You need a travel adapter
United States of America: Type A/B · 120V → Brazil: Type C/N · 127V/220V
Get a Type C adapter↗The specs, row by row.
The four things that decide whether your gear works in both countries: plug shape, voltage, frequency, and the local emergency number.
What's shared, what's not.
The plug-by-plug split. Anything in the 'shared' bucket works without an adapter. Anything in the country-specific buckets needs one.
Won't fit Brazil outlets.
Won't fit United States of America outlets.
The story behind the comparison.
Why these two countries landed where they did, and the practical lessons travelers learn the hard way.
Brazil is genuinely one of the most complex power destinations for US travelers. Brazil officially adopted the new Type N plug standard in 2011, but Type A, Type B, and Type C plugs remain widespread in older buildings. More confusingly, Brazil has regional voltage variation: São Paulo uses 110V (similar to the US), while Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and most other major cities use 220V. The US uses 120V. The frequency throughout Brazil is 60Hz — same as the US. This means a trip to Brazil could encounter US-compatible voltage in São Paulo but double voltage in Rio in the same week.
Brazil's electrical history reflects its infrastructure development phases. Early 20th century electrification followed US standards (low voltage, 60Hz) in some regions, particularly São Paulo. Other regions adopted European high-voltage standards. Attempts to unify the standard have been ongoing for decades; the Type N plug was created as Brazil's new national standard to replace the confusion, but the transition is slow.
For US travelers: check your hotel's voltage before plugging in anything other than dual-voltage devices. In São Paulo, your US chargers and dual-voltage electronics are mostly safe — the voltage is close enough to 120V. In Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, Fortaleza, and Recife, 220V is standard — your 120V-only appliances will be damaged. Type A plugs (flat US blades) physically fit many older Brazilian outlets but that doesn't mean the voltage is compatible. A universal adapter that includes Type N (the newer hexagonal-pin Brazilian plug) is recommended to cover all bases.
The safest approach for Brazil: use only dual-voltage devices (100-240V, clearly labeled on the charger brick) and bring a Type N compatible adapter. For any single-voltage appliances, check your hotel in advance — major international hotels in Rio and São Paulo often have both 110V and 220V outlets in rooms for exactly this reason. Brazil's 60Hz frequency (same as the US) means clocks and frequency-dependent devices from the US work correctly, unlike in Europe.
What to pack for both countries.
Adapter for the plug shape, converter for voltage mismatches, dual-voltage replacements for high-wattage gear.
Every adapter, charger, and travel-safe device we've curated.
The four partners we travel with.
Cross-country trips need data, security, insurance, and a clean airport pickup. The four partners we use ourselves — for both United States of America and Brazil.
Saily eSIM
Activate before you fly so you have data from the second you land in either United States of America or Brazil. No SIM hunt, no roaming charges.
NordVPN
Hotel and café WiFi is open and shared. NordVPN encrypts everything — banking, streaming, work — so no one on the same network can snoop.
Ekta Travel Insurance
Multi-country trips have more moving parts — flights, electronics, medical. Ekta covers all three across United States of America and Brazil.
Welcome Pickups
Skip the taxi-line negotiation in either country. English-speaking driver, fixed price, name on a sign at arrivals.
Each country, in detail.
The comparison answers the headline question. The full country guides cover everything else — adapters, hotels, voltage by region, climate.
Other comparisons worth a look.
If you're planning a multi-stop trip or just curious about the next leg, here are the related country pairs.