Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Arapiraca

For one person, living is cheaper in Arapiraca: $883 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $400 less a year. The total is higher in Brasilia despite lower rent and utilities.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
Learn more

Brasilia Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Arapiraca
Learn more

Arapiraca Living Index

Jump to prices

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Arapiraca

🇧🇷 Brazil

$883

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Arapiraca

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

A single person spends $916 per month in Brasilia vs $883 in Arapiraca, rent included.

Brasilia $916
Arapiraca $883

A couple spends around $1,514 per month in Brasilia vs $1,384 in Arapiraca, rent included.

Brasilia $1,514
Arapiraca $1,384

A family of three spends $2,112 per month in Brasilia vs $1,885 in Arapiraca, rent included.

Brasilia $2,112
Arapiraca $1,885

Brasilia costs about 4% more than Arapiraca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brasilia and Arapiraca are more affordable than the global median – Brasilia 33% lower, Arapiraca 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.87

$5.24 R$28.50

61.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$200

$35.66 R$194

2.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$43.40

$9.47 R$51.5

-15.73%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.73

$2.43 R$13.23

4.12%

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

$1.42 R$7.72

$1.02 R$5.54

39.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.45

$0.60 R$3.26

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.96

$1.52 R$8.24

44.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.42

$3.02 R$16.41

24.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.54

$1.35 R$7.33

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.62

$1.50 R$8.14

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.74

$1.54 R$8.36

-19.48%

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.36

$1.75 R$9.50

29.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$60.7

$6.70 R$36.41

66.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$21.01

$4.11 R$22.36

-6.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$46.64

$7.36 R$40.00

16.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.53

$1.33 R$7.23

73.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.50

$1.24 R$6.75

11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.83

$0.74 R$4.01

70.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.27

$1.19 R$6.48

27.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$6.04

$1.33 R$7.24

-16.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.30

$1.00 R$5.43

-2.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.11

$0.45 R$2.43

68.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$5.08

$0.83 R$4.50

12.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.85

$1.65 R$8.98

43.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.69

$7.55 R$41.07

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.74

$1.09 R$5.93

13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.80

$1.47 R$7.98

60.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.96

$0.82 R$4.46

-10.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$162

$43.60 R$237

-31.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.52

$1.14 R$6.18

-11.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.66

$0.73 R$3.95

17.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$31.38

$3.19 R$17.35

80.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.78

$1.26 R$6.83

-0.79%

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

$22.0K R$119.3K

$21.8K R$118.6K

0.59%

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

$31.9K R$173.2K

$31.9K R$173.4K

-0.13%

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

$92.1 R$501

$109 R$593

-15.48%

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

$11.85 R$64.4

$12.43 R$67.6

-4.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$114

$16.63 R$90.4

25.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$166

$23.87 R$130

27.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$143

$21.95 R$119

19.77%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$40.58

$6.64 R$36.08

12.35%

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

$764 R$4,156

$257 R$1,396

197.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$85.5K

$11.0K R$59.6K

43.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$286

$42.31 R$230

24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$229

$47.42 R$258

-11.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$432

$70.5 R$383

12.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$454

$76.1 R$414

9.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,811

$293 R$1,592

76.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,313

$262 R$1,425

-7.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,287

$636 R$3,457

81.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,151

$499 R$2,715

16.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$13.0K

$1,800 R$9,788

33.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$9,123

$1,158 R$6,293

44.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,264

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.75

3.15%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Arapiraca: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Arapiraca

$262 29.7% 8.5% $21

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Arapiraca

$169 19.1% 16% $32

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Arapiraca

$120 13.5% 20.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Arapiraca

$138 15.6% 10.5% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Arapiraca

$106 12% 8.3% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Arapiraca

$37 4.2% 18.2% $8.3

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Arapiraca

$52 5.9% 36% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $517 in Brasilia versus $293 in Arapiraca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Brasilia versus $36 in Arapiraca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $169 – making Arapiraca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Arapiraca

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

234,696

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brasilia Arapiraca 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Arapiraca

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 Arapiraca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $916 in Brasilia, $883 in Arapiraca – Arapiraca comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,374 per month in Brasilia and $1,325 in Arapiraca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arapiraca, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $293 there versus $517 in Brasilia.

Kindergarten costs $764 per month in Brasilia and $257 in Arapiraca. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Brasilia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $916 in Brasilia and $883 in Arapiraca, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Arapiraca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.