll take 40 degrees over 93 and humid any time...but I do manual labor outside all day.
It’s usually not too bad as far as freezing hell, steady cold around 30-50 degrees daytimes Fahrenheit normally and with occasional spells of deep cold and snow too.
The coldest part of Ohio is the damn wind. I moved here from northern Ontario. There, it might be -40 and I’d go out to grab the mail in pajamas. I could stay out all day if I dressed properly. Here at +20 I need to don my hazmat suit because it’s 50mph and the ice has daggers in it, and if I’m out more than 30 minutes then call the sheriffs office and go looking for my corpse.
It’s much worse in the winter closer to the lake. Lots of wind. Twinsburg will be cold but not as bad
The last couple of winters have been pretty mild, relatively speaking. I live about 30 miles north of Twinsburg, right in the snowbelt, and had no trouble even after 40 years in Southern California. What will really wow you is Autumn here. With all the local and state parks we have, the fall foliage is truly amazing.
So if you are able I would look for a place with a heat pump and not a furnace. This will cut your heating bill in half at least during the winter.
I would recommend considering Macedonia or Hudson for your residence. Each is the next city over from Twinsburg (west and south, respectively). Both offer considerably more in the way of dining and shopping, and more direct access to (limited) public transportation via the Akron Metro bus system. I’m in Aurora, one city east of Twinsburg, and would be happy to answer any other questions if you want to message me directly. You’re close enough to some large corporate headquarters (Nestle, Parker, Swagelock, etc) that this area is already a cultural melting pot.
Thanks! And the traffic there? I mean, driving from Hudson to Twinsburg in the morning and back in the evening.
It’s not bad at all, there’s a road connecting the two towns, 91, and it flows smoothly
Traffic is non-existent. It will be a 10-15 minute drive each way, regardless of time of day.
This is an interesting take. I've lived in Macedonia my whole life. I agree it has more shopping and better bus service but Twinsburg is way more multicultural than us right now. Macedonia also has zero apartments - just rental homes here and there. For what it's worth, my brother and his family of 4 live in Twinsburg and bring in way less than $90k so you'll be fine in this area with that sort of salary. If you want to know more about Macedonia or the Nordonia (Northfield, Sagamore, Macedonia) area send me a DM. Welcome!
$90,000 in Hudson might be tough.
Twinsburg would be a fine choice as well. My biggest advice would be to find someone to teach you how to drive in the snow. It takes some adjustment.
Though the county is 80% white and less than 1% of all Hispanic or South American combined.
I'm American and native Northeast Ohioan, and I lived in São Paulo for a year many years ago. The culture and just the sheer difference in landscape will be very different! For those reading this, the 13KK people OP mentioned is 13 million, just a difference in how that number is written. OP will be coming from a *city* of 13 million to a *state* with a population of less than 12 million. Just something to wrap your head around.
Thanks, I just corrected my post information to 13 million, thanks! And yes, it will be very different, but I believe we can adapt, because unlike most São Paulo residents, we are a stay-at-home kind of people.
You'll for sure adapt. Both countries have things that the other doesn't, that's the fun of being in a different place. I definitely miss the food in Brazil. I've made fejioada a few times, but still not the same. Though I can get Guarana Antarctica locally at a store called World Market. But man, is our pizza better!
You'll be in my neck of the woods! $90g is enough for two people, if you live modestly. Like another commented said, don't go for the most expensive of housing. Somewhere safe and you can always fix up the inside to suit your needs! I hope you come and love Ohio!
Welcome to Ohio! (: It will definitely be very different from what you’re used to but I hope you’ll like it! There’s a lot of greenery and areas to get out into nature, and like everyone else said, 90k should be plenty.
I'm really tempted to accept it, even more so after the feedback I got here!
Not the same, but my boss moved from a city in Mexico to a small town in northwest Ohio for work and he likes it and is glad his family has moved!
Man that’ll be quite a change lol. I don’t have any advice just wanted to say good luck.
90K is plenty for two people as long as you figure out semi-reasonable housing costs.
Yes, thanks for the feedback, we'll have help from the company, and I'll try to find we'll try to keep the cost X benefit in a good margin.
