Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Arad and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $862 per month in Arad vs $863 in Brasilia, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,394 per month in Arad vs $1,429 in Brasilia, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,927 per month in Arad vs $1,995 in Brasilia, rent included.

Arad and Brasilia have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Arad and Brasilia are more affordable than the global median – Arad 35% lower, Brasilia 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.48 RON 43.12

$7.42 R$37.67

27.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.42 RON 156

$38.98 R$198

-11.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 RON 30.97

$6.14 R$31.14

10.91%

Cappuccino

$2.28 RON 10.38

$1.92 R$9.75

18.75%

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

$1.58 RON 7.18

$1.18 R$5.97

33.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 RON 7.75

$0.83 R$4.20

106.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 RON 9.21

$1.78 R$9.04

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 RON 12.82

$3.33 R$16.91

-15.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 RON 6.61

$0.95 R$4.83

52.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 RON 5.70

$1.63 R$8.27

-23.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 RON 7.29

$1.46 R$7.41

9.59%

Eggs

$2.96 RON 13.47

$2.08 R$10.56

42.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 RON 36.80

$9.40 R$47.71

-13.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.40 RON 20.01

$3.39 R$17.20

29.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.99 RON 40.86

$6.71 R$34.05

33.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.17 RON 5.34

$1.93 R$9.77

-39.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 RON 6.93

$1.36 R$6.93

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 RON 7.61

$1.16 R$5.88

43.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 RON 7.80

$1.67 R$8.49

2.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 RON 3.72

$1.24 R$6.31

-33.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 RON 4.20

$1.31 R$6.62

-29.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 RON 4.61

$0.73 R$3.73

38.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 RON 4.23

$0.67 R$3.40

38.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.92 RON 26.91

$2.17 R$11.03

172.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.35 RON 24.32

$8.06 R$40.91

-33.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 RON 4.53

$1.10 R$5.60

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 RON 7.47

$2.28 R$11.59

-28.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 RON 4.03

$0.97 R$4.93

-8.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.83 RON 108

$43.32 R$220

-44.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 RON 4.00

$0.95 R$4.82

-7.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 RON 3.66

$0.79 R$4.03

2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.39 RON 42.71

$5.83 R$29.59

61.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 RON 7.29

$1.14 R$5.78

40.35%

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

$28.4K RON 129.1K

$25.2K R$127.9K

12.62%

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

$25.9K RON 117.6K

$29.2K R$148.0K

-11.31%

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

$110 RON 501

$71.8 R$364

53.47%

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

$8.68 RON 39.47

$13.11 R$66.5

-33.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.07 RON 36.68

$20.49 R$104

-60.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 RON 180

$24.96 R$127

58.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 RON 103

$21.52 R$109

5.58%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 RON 26.42

$7.34 R$37.27

-20.84%

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

$229 RON 1,040

$485 R$2,462

-52.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,851 RON 31.1K

$15.2K R$77.1K

-54.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.78 RON 185

$58.1 R$295

-29.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.89 RON 172

$42.02 R$213

-9.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 RON 368

$67.7 R$344

19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.7 RON 317

$64.3 R$326

8.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$326 RON 1,484

$400 R$2,031

-18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 RON 988

$262 R$1,330

-17.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$558 RON 2,538

$944 R$4,788

-40.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 RON 1,940

$557 R$2,825

-23.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,443 RON 6,561

$2,466 R$12.5K

-41.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,066 RON 4,847

$1,727 R$8,762

-38.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$835 RON 3,797

$919 R$4,665

-9.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

11.87

-45.24%

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

Last update for Arad: July 26, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $326 in Arad versus $400 in Brasilia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Brasilia. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Arad versus $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Arad vs $180 in Brasilia – so Brasilia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Arad vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,293 per month in Arad and $1,295 in Brasilia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Arad and $39.00 in Brasilia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Arad. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $862 in Arad and $863 in Brasilia, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arad costs $862 versus $863 in Brasilia. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arad. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brasilia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.