Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Aracaju Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Aracaju

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $957 in Brasilia versus $723 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Brasilia versus $1,134 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Brasilia versus $1,545 in Aracaju.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 32% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Aracaju 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 R$44.15

$4.86 R$24.93

77.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.06 R$200

$23.58 R$121

65.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$40.99

$5.72 R$29.31

39.86%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$13.05

$1.65 R$8.47

54.55%

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

$1.45 R$7.44

$1.14 R$5.85

27.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.94

$0.65 R$3.32

47.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R$11.57

$1.97 R$10.07

14.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 R$19.94

$2.81 R$14.41

38.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.05 R$5.39

1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 R$10.45

$1.52 R$7.78

34.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.45

$1.18 R$6.06

6.78%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.51

$1.60 R$8.19

52.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.8

$7.02 R$35.97

71.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.82

$3.63 R$18.58

11.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 R$42.25

$7.11 R$36.42

15.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 R$12.01

$2.06 R$10.54

13.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.28

$1.22 R$6.23

16.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.52

$0.66 R$3.40

92.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.48

$0.99 R$5.10

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.93

$1.00 R$5.14

16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.18

$0.92 R$4.73

9.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.26

$0.50 R$2.55

66.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$5.00

$0.70 R$3.56

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.22

$2.29 R$11.73

4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.95

$5.67 R$29.07

40.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.67

$1.25 R$6.40

4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.28

$2.05 R$10.50

17.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.69

$0.89 R$4.57

3.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 R$180

$41.17 R$211

-14.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.39

$1.62 R$8.29

-35.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.38

$1.17 R$6.01

-27.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 R$30.58

$6.49 R$33.24

-8.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.56

$1.26 R$6.44

1.59%

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

$22.6K R$115.9K

$22.9K R$117.3K

-1.20%

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

$32.1K R$164.5K

$32.8K R$167.9K

-2.04%

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

$91.1 R$467

$90.6 R$464

0.51%

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

$12.43 R$63.7

$9.50 R$48.67

30.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 R$116

$16.86 R$86.4

33.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 R$161

$21.25 R$109

48.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 R$135

$25.72 R$132

2.45%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 R$40.26

$6.23 R$31.95

26.16%

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

$813 R$4,168

$180 R$924

351.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K R$83.6K

$5,245 R$26.9K

211.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 R$268

$55.1 R$282

-5.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.67 R$224

$33.77 R$173

29.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 R$424

$84.7 R$434

-2.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 R$443

$79.2 R$406

9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 R$2,564

$299 R$1,530

67.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 R$1,364

$139 R$713

91.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 R$5,806

$620 R$3,179

82.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,879

$269 R$1,380

108.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 R$12.4K

$1,237 R$6,338

94.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,738

$874 R$4,479

95.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 R$4,489

$437 R$2,240

100.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

18.00%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Brasilia and $299 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 100% 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 $24.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $159 per month, with Aracaju 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 Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Aracaju differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($957 vs $723 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 100% 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: $500 in Brasilia versus $299 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Brasilia versus $180 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Brasilia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Aracaju versus $957 in Brasilia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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 Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.