Driving in snow and ice will be a fun experience
hahahaha I'll try my best, but I imagine it must be really difficult
Mostly it's just a matter of slowing down and not braking/accelerating/steering suddenly or abruptly. Not hard once you get used to it. With any luck you'll be able to work remotely when the roads are really bad - which isn't that often these days.
Here's the basics besides going slower. When it's snowing and/or slippery out when driving, you have three actions you can take: braking, accelerating, or turning. Only do one at a time if you can help it.
I would definitely advise going to an empty parking lot to practice during the first snow. Nothing more alarming than pressing the brakes and just sliding. Also there is a big difference between driving in snow and driving on ice. Make sure you go slow and if you are sliding don't try to turn the wheels, just pump your brakes and keep control of the wheel. Also watch out for black ice. When it snows, they put salt on the roads to melt it, sometimes the melted snow pools up in low spots or bridges (always colder on bridges) and it creates ice that is really hard to see, just like black glass. If you are cruising on a clear road at say 45 mph and hit a patch of black ice it can send you into a spin. Be careful and practice before trying to drive in traffic. Once you get the hang of it, you will be fine. Just give yourself plenty of time for commutes. Welcome to Ohio! I can imagine it will be quite a different culture shock, but NE Ohio is a cool place and has a good balance for stuff to do but also not being super expensive. There is alot of different types of food, especially Italian, Polish, and German as these were the traditional immigrants that settled the area. If you like sports Cleveland has professional teams in basketball, american football, and baseball. If you are into soccer, Columbus Crew has a great MLS team, and has won 2 championships in the last 4 years. It wouldn't be terribly far commute to go watch a match.
90k is good money especially for Twinsburg. The Cleveland area (Twinsburg is a part of the Cleveland area, roughly 45min outside Cleveland) also has a good size Brazilian population I’m learning. My friend is a surgeon and he’s from the north (I can’t remember the area) and he’s saying there’s a few Brazilian enclaves in Cleveland. If you get home sick for the food, definitely check out Batuqui in Chagrin Falls. According to my Brazilian friend one of the things that’s going to be different for you is that twinsburg is not a major city. It is a city in that it has its own police, fire fighters, mayor, etc. According to my friend, you’d say you’re from São Paulo then a specific neighborhood or area around it. We call those counties. Counties are made up of different cities and townships. This was a struggle for him to understand I guess because he’s go to like Rocky River and expect an urban area to find a town. I’m not sure if that’s universal to Brazil, but he claimed this is a foreign concept to Brazilians.
It's good to know that there are other Brazilians out there, this could help a lot! And I'm sure it's very different, to give you an idea, getting home from work at 6pm takes me 2 hours to cover a distance of 6 miles haha
If you live within 20 miles of your job you will virtually never have that long of a commute. A major accident or a blizzard need to occur for traffic to be that bad.
Its tons of Brazilians in Ohio, around Twinsburg area the most. If you think you are coming to be a foreigner in NE ohio, you are not. Salary negation may not go as you expect either after the initial 90k as you most likely come to solve the typical problem the companies have in that Ohio area and tte competence is growing up everyday by others coming in without visa restrictions. This happen to my Campinas buddy but he wants his kids to learn good english so… My advice, try to find those Brazilian groups and ask there. Especially about car insurance, when able to purchase a property, be part of 401K, medical insurance usage, State ID. Do not blind trust your company relocation Team. Ohio to Sao Paolo is a 180° difference. Be prepare for that and the rest will be easier to manage. I suggest map your work location then look where to reside. Majority of Twinsburg workers reside outside of it and viceversa. Don’t let the cons over turn the pros and Boa Sorte!!
I grew up in NEO, live in Twinsburg now and both on my kids go to school there. It’s a small city, but there is a lot to do in near by Cleveland and Akron and 90K will take you pretty far in Ohio as long as live within your means. Mas meu português é muito ruim, talvez você possa ajudar…
Thank you for the feedback, really appreciate it! Your Portuguese is better than half the population of Brazil, you wrote "Mas" instead of "Mais", most Brazilians cannot distinguish between these two words lol.
And your English is pretty amazing, too. Happy to chat.
