Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Brasilia

For one person, living costs are similar in Abuja and in Brasilia: $1,005 and $994 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$1,005

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Abuja and in Brasilia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Abuja and in Brasilia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,005 in Abuja versus $994 in Brasilia.

Abuja $1,005
Brasilia $994

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,961 in Abuja versus $1,593 in Brasilia.

Abuja $1,961
Brasilia $1,593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,916 in Abuja versus $2,193 in Brasilia.

Abuja $2,916
Brasilia $2,193

Living in Abuja is roughly 1% more expensive than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Abuja 25% lower, Brasilia 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.01 ₦2,674

$9.18 R$46.05

-78.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.45 ₦40.5K

$40.43 R$203

-24.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.90 ₦5,177

$8.44 R$42.34

-53.79%

Cappuccino

$3.38 ₦4,497

$2.73 R$13.69

23.81%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 ₦667

$1.51 R$7.59

-66.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 ₦963

$0.99 R$4.99

-27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.02 ₦1,349

$2.37 R$11.89

-56.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 ₦2,791

$3.95 R$19.83

-46.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.75 ₦4,976

$1.11 R$5.55

237.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ₦1,727

$2.06 R$10.33

-36.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 ₦3,046

$1.34 R$6.72

70.90%

Eggs

$1.80 ₦2,390

$2.56 R$12.86

-29.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.86 ₦14.4K

$11.60 R$58.2

-6.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.22 ₦6,932

$4.15 R$20.80

25.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.78 ₦7,674

$9.27 R$46.51

-37.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 ₦2,632

$2.39 R$11.98

-17.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 ₦1,918

$1.55 R$7.77

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.54 ₦2,044

$1.30 R$6.54

18.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 ₦3,003

$1.65 R$8.29

36.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 ₦2,386

$1.19 R$5.99

51.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 ₦3,172

$1.04 R$5.22

129.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ₦802

$0.83 R$4.14

-27.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₦504

$0.96 R$4.80

-60.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 ₦2,596

$2.43 R$12.18

-19.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.96 ₦7,925

$8.15 R$40.87

-26.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₦1,641

$1.29 R$6.46

-4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₦2,433

$2.50 R$12.56

-26.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ₦580

$1.07 R$5.35

-58.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.75 ₦43.5K

$35.76 R$179

-8.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.63 ₦837

$1.10 R$5.52

-42.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 ₦1,062

$0.86 R$4.34

-6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 ₦2,478

$6.56 R$32.90

-71.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 ₦741

$1.29 R$6.47

-56.59%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$26.0K ₦34.5M

$23.9K R$120.1K

8.60%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.1K ₦24.1M

$33.6K R$168.5K

-46.02%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$115 ₦152.3K

$97.6 R$490

17.46%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$6.43 ₦8,538

$12.78 R$64.1

-49.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.45 ₦39.1K

$22.79 R$114

29.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.20 ₦34.8K

$34.48 R$173

-24.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.60 ₦12.8K

$28.17 R$141

-65.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 ₦8,750

$7.80 R$39.13

-15.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$45.94 ₦61.0K

$844 R$4,233

-94.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,119 ₦4.1M

$16.8K R$84.1K

-81.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.42 ₦35.1K

$56.7 R$285

-53.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.3 ₦80.1K

$43.89 R$220

37.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 ₦105.3K

$86.3 R$433

-8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 ₦142.3K

$89.3 R$448

19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 ₦785.3K

$498 R$2,497

18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$345 ₦458.2K

$282 R$1,413

22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 ₦1.9M

$1,156 R$5,802

24.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 ₦2.1M

$574 R$2,878

173.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$717 ₦952.5K

$2,497 R$12.5K

-71.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$384 ₦510.6K

$1,735 R$8,705

-77.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 ₦225.5K

$848 R$4,256

-79.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

12.12

85.64%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Abuja: October 5, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Abuja

$345 34.6%

Brasilia

$282 27.9% 18.4% $63

Groceries & Markets

Abuja

$218 21.8%

Brasilia

$213 21.2% 2% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abuja

$151 15.1%

Brasilia

$133 13.2% 11.5% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Abuja

$123 12.3%

Brasilia

$124 12.3% 1.2% $1.4

Eating Out

Abuja

$83 8.3%

Brasilia

$161 16% 95.2% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Abuja

$39 4%

Brasilia

$50 5% 27.2% $11

Getting Around

Abuja

$39 3.9%

Brasilia

$45 4.5% 16.2% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $591 in Abuja and $498 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 400% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Abuja vs $40.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $213, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Abuja

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

23:16 11:16 PM

4 h behind Abuja

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

776,298 Capital

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.71 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,329 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,490 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.71 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Abuja Brasilia 6,690 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Abuja
Brasilia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Abuja vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abuja and Brasilia differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,005 vs $994 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 400% lower in Brasilia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $591 in Abuja versus $498 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,005 per month in Abuja versus $994 in Brasilia – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Brasilia runs roughly 9% less than in Abuja. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $994 in Brasilia versus $1,005 in Abuja, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.