Buying in Paraíba, in detail
Paraíba sits near the bottom of the ranking for financed homes. The Central Bank median is R$ 198,500, the 25th highest of 27 units, as of 30 June 2026. Brazil's median is R$ 290,545. On the state median, the Tabela Price instalment is R$ 1,481. The median covers only homes bought with a bank loan.
The population was 3,974,687 in the 2022 census, and the 2026 estimate is 4,182,828. Paraíba is 13th of 27 by population, with growth of 5.2%, 18th of 27. The country grew 5.5%.
Housing tenure is close to the national pattern. Paraíba has 1,372,093 occupied homes. Residents own 73.4% of them, and 20.2% are rented, 17th of 27 where Brazil shows 22.2%. The average household has 2.9 people, 11th of 27, and the country has 2.8.
In September 2026, SINAPI prices a square metre of construction at R$ 1,929, 18th of 27. The Brazilian figure is R$ 1,999.73. That index tracks building costs and says nothing about resale prices.
The loan terms are national. Banks charged an average of 11.28% a year in August 2026, and the Selic stands at 13.75%. The maximum loan is 80% of the value over 30 years. For R$ 500 mil, you borrow R$ 400,000. The Tabela Price instalment is R$ 3,730, and the first SAC instalment is R$ 4,690.
João Pessoa is the capital and the one Paraíba city listed on Payotte, with 21% of the state population in Payotte cities. It has 833,932 residents, and 28.5% of homes are rented. Its ITBI rate is 3%, the highest rate Payotte found: just one city is above it, and 30 are below. Campina Grande, also among the largest Brazilian cities, charges 2%. A first transfer of low-cost public housing is exempt under art. 209, I, of the city's Tax Code. On R$ 500 mil the ITBI is R$ 15,000, and on R$ 1 milhão it is R$ 30,000. These figures do not include the escritura and the registro.
Payotte could not read the 2026 table of notary and registry fees for Paraíba, so no amount is given for them. Ask the cartório. João Pessoa's IPTU was R$ 606 per home in 2024, 73rd among the largest cities.
What does this mean for a buyer? The ITBI is paid to the prefeitura before the registration, and its rate is set by each city, not by the state. The escritura is the notary deed that records the sale, and the registro is the entry at the property registry that makes you the owner. A buyer who chooses the SAC system starts with the higher instalment shown above, which then falls over the 30 years. With the Tabela Price, the instalment stays the same from the first month to the last.
Because the median relies on financed homes only, cash purchases and informal sales are left out. Treat R$ 198,500 as a signal about bank-financed property, not as a price list for João Pessoa or Campina Grande.
In short
On a R$ 500 thousand home in João Pessoa, the capital of Paraíba, the ITBI transfer tax, the notary deed and the registration come to at least R$ 15,000. The city's ITBI rate is 3%. 20.2% of occupied homes were rented in the 2022 Census.
Calculate for Paraíba
The questions, answered
How much are the purchase costs on a R$ 500 thousand home in João Pessoa?
On a R$ 500 thousand home in João Pessoa, the capital of Paraíba, ITBI transfer tax (3%) R$ 15,000: at least R$ 15,000 in all, from the rates and fee tables read on 15 October 2026 (the state's 2026 fee table could not be read).
How much are the purchase costs on a R$ 1 million home in João Pessoa?
On a R$ 1 million home in João Pessoa, the capital of Paraíba: ITBI transfer tax (3%) R$ 30,000, at least R$ 30,000 in all.
What is the ITBI rate in João Pessoa?
João Pessoa charges ITBI at 3% of the value of the transfer (LC 53/2008 (Tax Code), art. 206); the same law sets a reduced rate of 0% for some purchases it defines (see the purchase costs calculator).
What monthly payment on a R$ 500 thousand home in Paraíba?
R$ 400,000 borrowed on a R$ 500 thousand home (CMN cap 80%) costs R$ 3,738 a month with Price over 30 years at 11.31% (September 2026), or R$ 4,699 the first month with SAC.
Do more people rent in Paraíba than in Brazil as a whole?
In the 2022 Census, 20.2% of the 1,372,093 occupied homes in Paraíba were rented and 73.4% owned by a resident, against 22.2% rented across Brazil (IBGE).
What is the typical value of a financed home in Paraíba?
The median appraisal value of homes financed in Paraíba was R$ 198,500 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 Paraíba?
The SINAPI average construction cost published by the IBGE for Paraíba was R$ 1,929 per square metre in September 2026, against R$ 2,000 for Brazil.