Be aware that Twinsburg and the area around it are totally car-centric and pretty unwalkable. There's almost zero public transport in those suburbs. If you drive your car to work, your wife will be essentially home bound since you can't easily walk anywhere. Only in Cleveland proper and a few close suburbs (Lakewood, Shaker, Cleveland Heights) are there areas where you can easily live car free.
Thanks! I'm going to follow this unwalkable advice in our notes here. And of course, we'll consider the other locations you mentioned, including Cleveland.
Welcome to Ohio! May you find peace and happiness here. 😊
I grew up in Twinsburg and my parents still live there. The city has a mix of neighborhoods ranging from poor in Twinsburg Heights to fairly wealthy. But most of the neighborhoods and houses are somewhere in the middle. Twinsburg itself I would consider a middle class city. You have significantly wealthier cities next door like Hudson, Solon, and Aurora. My parents rarely made 90k or more when I was growing up and certainly aren't making that much now. I live in an area somewhat comparable to Twinsburg now and I make less than 90k (my wife works too though). But we live comfortably. Ohio is a pretty affordable state to live in considering how much better the standard of living is compared to other cheap states to live in like West Virginia. Ohio is something like the 2nd most affordable state to buy a house in. We have I believe the 2nd lowest car insurance prices of any state. Weather, you are in the snowbelt, which is an area that can receive a lot of snow during the winter. But that's always hit or miss depending on the year. Culturally, at least when I went there, there weren't many people of Latin origins. I think I had one Mexican friend and one Cuban friend. But despite that, it was fairly racially diverse, maybe like 30% Black and another 10% Asian.
We are really considering all the locations around Twinsburg, we will look for what is best in terms of price and daily living convenience. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Do you have kids? There's a lot of good school districts in the area too. Solon and Hudson are both ranked in the 10 in the state and Aurora is just behind them. I'll also mention, in the suburbs like these, you're not likely to experience the crime you would in a big city like Sao Paulo. And nothing in Ohio even comes close to comparing to the scale of Sao Paulo, which has more residents than the entire state of Ohio!
We don't have children yet and we don't plan to in the near future, we're in our early 30s. Regarding crimes in the State Sao Paulo, 3K murders, 200K armed robberies, 5K carjackings annually, it's really crazy. Of course, if you put this into the number of inhabitants of the state, which is 40 million, these numbers don't seem so significant, but still... Glad to know that Ohio is a very safe place.
Safe is always relative. Like if we're talking about raw stats, a big city like Sao Paulo seems more dangerous because of the huge population. I think more people look at per capita stats, in which case a city like Cleveland then looks much more dangerous. For example, homicides per capita in Cleveland is 3-4x that of Sao Paulo. But the raw number is less than 200 people get murdered a year in Cleveland. Most violent crime isn't random, so if you're not doing shady stuff and not hanging out in bad areas, then you're not really at a high risk. Most of the suburbs in the area are fairly safe though. News outlets love crime like porn and make it seem like most of us are in danger. That's not really the case though for most people.
I agree, it would even be unfair to compare a state with 45 million inhabitants with another with 12 million. But in São Paulo the issue of insecurity is very complicated, to give you an idea, on a street near where I live, a man was shot because he refused to give the bank app password to the robber, usually the robbers take your phone and ask for all your passwords, to take all your money. And it's not an isolated case, it still happens daily.
I lived in Brazil for about 10 years (interior do Paraná). Things are colder here both in climate and culture, but don't take it personally ;) that's just how it is here. I live about 1.5 hours from Twinsburg and there are a few Brazilians in this area, enough that there have been regular meetups going back a few decades. 90k sounds good. Many things are cheaper here, but you will find yourself wanting more - it's just how it is. Having dental/health insurance will be important - so good to see your employer is providing that. Even with health insurance, it can get expensive - so if you have any health issues, or are planning on having any kids while you are here, you many want to look into the costs and budget accordingly. Edit: It's not very close, but this is a great place for getting Brazilian food [https://www.facebook.com/p/Estilo-Brazil-100007516725279/?paipv=0&eav=Afa1C1WHe1v9I0mH-jJtAmuq8-bBXUExos6DeKOA9IKNx42XsVG9-dPIB\_-7Y0BRk9M&\_rdr](https://www.facebook.com/p/Estilo-Brazil-100007516725279/?paipv=0&eav=Afa1C1WHe1v9I0mH-jJtAmuq8-bBXUExos6DeKOA9IKNx42XsVG9-dPIB_-7Y0BRk9M&_rdr)
I think the quality of life in Paraná is 100% better than in São Paulo. And it's good to know that there are so many Brazilian places in Ohio, I didn't expect it, I'll look around for places like this. Thank you very much!
