Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Cabo Frio

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $625 a month against $907 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
Learn more

Cabo Frio Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$907

/mo nomad

Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Cabo Frio

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Brasilia versus $625 in Cabo Frio.

Brasilia $907
Cabo Frio $625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Brasilia versus $1,031 in Cabo Frio.

Brasilia $1,501
Cabo Frio $1,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in Brasilia versus $1,438 in Cabo Frio.

Brasilia $2,094
Cabo Frio $1,438

Living in Brasilia is roughly 45% more expensive than in Cabo Frio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Cabo Frio 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 R$45.19

$5.58 R$30.63

47.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 R$206

$27.85 R$153

34.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$43.92

$6.46 R$35.46

23.84%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R$13.37

$1.62 R$8.90

50.62%

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

$1.37 R$7.53

$1.26 R$6.91

8.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$5.34

$0.50 R$2.75

94.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$12.43

$1.13 R$6.20

100.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 R$19.67

$1.79 R$9.84

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$5.17

$0.77 R$4.22

22.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$10.60

$1.41 R$7.72

36.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.68

$0.76 R$4.19

60.53%

Eggs

$2.25 R$12.33

$1.43 R$7.85

57.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 R$60.2

$7.20 R$39.49

52.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 R$20.21

$3.18 R$17.47

15.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 R$44.79

$9.19 R$50.4

-11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 R$12.52

$1.77 R$9.71

28.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.50

$1.10 R$6.06

24.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.81

$0.90 R$4.95

37.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$8.21

$1.18 R$6.50

27.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.97

$0.64 R$3.51

70.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.63

$0.75 R$4.14

36.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.17

$0.53 R$2.92

43.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$5.16

$0.54 R$2.94

74.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 R$12.84

$1.50 R$8.21

56.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 R$42.15

$5.50 R$30.20

39.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.78

$0.88 R$4.81

40.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$12.21

$1.32 R$7.24

68.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$4.24

$1.25 R$6.87

-38.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 R$167

$74.7 R$410

-59.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.58

$1.22 R$6.68

-1.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.63

$0.73 R$4.00

15.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 R$39.64

$7.24 R$39.72

-0.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.57

$1.08 R$5.91

11.11%

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

$21.4K R$117.4K

$19.7K R$108.2K

8.52%

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

$31.7K R$173.7K

$28.6K R$156.8K

10.78%

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

$87.9 R$482

$54.1 R$297

62.46%

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

$11.11 R$61.0

$7.04 R$38.66

57.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 R$111

$12.74 R$69.9

58.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 R$167

$20.35 R$112

49.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 R$140

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 R$39.68

$4.39 R$24.10

64.69%

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

$765 R$4,201

$135 R$740

467.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$91.3K

$2,436 R$13.4K

582.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R$291

$42.09 R$231

26.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 R$228

$37.34 R$205

11.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 R$432

$51.9 R$285

51.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 R$446

$44.49 R$244

82.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 R$2,786

$418 R$2,295

21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,352

$108 R$594

127.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 R$6,212

$611 R$3,355

85.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 R$3,208

$262 R$1,439

122.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 R$12.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,623 R$8,909

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 R$4,717

$256 R$1,407

235.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.67

13.59%

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

Last update for Brasilia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cabo Frio: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$246 27.2%

Cabo Frio

$108 17.3% 56.1% $138

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$196 21.6%

Cabo Frio

$151 24.1% 23.2% $45

Eating Out

Brasilia

$147 16.2%

Cabo Frio

$100 16% 32.1% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$119 13.1%

Cabo Frio

$74 11.8% 38% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$115 12.6%

Cabo Frio

$79 12.7% 30.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Cabo Frio

$29 4.7% 35.1% $16

Getting Around

Brasilia

$39 4.3%

Cabo Frio

$85 13.5% 118% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Brasilia and $418 in Cabo Frio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays about 3.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Brasilia vs $28 in Cabo Frio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $151 per month, with Cabo Frio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🕒 Local time

07:56 7:56 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

222,161

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Cabo Frio 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Cabo Frio

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 Cabo Frio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $907 in Brasilia and $625 in Cabo Frio, so Cabo Frio is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Brasilia is about 3.4 times higher, 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: $508 in Brasilia versus $418 in Cabo Frio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cabo Frio – a meal for two runs $28 versus $38 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $907 per month in Brasilia versus $625 in Cabo Frio – Cabo Frio is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cabo Frio gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cabo Frio 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.

It comes down to priorities – Cabo Frio wins on affordability, Brasilia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.