Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Americana

For one person, living is cheaper in Americana: $830 a month against $907 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $920 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Americana
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Americana Living Index

Jump to prices

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$907

/mo nomad

Americana

🇧🇷 Brazil

$830

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Americana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Brasilia versus $830 in Americana.

Brasilia $907
Americana $830

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Brasilia versus $1,313 in Americana.

Brasilia $1,501
Americana $1,313

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in Brasilia versus $1,795 in Americana.

Brasilia $2,094
Americana $1,795

Living in Brasilia is roughly 9% more expensive than in Americana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Americana 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 R$44.96

$5.55 R$30.33

48.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 R$205

$22.29 R$122

68.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$43.70

$7.40 R$40.43

8.11%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R$13.30

$1.88 R$10.26

29.79%

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

$1.37 R$7.50

$1.73 R$9.43

-20.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$5.31

$1.19 R$6.51

-18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$12.37

$1.36 R$7.44

66.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 R$19.57

$2.20 R$12.03

62.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$5.14

$0.99 R$5.43

-5.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$10.55

$1.53 R$8.35

26.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.65

$1.16 R$6.34

5.17%

Eggs

$2.25 R$12.27

$2.06 R$11.24

9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 R$59.9

$8.67 R$47.37

26.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 R$20.11

$4.00 R$21.83

-8.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 R$44.57

$8.08 R$44.13

0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 R$12.45

$2.13 R$11.64

7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.46

$1.23 R$6.74

11.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.78

$1.08 R$5.89

14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$8.16

$1.43 R$7.80

4.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.94

$1.17 R$6.39

-6.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.60

$1.03 R$5.65

-0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.15

$0.73 R$3.98

4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$5.14

$0.72 R$3.93

30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 R$12.77

$2.19 R$11.97

6.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 R$41.94

$8.28 R$45.21

-7.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.75

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$12.15

$1.89 R$10.30

17.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$4.22

$0.93 R$5.06

-17.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 R$166

$41.12 R$225

-26.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.54

$1.20 R$6.53

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.61

$0.81 R$4.41

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 R$39.44

$7.26 R$39.67

-0.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.54

$1.09 R$5.93

10.09%

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

$21.4K R$116.8K

$21.6K R$118.0K

-0.97%

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

$31.7K R$172.9K

$30.8K R$167.9K

2.94%

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

$87.9 R$480

$50.8 R$277

72.95%

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

$11.11 R$60.7

$11.47 R$62.7

-3.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 R$110

$20.45 R$112

-1.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 R$166

$17.56 R$95.9

73.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 R$140

$25.62 R$140

-0.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 R$39.48

$6.61 R$36.12

9.38%

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

$765 R$4,180

$266 R$1,451

188.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$90.8K

$6,732 R$36.8K

147.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R$290

$73.5 R$401

-27.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 R$227

$63.1 R$345

-34.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 R$430

$101 R$551

-22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 R$444

$82.1 R$449

-0.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 R$2,772

$342 R$1,866

48.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,345

$229 R$1,251

7.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 R$6,181

$630 R$3,441

79.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 R$3,192

$445 R$2,431

31.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 R$12.5K

$1,571 R$8,581

45.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,623 R$8,864

$1,128 R$6,159

43.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 R$4,693

$709 R$3,871

21.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.18%

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

Last update for Brasilia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Americana: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$246 27.2%

Americana

$229 27.6% 7% $17

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$196 21.6%

Americana

$182 21.9% 7.4% $15

Eating Out

Brasilia

$147 16.2%

Americana

$112 13.5% 23.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$119 13.1%

Americana

$83 10% 30.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$115 12.6%

Americana

$144 17.3% 25.6% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Americana

$31 3.7% 31.4% $14

Getting Around

Brasilia

$39 4.3%

Americana

$50 6% 28.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Brasilia and $342 in Americana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 21% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Brasilia vs $22 in Americana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $182 per month, with Americana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Americana

🕒 Local time

12:27 12:27 PM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

237,240

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brasilia Americana 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Americana

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 Americana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Americana wins on cost – living expenses run 8% 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.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $508 in Brasilia versus $342 in Americana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Brasilia runs roughly 26% less than in Americana. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $765 in Brasilia versus $266 in Americana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Americana is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Americana wins on affordability, Brasilia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.