Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $994 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $994 in Brasilia, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Brasilia $994

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $1,593 in Brasilia, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Brasilia $1,593

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $2,193 in Brasilia, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Brasilia $2,193

Berlin costs about 156% more than Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Berlin sits 90% above the global median, while Brasilia is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$9.18 R$45.81

83.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$40.43 R$202

96.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$8.44 R$42.12

58.53%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$2.73 R$13.62

56.41%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$1.51 R$7.55

125.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$0.99 R$4.96

215.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$2.37 R$11.83

131.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$3.95 R$19.72

15.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$1.11 R$5.52

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$2.06 R$10.27

18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$1.34 R$6.68

146.27%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$2.56 R$12.79

73.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$11.60 R$57.9

47.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$4.15 R$20.69

193.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$9.27 R$46.27

97.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$2.39 R$11.92

49.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.55 R$7.73

27.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$1.30 R$6.51

151.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$1.65 R$8.25

130.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.19 R$5.96

78.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.04 R$5.19

112.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.83 R$4.12

79.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.96 R$4.77

5.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

$2.43 R$12.11

331.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$8.15 R$40.66

-17.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.29 R$6.43

3.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.50 R$12.50

-16.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$1.07 R$5.33

308.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$35.76 R$179

98.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$1.10 R$5.50

380.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$0.86 R$4.32

254.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

$6.56 R$32.73

453.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.29 R$6.44

76.74%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$23.9K R$119.5K

38.85%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

$33.6K R$167.6K

16.32%

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

$379 €339

$97.6 R$487

288.62%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$12.78 R$63.8

51.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$22.79 R$114

112.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$34.48 R$172

16.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

$28.17 R$141

26.06%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$7.80 R$38.93

99.10%

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

$144 €128

$844 R$4,211

-82.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

$16.8K R$83.6K

-5.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$56.7 R$283

66.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$43.89 R$219

5.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$86.3 R$431

19.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$89.3 R$446

58.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$498 R$2,484

199.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$282 R$1,406

289.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$1,156 R$5,772

130.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$574 R$2,863

262.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

$2,497 R$12.5K

243.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

$1,735 R$8,660

213.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

$848 R$4,233

311.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

12.12

-68.65%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Brasilia

$282 27.9% 74.4% $816

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Brasilia

$133 13.2% 70.2% $314

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Brasilia

$213 21.2% 39.1% $137

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Brasilia

$161 16% 44.1% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Brasilia

$124 12.3% 28.4% $49

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Brasilia

$45 4.5% 58.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Brasilia

$50 5% 29.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $498 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 311% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $40.00 in Brasilia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $213 – making Brasilia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

04:04 4:04 AM

5 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Berlin Brasilia 9,590 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Berlin
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

Berlin vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 156%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $1,491 in Brasilia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $994 in Brasilia. That's a gap of about 156%.

Public transport costs about 98% less in Brasilia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Brasilia, where all-in costs run around $994, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Brasilia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brasilia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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