Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Belo Horizonte Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Belo Horizonte

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Brasilia versus $844 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Brasilia versus $1,306 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,993 in Brasilia versus $1,769 in Belo Horizonte.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 2% more expensive than Belo Horizonte, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 36% lower, Belo Horizonte 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 R$35.53

$6.47 R$32.74

8.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.86 R$197

$33.04 R$167

17.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 R$32.01

$6.68 R$33.83

-5.39%

Cappuccino

$1.96 R$9.91

$1.55 R$7.85

26.45%

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

$1.18 R$5.96

$0.93 R$4.69

26.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.35

$0.64 R$3.26

34.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.76 R$8.92

5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R$16.08

$3.01 R$15.24

5.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.04

$0.89 R$4.52

11.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 R$8.09

$1.51 R$7.64

5.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.15

$1.59 R$8.03

-11.32%

Eggs

$2.04 R$10.31

$1.94 R$9.84

5.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 R$47.87

$7.89 R$39.97

19.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 R$17.21

$3.38 R$17.10

0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 R$35.63

$7.19 R$36.43

-2.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 R$9.93

$2.17 R$10.98

-9.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.11

$1.29 R$6.52

8.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.09

$1.09 R$5.52

10.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.39

$1.30 R$6.60

27.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.01 R$5.12

22.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.61

$0.85 R$4.33

54.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.08

$0.70 R$3.56

15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.19

$0.67 R$3.41

-5.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 R$10.78

$2.11 R$10.67

0.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 R$45.69

$8.69 R$43.99

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.59

$1.07 R$5.42

2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$12.09

$2.14 R$10.82

11.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.21

$0.96 R$4.87

7.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.41 R$225

$40.86 R$207

8.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R$4.77

$0.93 R$4.69

1.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.08

$1.14 R$5.78

-28.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 R$28.21

$8.33 R$42.19

-33.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.68

$1.05 R$5.31

6.67%

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

$25.0K R$126.6K

$25.5K R$129.0K

-1.81%

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

$29.1K R$147.4K

$28.9K R$146.1K

0.89%

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

$72.2 R$366

$66.0 R$334

9.49%

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

$13.08 R$66.2

$14.58 R$73.8

-10.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.40 R$103

$20.88 R$106

-2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.97 R$126

$24.00 R$122

4.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 R$108

$39.35 R$199

-45.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 R$35.84

$7.15 R$36.19

-0.98%

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

$488 R$2,473

$368 R$1,861

32.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K R$75.9K

$6,826 R$34.6K

119.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 R$295

$52.5 R$266

10.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.97 R$213

$37.80 R$191

11.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 R$353

$72.7 R$368

-3.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.2 R$330

$65.9 R$334

-1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 R$2,064

$404 R$2,045

0.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 R$1,318

$265 R$1,341

-1.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 R$4,803

$697 R$3,529

36.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,845

$455 R$2,302

23.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,540 R$12.9K

$2,309 R$11.7K

10.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,714 R$8,678

$1,109 R$5,617

54.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 R$4,285

$625 R$3,165

35.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

10.83

9.60%

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

Last update for Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Brasilia and $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 35% 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 $33.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $172 per month, with Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Belo Horizonte differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($862 vs $844 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Brasilia pays 35% more on average, 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: $408 in Brasilia versus $404 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $488 in Brasilia versus $368 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Brasilia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Belo Horizonte gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.