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: $866 in Brasilia versus $826 in Belo Horizonte.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,408 in Brasilia versus $1,294 in Belo Horizonte.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,949 in Brasilia versus $1,762 in Belo Horizonte.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 35% lower, Belo Horizonte 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 R$37.31

$6.13 R$31.19

19.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.07 R$204

$31.91 R$162

25.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 R$32.45

$6.59 R$33.57

-3.34%

Cappuccino

$1.88 R$9.56

$1.54 R$7.85

22.08%

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

$1.18 R$6.01

$0.95 R$4.83

24.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.38

$0.60 R$3.07

43.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 R$9.33

$1.84 R$9.39

-0.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 R$16.82

$3.04 R$15.49

8.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.08

$0.89 R$4.54

12.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.19

$1.50 R$7.64

7.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.20

$1.54 R$7.83

-8.44%

Eggs

$2.12 R$10.77

$1.99 R$10.11

6.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 R$48.40

$8.22 R$41.83

15.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 R$16.75

$3.44 R$17.50

-4.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 R$35.24

$7.41 R$37.73

-6.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.30

$2.24 R$11.41

-9.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.29 R$6.59

8.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.85

$1.11 R$5.65

3.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.16

$1.36 R$6.94

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.07 R$5.44

14.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.56

$0.84 R$4.30

53.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.77

$0.70 R$3.57

5.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 R$3.33

$0.68 R$3.46

-4.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 R$11.18

$2.18 R$11.10

0.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 R$40.52

$7.56 R$38.49

5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.07 R$5.45

0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 R$11.48

$2.15 R$10.93

5.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.97

$0.92 R$4.67

6.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.21 R$225

$41.65 R$212

6.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.95 R$4.85

$0.92 R$4.69

3.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$4.04

$1.08 R$5.50

-26.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 R$29.40

$7.93 R$40.37

-27.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.71

$1.08 R$5.52

3.70%

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

$24.7K R$125.9K

$25.2K R$128.2K

-1.81%

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

$29.3K R$149.2K

$28.7K R$146.3K

2.04%

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

$71.2 R$363

$64.8 R$330

9.99%

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

$13.29 R$67.7

$14.22 R$72.4

-6.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.78 R$106

$20.86 R$106

-0.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.51 R$130

$23.90 R$122

6.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.65 R$110

$39.74 R$202

-45.52%

Cinema Ticket

$7.07 R$35.97

$7.39 R$37.60

-4.33%

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

$480 R$2,444

$369 R$1,877

30.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.3K R$77.7K

$6,843 R$34.8K

123.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 R$293

$52.5 R$267

9.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.90 R$208

$36.72 R$187

11.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 R$345

$71.1 R$362

-4.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$327

$65.8 R$335

-2.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$409 R$2,081

$413 R$2,102

-0.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$256 R$1,304

$260 R$1,324

-1.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 R$4,916

$698 R$3,555

38.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 R$2,819

$453 R$2,307

22.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,502 R$12.7K

$2,288 R$11.6K

9.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,681 R$8,561

$1,094 R$5,570

53.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 R$4,775

$618 R$3,146

51.81%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Belo Horizonte: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $409 in Brasilia and $413 in Belo Horizonte. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 52% 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: $40.00 in Brasilia vs $32.00 in Belo Horizonte for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $173 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 5% in total monthly costs ($866 vs $826 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $409 in Brasilia versus $413 in Belo Horizonte. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $480 in Brasilia versus $369 in Belo Horizonte. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% 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 5% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.