Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,700 in Abuja versus $862 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,793 in Abuja versus $1,428 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,886 in Abuja versus $1,993 in Brasilia.

Living in Abuja is roughly 97% more expensive than Brasilia, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Abuja is 27% above, Brasilia is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.97 ₦2,677

$7.02 R$35.53

-71.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.77 ₦62.2K

$38.86 R$197

17.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.68 ₦7,712

$6.32 R$32.01

-10.13%

Cappuccino

$2.52 ₦3,417

$1.96 R$9.91

28.57%

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

$0.50 ₦685

$1.18 R$5.96

-57.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₦565

$0.86 R$4.35

-51.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ₦1,502

$1.85 R$9.39

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 ₦1,547

$3.18 R$16.08

-64.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 ₦4,151

$0.99 R$5.04

209.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 ₦1,789

$1.60 R$8.09

-17.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.38 ₦3,236

$1.41 R$7.15

68.79%

Eggs

$1.57 ₦2,127

$2.04 R$10.31

-23.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.39 ₦7,321

$9.45 R$47.87

-42.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.45 ₦6,042

$3.40 R$17.21

30.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.88 ₦5,274

$7.04 R$35.63

-44.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 ₦4,211

$1.96 R$9.93

58.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₦2,407

$1.40 R$7.11

26.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 ₦2,862

$1.20 R$6.09

75.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 ₦2,280

$1.66 R$8.39

1.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 ₦2,900

$1.24 R$6.28

72.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 ₦3,438

$1.31 R$6.61

93.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 ₦786

$0.81 R$4.08

-28.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₦426

$0.63 R$3.19

-50.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 ₦3,297

$2.13 R$10.78

14.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.68 ₦7,721

$9.02 R$45.69

-37.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 ₦1,441

$1.10 R$5.59

-3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₦1,923

$2.39 R$12.09

-40.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 ₦875

$1.03 R$5.21

-37.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.41 R$225

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 ₦1,231

$0.94 R$4.77

-3.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 ₦1,441

$0.81 R$4.08

30.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 ₦5,976

$5.57 R$28.21

-21.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 ₦1,129

$1.12 R$5.68

-25.89%

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

$25.0K R$126.6K

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

$29.1K R$147.4K

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

$31.22 ₦42.4K

$72.2 R$366

-56.78%

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

$10.68 ₦14.5K

$13.08 R$66.2

-18.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.07 ₦57.1K

$20.40 R$103

106.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.35 ₦60.2K

$24.97 R$126

77.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.95 ₦14.9K

$21.29 R$108

-48.57%

Cinema Ticket

$8.16 ₦11.1K

$7.08 R$35.84

15.25%

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

$133 ₦180.3K

$488 R$2,473

-72.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,969 ₦2.7M

$15.0K R$75.9K

-86.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.33 ₦39.8K

$58.3 R$295

-49.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.29 ₦38.4K

$41.97 R$213

-32.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 ₦93.2K

$69.8 R$353

-1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.8 ₦115.2K

$65.2 R$330

30.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 ₦3.4M

$408 R$2,064

509.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 ₦1.6M

$260 R$1,318

348.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,456 ₦7.4M

$949 R$4,803

475.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,666 ₦3.6M

$562 R$2,845

374.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,106 ₦1.5M

$2,540 R$12.9K

-56.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$362 ₦492.3K

$1,714 R$8,678

-78.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 ₦228.1K

$846 R$4,285

-80.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

11.87

89.55%

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

Last update for Abuja: June 1, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,485 in Abuja and $408 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 404% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Abuja vs $39.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $183 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

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 97% in total monthly costs ($1,700 vs $862 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Brasilia earns 404% less. 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: $2,485 in Abuja versus $408 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $133 in Abuja versus $488 in Brasilia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $46.00 in Abuja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $862 in Brasilia versus $1,700 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 97% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.