Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Brasilia

For one person, living costs are similar in Belo Horizonte and in Brasilia: $971 and $1,000 a month, rent and utilities included.

47

Cost of Living Index in Belo Horizonte
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Belo Horizonte Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Belo Horizonte

🇧🇷 Brazil

$971

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $971 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,008 in Brasilia.

Belo Horizonte $971
Brasilia $1,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,574 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,618 in Brasilia.

Belo Horizonte $1,574
Brasilia $1,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,177 in Belo Horizonte versus $2,228 in Brasilia.

Belo Horizonte $2,177
Brasilia $2,228

Living in Belo Horizonte costs roughly 4% less than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belo Horizonte 28% lower, Brasilia 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 R$30.57

$8.80 R$44.59

-31.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.56 R$190

$39.84 R$202

-5.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.68 R$43.99

$8.26 R$41.87

5.08%

Cappuccino

$2.30 R$11.65

$2.72 R$13.81

-15.44%

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

$1.42 R$7.20

$1.57 R$7.96

-9.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$3.85

$1.00 R$5.07

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 R$10.96

$2.33 R$11.81

-7.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 R$18.18

$3.92 R$19.85

-8.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 R$5.11

$1.09 R$5.53

-7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.79 R$9.06

$2.07 R$10.52

-13.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.25

$1.36 R$6.87

48.53%

Eggs

$2.28 R$11.55

$2.43 R$12.33

-6.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 R$51.0

$11.64 R$59.0

-13.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.29 R$21.75

$4.07 R$20.62

5.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.86 R$39.87

$8.80 R$44.60

-10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 R$9.75

$2.49 R$12.64

-22.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.40

$1.48 R$7.48

-14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.02

$1.34 R$6.79

-11.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.10

$1.63 R$8.29

-1.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.23 R$6.25

-12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.91

$1.04 R$5.27

-6.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.10

$0.86 R$4.34

-5.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R$4.65

$0.95 R$4.80

-3.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 R$12.95

$2.52 R$12.77

1.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 R$39.75

$8.39 R$42.54

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R$6.90

$1.31 R$6.65

3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R$13.97

$2.41 R$12.23

14.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 R$6.21

$1.01 R$5.13

20.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.2 R$346

$35.30 R$179

93.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 R$5.19

$1.10 R$5.58

-7.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 R$3.85

$0.93 R$4.73

-18.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 R$32.60

$6.17 R$31.25

4.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.40

$1.29 R$6.54

-2.33%

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

$23.3K R$118.3K

$23.4K R$118.8K

-0.46%

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

$33.8K R$171.6K

$33.7K R$170.9K

0.42%

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

$78.8 R$400

$96.3 R$488

-18.18%

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

$10.20 R$51.7

$12.59 R$63.8

-18.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.16 R$107

$22.58 R$114

-6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.93 R$147

$33.65 R$171

-14.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.55 R$226

$27.87 R$141

59.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 R$39.15

$7.78 R$39.43

-0.77%

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

$463 R$2,348

$815 R$4,133

-43.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K R$69.1K

$17.2K R$87.3K

-20.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 R$314

$55.4 R$281

11.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.18 R$244

$44.23 R$224

8.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 R$502

$85.0 R$431

16.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.8 R$369

$87.8 R$445

-17.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,882

$494 R$2,506

15.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$286 R$1,449

$282 R$1,427

1.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 R$4,621

$1,127 R$5,711

-19.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 R$3,008

$593 R$3,004

0.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,312 R$11.7K

$2,522 R$12.8K

-8.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 R$5,508

$1,753 R$8,885

-38.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 R$3,161

$850 R$4,310

-26.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

12.12

-7.18%

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

Last update for Belo Horizonte: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belo Horizonte

$286 29.4%

Brasilia

$282 28.2% 1.5% $4.3

Groceries & Markets

Belo Horizonte

$198 20.4%

Brasilia

$212 21.2% 7.2% $14

Eating Out

Belo Horizonte

$129 13.2%

Brasilia

$158 15.8% 22.6% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Belo Horizonte

$127 13.1%

Brasilia

$123 12.3% 3.3% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belo Horizonte

$110 11.3%

Brasilia

$131 13.2% 19.4% $21

Getting Around

Belo Horizonte

$78 8%

Brasilia

$45 4.5% 42.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Belo Horizonte

$44 4.6%

Brasilia

$49 4.9% 10.9% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $569 in Belo Horizonte and $507 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 35% 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: $38.00 in Belo Horizonte vs $40.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $214 per month, with Belo Horizonte cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Belo Horizonte

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

07:00 7:00 AM

Same time as Belo Horizonte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,315,560

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

Belo Horizonte Brasilia 620 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Belo Horizonte
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

Belo Horizonte vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belo Horizonte and Brasilia differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($971 vs $1,008 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% 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: $569 in Belo Horizonte versus $507 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Belo Horizonte versus $834 in Brasilia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Brasilia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $971 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,008 in Brasilia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.