How much tax when you sell a home in Paraíba?
Federal rules apply in Paraíba 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 Paraíba?
Paraíba had 3,974,687 residents in the 2022 Census, and 4,182,828 in the IBGE estimate for 2026.
How Paraíba compares
Paraíba counted 3,974,687 residents in 2022, 2% of Brazil's 203,080,756 across the 27 federative units and the 13th largest. The IBGE estimate for 2026, 4,182,828, is 5.2% higher (Brazil: 5.5%), the 18th fastest of the 27. João Pessoa is the city of the state on Payotte, holding 21% of its residents. Region: Nordeste; 2.9 residents per occupied home against 2.8 nationally.
20.2% of the 1,372,093 occupied homes of Paraíba were rented in 2022, close to the 22.2% national share; 73.4% were owned by a resident. That is the 17th highest rental share of 27 units.
João Pessoa, the capital, charges ITBI at 3%, above the 2% median of the 41 city rates read (1 city charges more). That is R$ 15,000 on R$ 500 thousand and R$ 30,000 on R$ 1 million; the law also lists 0% for some purchases it defines, which the calculator does not apply.
The 2026 notary and registry fee table of Paraíba could not be read, so the purchase costs of João Pessoa carry the ITBI line only, R$ 15,000 on R$ 500 thousand (3% of the price).
In Paraíba the median appraisal of a financed home is R$ 198,500, 31.7% below the national R$ 290,545 and 25th of 27 units; a R$ 500 thousand purchase is 2.5 times that median. A loan of 80% on the median home would cost R$ 1,484 a month over 30 years with the Price system at 11.31%, against R$ 3,738 for R$ 500 thousand. The SINAPI construction cost, R$ 1,929 per square metre, is 3.5% below the national R$ 2,000 (18th of 27).
| Measure | Value | Reference | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paraíba: residents, 2022 Census | 3,974,687 | median unit 3,941,613 | 13th of 27 |
| Share of Brazil's residents | 1.96% | 203,080,756 in Brazil | 13th of 27 |
| Paraíba: estimate for 2026 against the census | +5.2% | Brazil +5.5% | 18th of 27 |
| Paraíba: occupied homes, 2022 | 1,372,093 | Brazil 72,461,369 | 14th of 27 |
| Paraíba: residents per occupied home | 2.9 | Brazil 2.8 | 11th of 27 |
| Paraíba: homes rented | 20.2% | Brazil 22.2% | 17th of 27 |
| Paraíba: homes owned by a resident | 73.4% | median unit 71.6% | 9th of 27 |
| Paraíba: ITBI rate (João Pessoa) | 3% | median of 41 cities 2% | 2nd of 41 |
| Paraíba: ITBI on R$ 500 thousand (João Pessoa) | R$ 15,000 | at the median rate R$ 10,000 | +R$ 5,000 |
| Paraíba: ITBI on R$ 1 million (João Pessoa) | R$ 30,000 | at the median rate R$ 20,000 | +R$ 10,000 |
| Paraíba: all computed lines on R$ 500 thousand (João Pessoa) | at least R$ 15,000 | 3% of the price | R$ 30,000 on R$ 1 million |
| Median value of financed homes | R$ 198,500 | Brazil R$ 290,545 | 25th of 27 |
| SINAPI cost per square metre | R$ 1,929 | Brazil R$ 2,000 | 18th of 27 |
| Cities on Payotte | 1 | 21% of the state's residents | - |
The figures
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ITBI transfer tax (3%), João Pessoa, on R$ 500 thousand | R$ 15,000 | LC 53/2008 (Tax Code), art. 206 |
| Population, 2022 Census | 3,974,687 | IBGE |
| Population estimate, 2026 | 4,182,828 | IBGE |
| Occupied homes rented, 2022 Census | 20.2% | IBGE |
| Median appraisal value of financed homes (2026-06) | R$ 198,500 | Banco Central do Brasil (ODbL) |
| SINAPI average construction cost per m² (September 2026) | R$ 1,929 | IBGE |
| Average rate, new housing loans to individuals (2026-09) | 11.31% | 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 Paraíba on Payotte
Sources
- ITBI, João Pessoa: LC 53/2008 (Tax Code), art. 206 (consulted 2026-10-15).
- Census and construction cost: IBGE, SIDRA (4714, 6579, 9930, 2296).
- Loans and values: Banco Central do Brasil open data (ODbL 1.0); Copom decisions.