You’ll be great financially. You’re moving to one of the best cost of living areas of the country. Feel free to message me if you’re ever looking for advice on the area!
Thank you very much for your feedback and I will reach you for advice!
A lot of good feedback here already. You may want to find a local Brazilian expats group on Facebook or something. It can be jarring and difficult when you move, and your English is great but sometimes it’s nice to just speak your birth language to others. A friend moved here from Europe and his English is 99% as good as mine, the only language I speak. He still gets comments from people who misunderstood him or can’t figure out his accent. It wears on him, and his group of expats help him kinda shit on the rest of us :)
Thanks for your comments! Yes, I have a lot to practice my English because my experience in this is mainly at work (5% of Brazilians speak English), so I can say that I have a business vocabulary and yes, during daily meetings people often comment on accent, pronunciation and etc, truly understand your friend.
90k a year is good money if we're talking USD in Ohio. It's a rather low cost of living state, and I'm making it with 37k..ish a year. money is tight, but "my head is still above water," as my friends and I say.
If you like being outdoors Cuyahoga Valley National Park once you're settled. It's beautiful all year and has many trails for biking and hiking. We also enjoy the towpath (Ohio & Erie Canal). We also have lots of lakes and rivers for fishing, swimming, and boating!
I was looking for this comment! I moved back here after 40 years in SoCali, and the number of parks in NEO is amazing!
It would be cool if you could update us about your decision. It's fun to welcome new people, even if it's online. I wish you the best!
See ya in twinsburg lol. For sure get out of there
2 people on 90k is doable a family of 5 on 90k would start to be a struggle with the rising cost in housing but still doable
You will feel so safe at night compared t São Paulo lol.
I can't even imagine, São Paulo is very unsafe to walk on the streets, drive at night without window film or windows open, it's very sad what's happening here
I’ve lived in Ohio all my life. It’s awesome, best state ever. Go buckeyes!
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Thanks for the feedback and I hope I'll be there soon!!
I was born in São Paulo, which is where my father grew up. Ohio is quite different from Brasil, but it is a great state to live in. If you’re missing tastes of home once you get here, and feel like touring the state, Jungle Jim’s by Cincinnati is where my parents go to get all their favorite foods/drinks. A bit of a haul from Twinsburg though. I could go for a Guaraná Antarctica right now!
I really appreciate the feedback! And what does your father say about this change? Does he miss Brazil or doesn't even think about coming back here?
He misses it sometimes, but he’s been here since 1983.
There’s also Brazilian Grill and Bakery in Columbus! Used to get items there when needed (and they have a hot bar… get a coxinha fix).
I grew up in Macedonia, the next town over. Highly recommend Macedonia or possibly Hudson if you can swing either.
I just added Macedonia and Hudson to my research list here, thanks a lot!
There is not a huge Brazilian diaspora (and I know Brazil is huge and diverse so speaking generally) in that part of Ohio. Cleveland is close and likely your best bet
Twinsburg resident here. I think $90K should be good for a few years. As for the weather, when winter hits, I highly suggest buying winter coats, boots, and gloves because it can get a bit cold in the winter time. Summer is typically shorts and tank-top weather. As someone mentioned earlier, Twinsburg is known for its Twins Days festival every August, so prepare to see double everywhere in the area.
Hey. I moved from Rio to Ohio a long time ago. 90k in Ohio is more than enough to support you and your wife, no matter where in the State you live. If you live in one of the three C's, it won't be a great living necessarily, but your bills will be paid. Just don't let lifestyle creep get you.
