Beer at 50p a Pint!

I've learned a most useful phrase, Ga'i beint o gwrw os gwelwch yn dda? Yes, better than slow, unbearable pigs.

Cost of living table:

The Brazilian Real, R$, is worth about 25p. So 1 Brit Quid (that's Pound Sterling for my international readers / sorry, I don't have a pound sign on my keyboard) is about R$4. I'm self-employed so I rely on my students sticking around and on a very good month (between April and November) I earn about R$4,000 - 5,000. On a very bad month (December to March, everybody buggers off to the beach), I earn about R$1,000 - 2,000; 3,000 if I'm very lucky with extra translating work, BUT I still have the same expenses and unfortunately I haven't been able to even things out by saving during the bumper months, there's always too much beer to drink and too many barbies to eat.

So let's see if I'm filffy rich or rag-arse poor compared to back-'ome-how-green-was-my-cynon-valley standard:

Well as I live alone, I don't to mega supermarket runs once a week to fill the pantry and fridge, I just live day by day, except at weekends when I fill the fridge with beer and chunks of prime beef for the barbies, so lets start with that (supermarket prices and I'm not going to repeat 'about' every time, so take it as given):

A 600ml bottle (a wee bit over a pint) of lager beer: R$2.
Brazilian brewed bitter or ale 350ml (they don't do bigger): R$4 - 6
Imported can of bitter or Guinness: R$11
Pint of Guinness in the Shamrock (okay I deviated a bit from the supermarket): $R12

Prime beef steak for barbie, per 2.2 pounds (= 1 kilo, I can't be arsed to convert): R$15 (so about R$7 / lb?).
Beef ribs: R$5 / kilo

Other stuff, washing powder, yup I wash my clothes: R$1 / kilo.

Other other stuff, rent. I live in a pretty slummy neighbourhood, though my flat's pretty decent (2 bedrooms, garage, terrace): R$500 / month (any other neighbourhood, I'd pay up to R$1,000), water and rates included.
Electric bill: R$50 - 60 / month
Gas - one bottle (you know those big iron thingies), I use about one every 3 months (just for the cooker) - R$40.

Eating out: Posh restaurant for 2, drinks included: $R80 +
Joe's Greasy burger for two + beer R$20.
Decent lunch with salad and meats as-much-as-you-want-buffet: R$10

I could go on.

How does that compare to living in Aberbachgenbach? Divide everything by four.

Shit, I'll never become a published writer if I repeat pretty as an adverb twice in the same sentence