Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belem and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Belem: $868 a month against $1,000 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Belem
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Belem Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Belem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$868

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belem 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 Belem and in Brasilia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $868 in Belem versus $1,000 in Brasilia.

Belem $868
Brasilia $1,000

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,315 in Belem versus $1,614 in Brasilia.

Belem $1,315
Brasilia $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,763 in Belem versus $2,228 in Brasilia.

Belem $1,763
Brasilia $2,228

Living in Belem costs roughly 13% less than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belem 36% lower, Brasilia 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.66 R$23.64

$8.80 R$44.59

-47.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.47 R$98.7

$39.84 R$202

-51.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 R$35.72

$8.26 R$41.87

-14.65%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R$9.04

$2.72 R$13.81

-34.56%

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

$0.92 R$4.67

$1.57 R$7.96

-41.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 R$2.25

$1.00 R$5.07

-56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 R$8.04

$2.33 R$11.81

-31.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 R$11.73

$3.92 R$19.85

-41.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.27

$1.09 R$5.53

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 R$11.77

$2.07 R$10.52

12.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.44

$1.36 R$6.87

-6.62%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.87

$2.43 R$12.33

-19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 R$42.57

$11.64 R$59.0

-27.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.17 R$21.13

$4.07 R$20.62

2.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.01 R$35.51

$8.80 R$44.60

-20.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.20 R$11.14

$2.49 R$12.64

-11.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.31

$1.48 R$7.48

-15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.08

$1.34 R$6.79

4.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.74

$1.63 R$8.29

-6.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.89

$1.23 R$6.25

-21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 R$2.89

$1.04 R$5.27

-45.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 R$6.20

$0.86 R$4.34

41.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.51

$0.95 R$4.80

34.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 R$13.00

$2.52 R$12.77

1.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 R$49.00

$8.39 R$42.54

15.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R$6.91

$1.31 R$6.65

3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 R$24.11

$2.41 R$12.23

97.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 R$4.26

$1.01 R$5.13

-16.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.66 R$161

$35.30 R$179

-10.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.42

$1.10 R$5.58

-2.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 R$5.79

$0.93 R$4.73

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.35 R$42.31

$6.17 R$31.25

35.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.15

$1.29 R$6.54

-6.20%

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

$22.2K R$112.4K

$23.4K R$118.8K

-5.40%

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

$29.8K R$151.1K

$33.7K R$170.9K

-11.54%

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

$88.9 R$450

$96.3 R$488

-7.76%

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

$10.49 R$53.2

$12.59 R$63.8

-16.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.62 R$145

$22.58 R$114

26.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.73 R$100.0

$33.65 R$171

-41.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.19 R$183

$27.87 R$141

29.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R$36.92

$7.78 R$39.43

-6.43%

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

$107 R$541

$815 R$4,133

-86.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,276 R$16.6K

$17.2K R$87.3K

-80.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.20 R$148

$55.4 R$281

-47.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.81 R$207

$44.23 R$224

-7.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.2 R$371

$85.0 R$431

-13.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.9 R$319

$87.8 R$445

-28.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$488 R$2,475

$494 R$2,506

-1.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 R$1,349

$282 R$1,427

-5.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 R$3,958

$1,127 R$5,711

-30.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$475 R$2,408

$593 R$3,004

-19.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,928 R$9,773

$2,522 R$12.8K

-23.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,312 R$6,652

$1,753 R$8,885

-25.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 R$1,929

$850 R$4,310

-55.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

12.12

-5.28%

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

Last update for Belem: October 17, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belem

$266 30.7%

Brasilia

$282 28.2% 5.8% $15

Groceries & Markets

Belem

$207 23.9%

Brasilia

$212 21.2% 2.4% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belem

$128 14.7%

Brasilia

$131 13.2% 2.8% $3.5

Eating Out

Belem

$98 11.3%

Brasilia

$158 15.8% 61.1% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Belem

$93 10.7%

Brasilia

$123 12.3% 32.2% $30

Getting Around

Belem

$42 4.8%

Brasilia

$45 4.5% 7.9% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Belem

$34 4%

Brasilia

$49 4.9% 43.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $488 in Belem and $494 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 123% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $19.00 in Belem vs $40.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $212 per month, with Belem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Belem

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

Same time as Belem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,303,403

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Belem Brasilia 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Belem
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

Belem vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 123% 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: $488 in Belem versus $494 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 11% less than in Brasilia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $107 in Belem versus $815 in Brasilia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $868 in Belem versus $1,000 in Brasilia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belem is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brasilia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.