Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Belem Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Belem

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $957 in Brasilia versus $910 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Brasilia versus $1,369 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Brasilia versus $1,828 in Belem.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 5% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Belem 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 R$44.14

$4.79 R$24.54

79.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.06 R$200

$19.23 R$98.5

103.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$40.98

$6.91 R$35.38

15.77%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$13.04

$1.92 R$9.84

32.81%

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

$1.45 R$7.44

$0.98 R$5.02

47.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.94

$0.47 R$2.40

104.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R$11.57

$1.51 R$7.74

49.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 R$19.94

$2.36 R$12.11

64.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.29 R$6.60

-17.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 R$10.45

$2.48 R$12.71

-17.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.45

$1.33 R$6.81

-5.26%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.51

$2.17 R$11.10

12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.8

$8.71 R$44.62

38.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.81

$4.31 R$22.09

-5.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 R$42.24

$7.25 R$37.13

13.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 R$12.01

$2.32 R$11.87

0.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.28

$1.38 R$7.06

2.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.52

$1.39 R$7.14

-8.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.48

$1.60 R$8.22

3.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.93

$1.00 R$5.15

16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.18

$0.56 R$2.87

80.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.25

$1.27 R$6.50

-34.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$5.00

$1.42 R$7.26

-30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.22

$2.64 R$13.54

-9.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.95

$9.54 R$48.88

-16.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.67

$1.38 R$7.06

-5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.28

$4.95 R$25.36

-51.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.69

$0.91 R$4.64

1.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 R$180

$34.15 R$175

2.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.39

$1.15 R$5.87

-8.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.37

$1.15 R$5.89

-26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 R$30.57

$8.37 R$42.88

-28.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.56

$1.24 R$6.34

3.23%

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

$22.6K R$115.9K

$23.0K R$118.1K

-1.83%

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

$32.1K R$164.4K

$30.7K R$157.5K

4.43%

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

$91.1 R$467

$95.5 R$489

-4.68%

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

$12.43 R$63.7

$11.18 R$57.3

11.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 R$116

$30.00 R$154

-24.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 R$161

$21.31 R$109

47.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 R$135

$38.83 R$199

-32.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 R$40.25

$7.86 R$40.26

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

$813 R$4,167

$107 R$550

657.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K R$83.6K

$3,321 R$17.0K

391.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 R$268

$31.77 R$163

64.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.67 R$224

$43.20 R$221

1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 R$424

$80.4 R$412

2.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 R$443

$65.0 R$333

32.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 R$2,563

$511 R$2,616

-2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 R$1,364

$272 R$1,394

-2.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 R$5,805

$843 R$4,321

34.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,878

$507 R$2,598

10.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 R$12.4K

$1,941 R$9,947

24.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,736

$1,394 R$7,140

22.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 R$4,488

$407 R$2,084

115.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

11.48

2.79%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Last update for Belem: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Brasilia and $511 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 115% 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 $19.00 in Belem. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $217, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

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 Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 115% 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 $511 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 3% less than in Brasilia. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Brasilia versus $107 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $910 in Belem versus $957 in Brasilia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belem is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brasilia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.