Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Abuja

For one person, living costs are similar in Brasilia and in Abuja: $994 and $1,005 a month, rent and utilities included.

49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$994

/mo nomad

Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$1,005

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Abuja

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brasilia and in Abuja actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $994 in Brasilia versus $1,005 in Abuja.

Brasilia $994
Abuja $1,005

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,593 in Brasilia versus $1,961 in Abuja.

Brasilia $1,593
Abuja $1,961

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,193 in Brasilia versus $2,916 in Abuja.

Brasilia $2,193
Abuja $2,916

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 1% less than in Abuja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 26% lower, Abuja 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.18 R$45.81

$2.01 ₦2,673

356.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.43 R$202

$30.45 ₦40.5K

32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$42.12

$3.90 ₦5,177

116.41%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R$13.62

$3.38 ₦4,496

-19.23%

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

$1.51 R$7.55

$0.50 ₦667

202.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$4.96

$0.72 ₦963

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 R$11.83

$1.02 ₦1,349

132.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 R$19.72

$2.10 ₦2,791

88.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.52

$3.75 ₦4,975

-70.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 R$10.27

$1.30 ₦1,726

58.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.68

$2.29 ₦3,045

-41.48%

Eggs

$2.56 R$12.79

$1.80 ₦2,390

42.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 R$57.9

$10.86 ₦14.4K

6.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 R$20.69

$5.22 ₦6,931

-20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.27 R$46.27

$5.78 ₦7,673

60.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 R$11.92

$1.98 ₦2,631

20.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.73

$1.44 ₦1,918

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.51

$1.54 ₦2,044

-15.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.25

$2.26 ₦3,002

-26.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.96

$1.80 ₦2,385

-33.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.19

$2.39 ₦3,172

-56.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.12

$0.60 ₦802

38.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.77

$0.38 ₦504

152.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 R$12.11

$1.95 ₦2,595

24.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 R$40.66

$5.96 ₦7,923

36.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$6.43

$1.23 ₦1,640

4.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 R$12.50

$1.83 ₦2,433

36.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.33

$0.44 ₦580

143.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.76 R$179

$32.75 ₦43.5K

9.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.50

$0.63 ₦836

74.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.32

$0.80 ₦1,062

7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 R$32.73

$1.87 ₦2,478

250.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.44

$0.56 ₦741

130.36%

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

$23.9K R$119.5K

$26.0K ₦34.5M

-7.92%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$18.1K ₦24.1M

85.26%

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

$97.6 R$487

$115 ₦152.3K

-14.86%

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

$12.78 R$63.8

$6.43 ₦8,537

98.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.79 R$114

$29.45 ₦39.1K

-22.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.48 R$172

$26.20 ₦34.8K

31.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.17 R$141

$9.60 ₦12.8K

193.44%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$38.93

$6.59 ₦8,749

18.36%

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

$844 R$4,211

$45.94 ₦61.0K

1736.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K R$83.6K

$3,119 ₦4.1M

437.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 R$283

$26.42 ₦35.1K

114.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 R$219

$60.3 ₦80.0K

-27.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 R$431

$79.3 ₦105.3K

8.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 R$446

$107 ₦142.3K

-16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 R$2,484

$591 ₦785.2K

-15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 R$1,406

$345 ₦458.2K

-18.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$5,772

$1,444 ₦1.9M

-19.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 R$2,863

$1,567 ₦2.1M

-63.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 R$12.5K

$717 ₦952.4K

248.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,735 R$8,660

$384 ₦510.5K

351.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$848 R$4,233

$170 ₦225.5K

399.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

22.5

-46.13%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 5, 2026

Last update for Abuja: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$282 27.9%

Abuja

$345 34.6% 22.5% $63

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$213 21.2%

Abuja

$218 21.8% 2% $4.3

Eating Out

Brasilia

$161 16%

Abuja

$83 8.3% 48.8% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$133 13.2%

Abuja

$151 15.1% 13% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$124 12.3%

Abuja

$123 12.3% 1.2% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$50 5%

Abuja

$39 4% 21.4% $11

Getting Around

Brasilia

$45 4.5%

Abuja

$39 3.9% 13.9% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Brasilia and $591 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 400% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Brasilia vs $30.00 in Abuja. Groceries flip the comparison at $213 vs $218, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇳🇬 Abuja

🕒 Local time

23:30 11:30 PM

03:30 3:30 AM

4 h ahead of Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

776,298 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, 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).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,328 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.53 USD). 1 EUR = 1,490 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.71 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Abuja 6,690 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
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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

Brasilia vs Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Abuja differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($994 vs $1,005 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 400% higher in Brasilia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $498 in Brasilia versus $591 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $994 per month in Brasilia versus $1,005 in Abuja – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Brasilia runs roughly 9% less than in Abuja. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $994 in Brasilia versus $1,005 in Abuja, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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 Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.