Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Bauru

For one person, living is cheaper in Bauru: $777 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Brasilia, Brazil
Bauru, Brazil
Brasilia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$916
/mo nomad
Bauru
🇧🇷 Brazil
$777
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Bauru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $777 in Bauru.

  • Brasilia $916
  • Bauru $777

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,191 in Bauru.

  • Brasilia $1,514
  • Bauru $1,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $1,606 in Bauru.

  • Brasilia $2,112
  • Bauru $1,606

Living in Brasilia is roughly 18% more expensive than in Bauru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Bauru 43% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brasilia
Bauru
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.44 R$45.41
$4.78 R$25.74
76.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.71 R$198
$24.95 R$134
47.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.98 R$42.96
$7.12 R$38.32
12.08%
Cappuccino
$2.53 R$13.59
$1.55 R$8.36
63.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 R$7.64
$0.85 R$4.60
67.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.00 R$5.39
$0.50 R$2.68
100.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.20 R$11.83
$1.46 R$7.86
50.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.76 R$20.21
$2.47 R$13.28
52.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brasilia
Bauru
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 R$5.49
$0.87 R$4.70
17.24%
White Bread (500g)
$1.95 R$10.51
$1.36 R$7.33
43.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 R$6.68
$1.18 R$6.35
5.08%
Eggs
$2.27 R$12.24
$2.30 R$12.37
-1.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.17 R$60.1
$7.27 R$39.11
53.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 R$20.79
$4.13 R$22.20
-6.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.58 R$46.16
$5.98 R$32.16
43.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.31 R$12.41
$1.92 R$10.35
20.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 R$7.42
$1.30 R$7.00
6.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.77
$1.19 R$6.38
5.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 R$8.18
$1.71 R$9.21
-11.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 R$5.98
$1.33 R$7.18
-16.54%
Onion (1kg)
$0.98 R$5.25
$1.17 R$6.31
-16.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 R$4.07
$1.31 R$7.07
-41.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 R$5.03
$0.90 R$4.87
3.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 R$12.72
$2.21 R$11.92
6.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 R$41.27
$6.66 R$35.87
15.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 R$6.67
$1.13 R$6.10
9.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 R$12.68
$2.15 R$11.59
9.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Brasilia
Bauru
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.73 R$3.92
$0.95 R$5.11
-23.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.76 R$160
$27.87 R$150
6.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.01 R$5.46
$1.78 R$9.59
-43.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.86 R$4.62
$1.19 R$6.42
-27.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.77 R$31.06
$3.66 R$19.68
57.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 R$6.71
$1.06 R$5.69
17.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0K R$118.1K
$22.5K R$121.1K
-2.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K R$171.4K
$32.6K R$175.2K
-2.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasilia
Bauru
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.1 R$496
$130 R$699
-29.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.85 R$63.8
$9.51 R$51.2
24.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.93 R$113
$18.40 R$99.0
13.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brasilia
Bauru
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.47 R$164
$17.47 R$94.0
74.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.29 R$141
$21.60 R$116
21.71%
Cinema Ticket
$7.46 R$40.17
$5.01 R$26.96
48.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brasilia
Bauru
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 R$4,114
$241 R$1,297
217.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.7K R$84.6K
$5,563 R$29.9K
182.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brasilia
Bauru
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 R$283
$64.0 R$344
-17.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.10 R$227
$46.43 R$250
-9.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.4 R$427
$103 R$555
-22.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.6 R$450
$73.3 R$394
14.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brasilia
Bauru
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$517 R$2,783
$227 R$1,220
128.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$242 R$1,300
$154 R$831
56.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,156 R$6,223
$430 R$2,312
169.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$580 R$3,119
$285 R$1,533
103.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,398 R$12.9K
$1,517 R$8,166
58.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 R$9,030
$669 R$3,600
150.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brasilia
Bauru
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$784 R$4,221
$355 R$1,909
121.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.12
9.59
26.38%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Bauru: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brasilia
$242
Bauru
$154 36.1% $87
Groceries & Markets
Brasilia
$201
Bauru
$173 13.7% $27
Eating Out
Brasilia
$150
Bauru
$96 36% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasilia
$125
Bauru
$158 26.3% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Brasilia
$116
Bauru
$129 11.3% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Brasilia
$45
Bauru
$27 39.4% $18
Getting Around
Brasilia
$38
Bauru
$39 3.8% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $227 in Bauru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $25 in Bauru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $173 per month, with Bauru cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Brasilia
🇧🇷 Bauru
🕒 Local time
08:37 8:37 AM
08:37 8:37 AM
Same time as Brasilia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,817,381 Capital
379,146
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brasilia Bauru 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Brasilia
  • Bauru

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 Bauru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brasilia or Bauru?
Bauru wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Brasilia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bauru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Brasilia or in Bauru?
Average pay in Brasilia is about 2.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Brasilia compared to Bauru?
Rent for a central apartment: $517 in Brasilia versus $227 in Bauru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Brasilia and in Bauru?
Dining out is cheaper in Bauru – a meal for two runs $25 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Brasilia compared to Bauru?
All in, you’ll spend $916 per month in Brasilia versus $777 in Bauru – Bauru is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Brasilia or Bauru?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Bauru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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