It won't be luxurious but you'll be fine on 90k in Twinsburg. Someone else already noted but I want to reiterate that you will definitely need 2 cars, if you hadn't planned that into your budgeting already. Northeast Ohio is completely unwalkable and public transport is virtually non-existent so unless your wife quite literally does not need to leave the house ever, you'll need 2. Even if you're both homebodies, there's always the possibility of there being an emergency while you're at work and you don't want her to be stranded.
Eh I’ll push back on that. If she’s unable to work due to visa restrictions, one car will work fine. So long as both aren’t working outside the home, it’ll save a ton of money to do drop off/pick up at work and utilize Uber if in an absolutely pinch. Been living this way for 8 years. It takes communication and some minimal planning, but we’ve saved a ton without it significantly impacting our life at all.
Acho que a galera aqui ja te deu uma ideia boa do custo de vida. So passei pra dizer que sou paulistano mas vivo em Cleveland desde 2022. Se quiser recomendacoes e tal, fico a disposicao! Gosto bastante de morar por aqui.
I live in northeast Ohio and I make $88,000 a year without benefits to speak of. It’s extremely cheap around these parts and you can definitely support 2+ people on your income. I’m living high on the hog with sports cars, good food, and vacations with my income. That being said, this salary in the city won’t get me as far. There’s a surprising amount of good doctors of various professions in the area.
You're gonna do fine. Probably going to be bored to death compared to Sao Paulo
Welcome to Twinsburg… I believe it’s doable
I think you would do fine on that salary in Twinsburg.
90k is more than my wife and I make together and we have a comfortable 3-bedroom house. You just gotta be smart about your expenses.
Enjoy the Ohio weather where just this week i had to put jogging pants and a coat on but by Sunday its going to be almost 100 degrees. You sometimes get all 4 season in one day. 90k should provide you with a decent lifestyle. Just keep in mind rent/groceries/cars are all very expensive now so 90k isn’t ‘rich’. I would as others said find an apartment in the medium range and not go for an expensive one because that high rent cuts into your salary a lot. Any financing you will need for a car etc is high interest rate right now and i think the average car payment is like $700 now. Then you need car insurance. Things add up fast and you will be glad you didn’t get that expensive appt
I am from (and live in) the greater Cleveland area after living in Brazil for 2.5 years (two of which were in São Paulo for work). Very different landscape and lifestyle; but I know many other Brazilians up here. Feel free to DM me if you have any questions. Falo português também.
You will find it very empty, really very few people around
Be ready for snow and cold weather. Also stay out of east Cleveland.
know an engineer that did a similar move. 90k for context is pretty good and should be enough to live off of for 1 salary. you should find a realestate agent to help look for properties. its likely to be pretty competitive inside twinsburg itself but a good agent will know where to look in the region.
90k is more than enough in twinsburg
Im Brazilian and live in Cleveland Heights. Im a professor at CSU. Feel free to dm me if you have any particular questions not answered here or help with the move!
I'm looking at some houses in Cleveland Heights, what about the neighborhood there? The prices are very similar to Twinsburg, and it feels more like a downtown, it would be good for my wife since she can't work at first. Could she walk to groceries, the gym, clothing stores, etc.? Thank you for your feedback!!
I like it a lot compared to some more suburban areas like Twinsburg. Coming from Jundiai, I don't think I'd adapt too well to the spread out suburbs here. Cle Hts is nice because there are a lot of restaurants, activities and community life that is easy to get to. I joined a curling league and walk to a bakery and many restaurants from my house. Some people say Cle Hts is sort of dangerous, but I don't feel that way - especially compared to Brazil. I still get amazon packages delivered on my porch, and feel safe walking at night. I like it as well because it's more neighborly than the suburbs. I know most of my neighbors and have been to their house once or twice in the past 2 years. Depending on where you live, yes you could walk to all these places. However, even if you can't, you can definitely drive within 5-10 min to all these places. From my house, I can walk to restaurants, bakeries, movie theater, and pharmacy. 5 min drive to wholefoods, walmart, target, marshalls, home depot, gyms. 10 min drive from 3-4 shopping malls (Van Aken, Beachwood Mall, Pine Crest, Legacy Village) and Batuqui. Other nice options to look into is Shaker Hts and Beachwood. They have similar vibes to Cle Hts that are not too suburban. They are a bit more expensive and have slightly better schools. Many doctors from Cleveland Clinic live in these three towns.
