Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Bauru Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Bauru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $957 in Brasilia versus $812 in Bauru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Brasilia versus $1,224 in Bauru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Brasilia versus $1,636 in Bauru.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 18% more expensive than in Bauru, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Bauru 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 R$44.15

$4.84 R$24.82

77.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.06 R$200

$25.94 R$133

50.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$40.99

$7.45 R$38.18

7.38%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$13.05

$1.55 R$7.92

64.52%

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

$1.45 R$7.44

$0.87 R$4.45

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.94

$0.55 R$2.83

74.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R$11.57

$1.58 R$8.12

43.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 R$19.94

$2.48 R$12.73

56.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.47

$0.92 R$4.71

16.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 R$10.45

$1.47 R$7.55

38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.45

$1.20 R$6.15

5.00%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.51

$2.37 R$12.14

2.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.8

$7.38 R$37.83

63.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.82

$4.31 R$22.10

-5.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 R$42.25

$6.26 R$32.08

31.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 R$12.01

$2.07 R$10.59

13.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.28

$1.41 R$7.23

0.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.52

$1.22 R$6.24

4.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.48

$1.74 R$8.94

-5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.93

$1.38 R$7.05

-15.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.18

$1.23 R$6.29

-17.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.26

$1.37 R$7.03

-39.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$5.00

$0.93 R$4.77

5.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.22

$2.26 R$11.61

5.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.95

$6.90 R$35.38

15.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.67

$1.18 R$6.06

10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.28

$2.29 R$11.75

4.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.69

$0.99 R$5.07

-7.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 R$180

$29.30 R$150

19.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.39

$1.88 R$9.63

-44.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.38

$1.28 R$6.55

-33.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 R$30.58

$3.79 R$19.43

57.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.56

$1.08 R$5.51

18.52%

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

$22.6K R$115.9K

$23.3K R$119.4K

-2.94%

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

$32.1K R$164.5K

$33.3K R$170.4K

-3.50%

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

$91.1 R$467

$131 R$671

-30.43%

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

$12.43 R$63.7

$10.07 R$51.6

23.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 R$116

$19.07 R$97.7

18.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 R$161

$18.06 R$92.5

74.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 R$135

$22.21 R$114

18.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 R$40.26

$5.17 R$26.52

52.03%

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

$813 R$4,168

$252 R$1,294

222.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K R$83.6K

$5,768 R$29.6K

182.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 R$268

$66.8 R$342

-21.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.67 R$224

$48.65 R$249

-10.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 R$424

$105 R$538

-21.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 R$443

$75.2 R$385

14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 R$2,564

$239 R$1,223

109.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 R$1,364

$163 R$837

62.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 R$5,806

$451 R$2,310

151.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,879

$299 R$1,534

87.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 R$12.4K

$1,535 R$7,865

57.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,738

$677 R$3,472

151.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 R$4,489

$375 R$1,922

133.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

9.59

23.04%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Last update for Bauru: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Brasilia and $239 in Bauru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 134% 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 $26.00 in Bauru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $181 per month, with Bauru 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 Bauru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bauru wins on cost – living expenses run 18% 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.

Average pay runs 134% 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 $239 in Bauru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bauru – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $957 per month in Brasilia versus $812 in Bauru – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $812 in Bauru versus $957 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bauru but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Bauru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bauru delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $812 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bauru hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bauru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.