Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $916 a month against $991 in Abuja, rent and utilities included – about $900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Abuja outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$991

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/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: $991 in Abuja versus $916 in Brasilia.

Abuja $991
Brasilia $916

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,872 in Abuja versus $1,514 in Brasilia.

Abuja $1,872
Brasilia $1,514

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,753 in Abuja versus $2,112 in Brasilia.

Abuja $2,753
Brasilia $2,112

Living in Abuja is roughly 8% more expensive than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Abuja 27% lower, Brasilia 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 ₦2,602

$8.44 R$45.15

-77.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.33 ₦40.7K

$36.71 R$196

-17.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.08 ₦5,465

$7.98 R$42.72

-48.87%

Cappuccino

$3.28 ₦4,400

$2.53 R$13.51

29.64%

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

$0.43 ₦573

$1.42 R$7.60

-69.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 ₦956

$1.00 R$5.36

-29.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.97 ₦1,301

$2.20 R$11.77

-55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 ₦2,647

$3.76 R$20.10

-47.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.59 ₦4,814

$1.02 R$5.45

251.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 ₦1,731

$1.95 R$10.45

-33.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 ₦3,048

$1.24 R$6.64

83.06%

Eggs

$1.81 ₦2,420

$2.27 R$12.17

-20.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 ₦14.9K

$11.17 R$59.8

-0.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.35 ₦7,164

$3.86 R$20.68

38.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.82 ₦7,795

$8.58 R$45.90

-32.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 ₦2,775

$2.31 R$12.34

-10.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ₦2,006

$1.38 R$7.38

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 ₦2,039

$1.26 R$6.73

20.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 ₦3,068

$1.52 R$8.14

50.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 ₦2,393

$1.11 R$5.95

61.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 ₦3,324

$0.98 R$5.22

153.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.59 ₦794

$0.76 R$4.04

-22.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ₦526

$0.93 R$5.00

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 ₦2,624

$2.36 R$12.65

-16.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ₦7,818

$7.67 R$41.04

-23.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₦1,604

$1.24 R$6.64

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₦2,484

$2.36 R$12.60

-21.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₦619

$0.73 R$3.90

-36.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.58 ₦43.7K

$29.76 R$159

9.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 ₦823

$1.01 R$5.43

-39.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 ₦1,086

$0.86 R$4.59

-5.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 ₦2,474

$5.77 R$30.89

-67.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 ₦765

$1.25 R$6.68

-54.40%

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

$26.1K ₦35.0M

$22.0K R$117.5K

18.94%

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

$37.3K ₦50.0M

$31.9K R$170.4K

17.18%

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

$110 ₦147.8K

$92.1 R$493

19.69%

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

$6.48 ₦8,687

$11.85 R$63.4

-45.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.14 ₦39.1K

$20.93 R$112

39.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.74 ₦34.5K

$30.47 R$163

-15.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 ₦12.9K

$26.29 R$141

-63.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.31 ₦8,456

$7.46 R$39.95

-15.42%

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

$44.68 ₦59.9K

$764 R$4,091

-94.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,103 ₦4.2M

$15.7K R$84.1K

-80.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.03 ₦34.9K

$52.6 R$282

-50.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 ₦81.4K

$42.10 R$225

44.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 ₦102.6K

$79.4 R$425

-3.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 ₦141.3K

$83.6 R$447

26.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$589 ₦789.9K

$517 R$2,767

13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 ₦465.8K

$242 R$1,292

43.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,405 ₦1.9M

$1,156 R$6,188

21.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 ₦1.8M

$580 R$3,102

132.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$699 ₦937.2K

$2,398 R$12.8K

-70.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$378 ₦506.9K

$1,678 R$8,979

-77.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 ₦217.5K

$784 R$4,197

-79.31%

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 24, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Abuja

$348 35.1%

Brasilia

$242 26.4% 30.5% $106

Groceries & Markets

Abuja

$218 22%

Brasilia

$201 21.9% 8.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Abuja

$146 14.7%

Brasilia

$125 13.6% 14.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Abuja

$121 12.2%

Brasilia

$116 12.7% 4.1% $5

Eating Out

Abuja

$81 8.1%

Brasilia

$150 16.4% 86.2% $69

Getting Around

Abuja

$39 4%

Brasilia

$38 4.1% 2.8% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Abuja

$38 3.9%

Brasilia

$45 5% 18.4% $7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $589 in Abuja and $517 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays about 4.8 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30 in Abuja vs $37 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $218 vs $201, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇬 Abuja

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

08:18 8:18 AM

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 = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 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 8% in total monthly costs ($991 vs $916 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Abuja. 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: $589 in Abuja versus $517 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $991 per month in Abuja versus $916 in Brasilia – a 8% 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.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Brasilia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.