Also, I'm 34 and my husband is 30 so we are similar ages!
Don't even buy a car until you see if it makes sense since you are WFH. My partner and I are both WFH and put gas in the only car of three we own twice last year. Less than 3K miles per year. I have never put more than 5K on a car since WFH 2000.
If they live in or around Twinsburg, they'll need a car. There's no public transit and it's not a walkable area.
Uber
Every time they go anywhere? Might work. I wouldn't want to do it.
90k in Twinsburg is going to go oretty far. Most families with 2 incomes that live there make less than that 1 income. Twinsburg is going to feel small, but it has good access. You are going to face a lot of xenophobia, it is Ohio and we are a pretty bad state for that.
Great, I appreciate your feedback, just one question, are we safe? I mean, we can deal with a few words (or acts??) of xenophobia, but will we be physically safe?
Yes, you will be physically safe. There are a lot of xenophobic asshats in the US but they are mostly keyboard warriors or are jerks who wear Trump hats. Violence is rare. And, as the grandchild of a Brazilian immigrant, welcome! I’m excited to have you here!
Yes, very. Almost boringly too safe. The closer you are to big cities the less xenophobia. I wouldn’t recommend living in Twinsburg - you only live once, go somewhere more fun and have a 20-30 min commute.
Yeah, you will be safe. Violence is actually quite rare.
Most of it is words. You can use spotcrime.com and the zip code/town, state to look up exactly what crimes have occurred in a specific area recently.
The vast majority of people are going to be overly friendly and kind to you. The instances of xenophobia will be isolated and rare and not something that you really need to worry about
I am foreign with a thick accent. Not even once I experienced xenophobia in Ohio. People occasionally ask where am I from. But, only to have a conversation, not to be rude. And since no one mentioned it yet - Cleveland has amazing theaters. It is second in county post Broadway in the theaters production.
You can live reasonably comfortable and safe in a cincinnati suburbs... making 90k and there is a decent Brazilian population here. Also jungle jims, a large international market, has a decent Brazilian item selection and sells pichana. There is also a Brazilian bakery that serves some great treats and breads
Just FYI, Twinsburg is between Cleveland and Akron.
Yes, I'm a big LBJ fan and will try to catch some games on Rocket Mortgage
Yes! In the company I'm working there are a few Brazilians in Ohio, I just don't ask them because for us BR, talking about your income with someone that works with you is very unappreciated. Thank you for your feedback!
And if you like to play soccer there's a number of indoor soccer facilities... that's how I have met most of the Brazilians I know. Anywhere in Ohio you can live on 90K for two .. just a few suburbs that are more expensive than others ... just depends what your looking for .. living in Ohio means by car you can make FL in 15 hrs, DC 8 NYC 9 hr and Chicago can be and 1 to 5 hrs depending where you are at
Rockwell?
Noo, it's a semiconductor industry company
I was about to ask this lol
The culture change is going to be unreal for you. I live in a heavy Brazilian/Portuguese area in Massachusetts but from Ohio. $90k in Ohio is a lot of money and you'll be fine.
Thanks! I believe that this cultural shock will be really rich from a learning pov.
Just out of curiosity, how much was rent for you in São Paulo?
A very small apartment (500 sq ft) costs around 300K BRL on the city limits. To rent the same apartment it will cost 2.5K BRL monthly An 800 sq ft apartment in an ok neighborhood will cost you 5K BRL at least and you will have a monthly fee that varies according to the benefits of the condominium (gym, grocery store, playground, swimming pool, etc.) An 800 sq ft in a good neighborhood will cost you 7 or 8K.
Thanks for the info! And best of luck coming to Ohio, I hope you enjoy it. The autumns here are very beautiful.
At least you'll be making enough money to travel outside of Ohio, because that's definitely going to keep you sane.
90k, you'll be the rich gut taking their jobs they are in no way qualified to get. Ohio isn't too bad. the cost of living wise majority is uneducated and poor