Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Belo Horizonte: $984 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $49,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Belo Horizonte
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Belo Horizonte Living Index
245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Belo Horizonte

🇧🇷 Brazil

$984

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Belo Horizonte and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $984 in Belo Horizonte versus $5,142 in New York, NY.

Belo Horizonte $984
New York, NY $5,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,589 in Belo Horizonte versus $7,455 in New York, NY.

Belo Horizonte $1,589
New York, NY $7,455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,193 in Belo Horizonte versus $9,767 in New York, NY.

Belo Horizonte $2,193
New York, NY $9,767

Living in Belo Horizonte costs roughly 81% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Belo Horizonte is 27% below, New York, NY is 284% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.90 R$29.46

$26.46 $26.46

-77.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.35 R$186

$119 $119

-68.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 R$44.22

$14.43 $14.43

-38.60%

Cappuccino

$2.27 R$11.36

$6.55 $6.55

-65.34%

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

$1.43 R$7.13

$3.84 $3.84

-62.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.05

$3.00 $3.00

-73.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.12 R$10.60

$8.27 $8.27

-74.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R$18.32

$10.05 $10.05

-63.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.72

$1.31 $1.31

-27.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 R$9.09

$4.90 $4.90

-62.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 R$10.39

$7.16 $7.16

-70.95%

Eggs

$2.22 R$11.07

$5.92 $5.92

-62.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$49.47

$19.06 $19.06

-48.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 R$21.63

$17.38 $17.38

-75.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.63 R$38.10

$18.94 $18.94

-59.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 R$9.66

$6.96 $6.96

-72.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.75

$2.08 $2.08

-44.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$5.98

$6.10 $6.10

-80.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.23

$6.95 $6.95

-76.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.74

$3.98 $3.98

-71.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.86

$4.44 $4.44

-78.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 R$4.23

$2.81 $2.81

-69.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R$4.58

$2.51 $2.51

-63.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.47 R$12.33

$19.27 $19.27

-87.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 R$41.09

$19.67 $19.67

-58.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R$7.15

$3.08 $3.08

-53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 R$13.68

$3.68 $3.68

-25.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.26

$3.02 $3.02

-58.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.0 R$339

$140 $140

-51.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 R$5.10

$3.07 $3.07

-66.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.77 R$3.84

$2.13 $2.13

-63.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.32 R$31.53

$41.21 $41.21

-84.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 R$6.58

$1.11 $1.11

18.92%

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

$24.0K R$119.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

-31.37%

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

$32.5K R$162.1K

$25.4K $25.4K

27.86%

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

$76.1 R$380

$217 $217

-65.01%

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

$10.33 R$51.6

$74.0 $74.0

-86.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.02 R$105

$72.5 $72.5

-71.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.07 R$140

$120 $120

-76.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.30 R$231

$66.9 $66.9

-30.78%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 R$39.41

$22.32 $22.32

-64.61%

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

$459 R$2,292

$3,425 $3,425

-86.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.8K R$69.0K

$61.2K $61.2K

-77.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 R$309

$76.3 $76.3

-18.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.86 R$244

$55.5 $55.5

-11.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 R$487

$119 $119

-18.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 R$357

$131 $131

-45.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$590 R$2,945

$4,506 $4,506

-86.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$292 R$1,456

$3,155 $3,155

-90.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 R$4,440

$8,817 $8,817

-89.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$591 R$2,950

$5,532 $5,532

-89.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,358 R$11.8K

$19.4K $19.4K

-87.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,121 R$5,598

$6,754 $6,754

-83.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 R$3,062

$5,290 $5,290

-88.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

6.82

64.96%

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

Last update for Belo Horizonte: October 4, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Belo Horizonte

$292 30%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 982% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

Belo Horizonte

$198 20.3%

New York, NY

$546 11% 176% $348

Eating Out

Belo Horizonte

$128 13.2%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 230% $294

Clothing & Footwear

Belo Horizonte

$126 13%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 36.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Belo Horizonte

$107 11.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 239% $257

Getting Around

Belo Horizonte

$78 8%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 112% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Belo Horizonte

$44 4.5%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 276% $121

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $590 in Belo Horizonte and $4,506 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 762% 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: $37.00 in Belo Horizonte vs $119 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $546 per month, with Belo Horizonte cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Belo Horizonte

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

05:01 5:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

1 h behind Belo Horizonte

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,315,560

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Belo Horizonte New York, NY 7,420 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Belo Horizonte
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belo Horizonte and New York, NY differ by about 423% in total monthly costs ($984 vs $5,142 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 762% lower in New York, NY. 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: $590 in Belo Horizonte versus $4,506 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $459 in Belo Horizonte versus $3,425 in New York, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 176% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $984 in Belo Horizonte versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. 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 423% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.