Secretaria de Apoio Internacional

Santa Maria

About Santa Maria

Considered the ‘Heart of the State’, Santa Maria is a university city, with 6 major universities, making the city a traditional destination among students who have just finished high school and seek for higher education. It is an outstanding city to live in for its green areas, facilities, beautiful landscape and people who are always willing

The city is located in the central area of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the south of Brazil. The population is around 260.000 inhabitants. It is located 280 Km from the State capital, Porto Alegre, and 1.250 Km from the Argentinean capital, Buenos Aires. The University campus is located in the district of Camobi, approximately 9 km far from the city

Surrounded by national and local highways, our city has become an important reference point of study and economic convergence.
It is also known as Cultural city for its cinemas, theaters, museums and range of cultural activities provided by many institutions, mainly the University.

Santa Maria also offers our inhabitants and visitors an attractive nightlife with many bars and clubs. The Student’s Union organizes parties throughout the year in the campus. Back in the city, there is a dancing club for students maintained by the DCE - Student’s Union. You surely won’t ge

If you look for entertainment, beautiful people and a friendly atmosphere, Santa Maria is the right place for you.

Watch the video introducing our city here.

Weather

You will find a typical subtropical weather, with hot and humid Summer days from November to March as well as cold and windy days in the Winter, from June to September.

Check the weather in Santa Maria

Accomodation and living costs

There are many options for students to live in Santa Maria, such as hotels and apart hotels, apartments, rooms and family homes. However, students usually share an apartment with friends while they are studying in Santa

The rent is paid monthly, as well as the light, water and telephone bills. A two-bedroom apartment usually costs around R$ 1000,00 (US$ 500,00). Sharing the apartment with a friend, students are expected to spend around R$ 800,00 to R$ 1000,00 (US$ 400 to US$ 500) a month. This value would include accommodation, water, internet, light and phone bills, food and tr

We, at SAI, also have a database with students and families that would like to host international students. In this case there is also a cost, but in most cases the cost is lower than the apartments available to rent.
If you are interested in contacting someone to share a room or an apartment, contact us by e-mail (sai@ufsm.br) and we hill help you with the process.

You can also search for a room in the internet. EasyQuarto

Food

In the campus, we have the student’s restaurants (RU) that offer meals for a cheap price - R$ 2,50 (US$ 0,85). There is also a RU for the same price in the former Administration building located d

However, if you prefer fast-food, cafeterias and snack bars, there are more than ten options for you in the

In Camobi – the neighborhood where the main campus is located – you can find good restaurants, bakeries and Churrascarias, if you would like a typical gaúcho barbacue.

Back in the city, it is possible to find many good restaurants (Chinese, Vegetarian, Italian...), fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, pizza parlors, cafés and self-service restaurants.

Secretaria de Apoio Internacional
Universidade Federal de Santa Maria
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