Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Arad Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Arad

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $860 per month in Brasilia vs $880 in Arad, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,410 per month in Brasilia vs $1,375 in Arad, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,961 per month in Brasilia vs $1,869 in Arad, rent included.

Brasilia is about 2% cheaper than Arad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Brasilia and Arad are more affordable than the global median – Brasilia 36% lower, Arad 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 R$35.53

$9.12 RON 41.26

-23.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 R$197

$35.03 RON 158

10.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 R$32.41

$7.03 RON 31.79

-8.96%

Cappuccino

$1.94 R$9.80

$2.22 RON 10.04

-12.61%

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

$1.15 R$5.85

$1.58 RON 7.14

-27.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.36

$1.74 RON 7.88

-50.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$9.01

$2.05 RON 9.30

-13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 R$16.14

$2.78 RON 12.59

14.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.00

$1.50 RON 6.78

-34.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 R$8.39

$1.22 RON 5.53

36.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.52

$1.54 RON 6.95

-3.25%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.19

$2.93 RON 13.24

-31.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 R$45.53

$8.19 RON 37.03

9.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 R$16.68

$4.48 RON 20.28

-26.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 R$33.61

$9.04 RON 40.90

-26.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.23

$1.22 RON 5.50

65.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.09

$1.52 RON 6.87

-7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.09

$1.73 RON 7.81

-30.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.19

$1.71 RON 7.75

-5.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.54

$0.80 RON 3.63

61.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.61

$0.87 RON 3.94

50.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.09

$1.07 RON 4.83

-24.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.16

$0.94 RON 4.24

-34.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R$10.99

$5.93 RON 26.83

-63.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 R$43.91

$6.22 RON 28.12

39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 R$5.37

$1.04 RON 4.70

1.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R$11.41

$1.57 RON 7.09

43.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.12

$0.95 RON 4.29

6.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.27 R$224

$23.62 RON 107

87.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 R$5.08

$0.84 RON 3.78

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.08

$0.85 RON 3.85

-4.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 R$28.91

$9.47 RON 42.85

-39.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.78

$1.56 RON 7.05

-26.92%

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

$24.8K R$125.7K

$28.6K RON 129.2K

-13.06%

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

$28.6K R$144.7K

$26.4K RON 119.5K

8.22%

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

$69.8 R$353

$109 RON 492

-35.87%

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

$13.07 R$66.2

$8.78 RON 39.74

48.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.51 R$104

$7.85 RON 35.50

161.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.95 R$126

$39.43 RON 178

-36.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.00 R$111

$23.27 RON 105

-5.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R$36.86

$5.75 RON 26.00

26.61%

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

$491 R$2,485

$230 RON 1,042

113.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K R$78.5K

$7,002 RON 31.7K

121.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 R$299

$40.22 RON 182

46.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 R$208

$37.93 RON 172

8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 R$344

$80.8 RON 365

-15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.8 R$323

$70.3 RON 318

-9.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 R$2,093

$321 RON 1,454

28.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 R$1,311

$216 RON 976

19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 R$4,831

$568 RON 2,570

67.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 R$2,794

$425 RON 1,920

30.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 R$12.6K

$1,494 RON 6,757

66.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 R$8,520

$1,093 RON 4,946

53.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$929 R$4,705

$854 RON 3,862

8.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

6.5

82.62%

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

Last update for Brasilia: June 8, 2026

Last update for Arad: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Brasilia versus $321 in Arad. 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 9% higher in Brasilia, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Brasilia versus $35.00 in Arad. Groceries tell a different story – $180 in Brasilia vs $190 in Arad – so Brasilia wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Arad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arad costs about 2% more than Brasilia, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,290 per month in Brasilia and $1,320 in Arad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brasilia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Brasilia and $35.00 in Arad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $860 in Brasilia and $880 in Arad. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $860 in Brasilia and $880 in Arad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Brasilia costs $860 versus $880 in Arad. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Brasilia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arad makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.