Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Alfenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Alfenas: $731 a month against $907 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brasilia, Brazil
Alfenas, Brazil
Brasilia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$907
/mo nomad
Alfenas
🇧🇷 Brazil
$731
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Alfenas

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 Alfenas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $907 per month in Brasilia vs $731 in Alfenas, rent included.

  • Brasilia $907
  • Alfenas $731

A couple spends around $1,501 per month in Brasilia vs $1,297 in Alfenas, rent included.

  • Brasilia $1,501
  • Alfenas $1,297

A family of three spends $2,094 per month in Brasilia vs $1,862 in Alfenas, rent included.

  • Brasilia $2,094
  • Alfenas $1,862

Brasilia costs about 24% more than Alfenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brasilia and Alfenas are more affordable than the global median – Brasilia 33% lower, Alfenas 46% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brasilia
Alfenas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.23 R$45.19
$3.59 R$19.71
129.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.50 R$206
$27.35 R$150
37.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.00 R$43.92
$5.43 R$29.79
47.33%
Cappuccino
$2.44 R$13.37
$0.89 R$4.86
174.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 R$7.53
$0.57 R$3.14
140.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 R$5.34
$0.54 R$2.94
79.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.27 R$12.43
$2.17 R$11.89
4.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 R$19.67
$2.73 R$14.99
31.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brasilia
Alfenas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 R$5.17
$1.15 R$6.32
-18.26%
White Bread (500g)
$1.93 R$10.60
$1.66 R$9.11
16.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 R$6.68
$1.40 R$7.67
-12.86%
Eggs
$2.25 R$12.33
$2.53 R$13.88
-11.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.96 R$60.2
$11.22 R$61.6
-2.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.68 R$20.21
$4.97 R$27.30
-25.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.16 R$44.79
$10.00 R$54.9
-18.40%
Apples (1kg)
$2.28 R$12.52
$2.49 R$13.66
-8.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 R$7.50
$1.62 R$8.89
-15.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.24 R$6.81
$1.38 R$7.55
-10.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 R$8.21
$1.74 R$9.57
-13.79%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 R$5.97
$1.31 R$7.18
-16.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 R$5.63
$1.19 R$6.53
-14.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 R$4.17
$1.15 R$6.30
-33.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 R$5.16
$0.92 R$5.05
2.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 R$12.84
$1.82 R$9.99
28.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.68 R$42.15
$9.29 R$51.0
-17.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 R$6.78
$1.67 R$9.16
-25.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 R$12.21
$2.36 R$12.95
-5.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Brasilia
Alfenas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.77 R$4.24
$1.10 R$6.03
-30.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.34 R$167
$47.17 R$259
-35.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 R$6.58
$1.26 R$6.91
-4.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.84 R$4.63
$0.94 R$5.17
-10.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.22 R$39.64
$10.02 R$55.0
-27.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 R$6.57
$1.24 R$6.83
-3.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K R$117.4K
$21.6K R$118.8K
-1.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K R$173.7K
$27.5K R$150.7K
15.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasilia
Alfenas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.9 R$482
$55.7 R$305
57.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.11 R$61.0
$15.69 R$86.1
-29.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.19 R$111
$18.60 R$102
8.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brasilia
Alfenas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.40 R$167
$25.24 R$139
20.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.58 R$140
$22.35 R$123
14.45%
Cinema Ticket
$7.23 R$39.68
$6.58 R$36.11
9.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brasilia
Alfenas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$765 R$4,201
$572 R$3,141
33.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K R$91.3K
$6,674 R$36.6K
149.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brasilia
Alfenas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.1 R$291
$58.7 R$322
-9.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.52 R$228
$56.1 R$308
-25.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.7 R$432
$93.2 R$511
-15.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.4 R$446
$86.8 R$476
-6.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brasilia
Alfenas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$508 R$2,786
$337 R$1,851
50.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$246 R$1,352
$114 R$626
116.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,132 R$6,212
$654 R$3,591
72.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$584 R$3,208
$451 R$2,475
29.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,281 R$12.5K
$1,784 R$9,793
27.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,623 R$8,909
$1,165 R$6,392
39.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brasilia
Alfenas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$859 R$4,717
$458 R$2,511
87.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.12
11.5
5.39%

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

Last update for Brasilia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Alfenas: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brasilia
$246
Alfenas
$114 53.7% $132
Groceries & Markets
Brasilia
$196
Alfenas
$222 13.4% $26
Eating Out
Brasilia
$147
Alfenas
$76 48% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasilia
$119
Alfenas
$90 24.5% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Brasilia
$115
Alfenas
$133 15.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Brasilia
$45
Alfenas
$38 14.4% $6.5
Getting Around
Brasilia
$39
Alfenas
$58 48.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $508 in Brasilia versus $337 in Alfenas. 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 88% higher in Brasilia. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Brasilia versus $27 in Alfenas. Groceries tell a different story – $196 in Brasilia vs $222 in Alfenas – so Brasilia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Brasilia
🇧🇷 Alfenas
🕒 Local time
21:35 9:35 PM
21:35 9:35 PM
Same time as Brasilia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,817,381 Capital
78,970
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.14 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brasilia Alfenas 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Brasilia
  • Alfenas

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 Alfenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Brasilia and in Alfenas compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $907 in Brasilia, $731 in Alfenas – Alfenas comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Brasilia compared to Alfenas?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,360 per month in Brasilia and $1,097 in Alfenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Brasilia and Alfenas?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Alfenas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $508 in Brasilia.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Brasilia – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in Brasilia and $27 in Alfenas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How far does $1,200 go in Brasilia compared to Alfenas?
$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $907 in Brasilia and $731 in Alfenas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Brasilia or Alfenas?
Families tend to lean toward Alfenas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Brasilia and Alfenas?
If budget matters most, go with Alfenas. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brasilia makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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