Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Americana Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Americana

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $860 in Brasilia versus $772 in Americana.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Brasilia versus $1,245 in Americana.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,961 in Brasilia versus $1,718 in Americana.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 11% more expensive than Americana, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 36% lower, Americana 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 R$35.53

$5.52 R$27.96

27.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 R$197

$21.45 R$109

81.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 R$32.41

$7.27 R$36.80

-11.97%

Cappuccino

$1.94 R$9.80

$1.81 R$9.17

7.18%

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

$1.15 R$5.85

$1.64 R$8.29

-29.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.36

$1.17 R$5.90

-26.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$9.01

$1.32 R$6.66

34.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 R$16.14

$2.22 R$11.26

43.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.93 R$4.70

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 R$8.39

$1.50 R$7.58

10.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.52

$1.15 R$5.81

29.57%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.19

$2.04 R$10.32

-1.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 R$45.53

$8.05 R$40.74

11.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 R$16.68

$3.60 R$18.24

-8.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 R$33.61

$7.14 R$36.14

-7.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.23

$2.15 R$10.90

-6.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.09

$1.25 R$6.34

12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.09

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.19

$1.37 R$6.93

18.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.14 R$5.76

13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.61

$1.06 R$5.38

23.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.09

$0.69 R$3.50

17.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.16

$0.67 R$3.40

-7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R$10.99

$2.12 R$10.75

2.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 R$43.91

$8.84 R$44.75

-1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 R$5.37

$1.21 R$6.14

-12.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R$11.41

$2.08 R$10.55

8.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.12

$0.88 R$4.46

14.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.27 R$224

$38.62 R$196

14.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 R$5.08

$1.10 R$5.55

-9.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.08

$0.71 R$3.59

14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 R$28.91

$6.54 R$33.10

-12.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.78

$1.06 R$5.35

7.55%

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

$24.8K R$125.7K

$21.0K R$106.6K

17.95%

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

$28.6K R$144.7K

$27.6K R$139.6K

3.60%

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

$69.8 R$353

$49.56 R$251

40.88%

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

$13.07 R$66.2

$13.75 R$69.6

-4.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.51 R$104

$20.20 R$102

1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.95 R$126

$17.09 R$86.5

45.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.00 R$111

$21.67 R$110

1.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R$36.86

$6.35 R$32.14

14.65%

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

$491 R$2,485

$267 R$1,354

83.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K R$78.5K

$6,559 R$33.2K

136.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 R$299

$49.53 R$251

19.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 R$208

$42.21 R$214

-2.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 R$344

$98.0 R$496

-30.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.8 R$323

$79.7 R$404

-20.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 R$2,093

$311 R$1,575

32.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 R$1,311

$215 R$1,087

20.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 R$4,831

$584 R$2,956

63.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 R$2,794

$422 R$2,137

30.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 R$12.6K

$1,510 R$7,643

64.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 R$8,520

$1,112 R$5,630

51.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$929 R$4,705

$726 R$3,676

28.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

10.92

8.70%

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

Last update for Brasilia: June 8, 2026

Last update for Americana: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Brasilia and $311 in Americana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 28% 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: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $21.00 in Americana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $175 per month, with Americana 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 Americana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Americana wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Brasilia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Americana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Brasilia pays 28% 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: $414 in Brasilia versus $311 in Americana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Americana runs roughly 15% less than in Brasilia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $491 in Brasilia versus $267 in Americana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Americana gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Americana delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $772 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Americana hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Americana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.