Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Abuja Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Abuja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Brasilia versus $1,700 in Abuja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Brasilia versus $2,793 in Abuja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,993 in Brasilia versus $3,886 in Abuja.

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 49% less than in Abuja, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasilia is 36% below, Abuja is 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 R$35.53

$1.97 ₦2,677

256.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.86 R$197

$45.77 ₦62.2K

-15.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 R$32.01

$5.68 ₦7,712

11.27%

Cappuccino

$1.96 R$9.91

$2.52 ₦3,417

-22.22%

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

$1.18 R$5.96

$0.50 ₦685

136.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.35

$0.42 ₦565

104.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.11 ₦1,502

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R$16.08

$1.14 ₦1,547

178.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.04

$3.06 ₦4,151

-67.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 R$8.09

$1.32 ₦1,789

21.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.15

$2.38 ₦3,236

-40.76%

Eggs

$2.04 R$10.31

$1.57 ₦2,127

29.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 R$47.87

$5.39 ₦7,321

75.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 R$17.21

$4.45 ₦6,042

-23.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 R$35.63

$3.88 ₦5,274

81.44%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 R$9.93

$3.10 ₦4,211

-36.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.11

$1.77 ₦2,407

-20.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.09

$2.11 ₦2,862

-43.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.39

$1.68 ₦2,280

-1.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.28

$2.14 ₦2,900

-42.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.61

$2.53 ₦3,438

-48.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.08

$0.58 ₦786

39.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.19

$0.31 ₦426

103.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 R$10.78

$2.43 ₦3,297

-12.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 R$45.69

$5.68 ₦7,721

58.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.59

$1.06 ₦1,441

3.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$12.09

$1.42 ₦1,923

68.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.21

$0.64 ₦875

60.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.41 R$225

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R$4.77

$0.91 ₦1,231

3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.08

$1.06 ₦1,441

-23.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 R$28.21

$4.40 ₦5,976

26.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.68

$0.83 ₦1,129

34.94%

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

$25.0K R$126.6K

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

$29.1K R$147.4K

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

$72.2 R$366

$31.22 ₦42.4K

131.36%

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

$13.08 R$66.2

$10.68 ₦14.5K

22.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.40 R$103

$42.07 ₦57.1K

-51.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.97 R$126

$44.35 ₦60.2K

-43.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 R$108

$10.95 ₦14.9K

94.43%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 R$35.84

$8.16 ₦11.1K

-13.24%

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

$488 R$2,473

$133 ₦180.3K

267.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K R$75.9K

$1,969 ₦2.7M

661.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 R$295

$29.33 ₦39.8K

98.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.97 R$213

$28.29 ₦38.4K

48.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 R$353

$68.6 ₦93.2K

1.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.2 R$330

$84.8 ₦115.2K

-23.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 R$2,064

$2,485 ₦3.4M

-83.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 R$1,318

$1,167 ₦1.6M

-77.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 R$4,803

$5,456 ₦7.4M

-82.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,845

$2,666 ₦3.6M

-78.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,540 R$12.9K

$1,106 ₦1.5M

129.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,714 R$8,678

$362 ₦492.3K

372.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 R$4,285

$168 ₦228.1K

403.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

22.5

-47.24%

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

Last update for Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Abuja: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Brasilia and $2,485 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 404% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $46.00 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $190 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

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 97% in total monthly costs ($862 vs $1,700 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Brasilia pays 404% more on average, 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: $408 in Brasilia versus $2,485 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $488 in Brasilia versus $133 in Abuja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $46.00 in Abuja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $862 in Brasilia versus $1,700 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 97% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.