Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $907 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
Learn more

Brasilia Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
Learn more

Cape Town Living Index

Jump to prices

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$907

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Cape Town

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 Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Brasilia versus $1,527 in Cape Town.

Brasilia $907
Cape Town $1,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Brasilia versus $2,417 in Cape Town.

Brasilia $1,501
Cape Town $2,417

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in Brasilia versus $3,306 in Cape Town.

Brasilia $2,094
Cape Town $3,306

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 41% less than in Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasilia is 33% below, Cape Town is 13% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 R$45.18

$12.01 R 198

-31.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 R$206

$42.92 R 707

-12.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$43.91

$6.15 R 101

30.08%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R$13.37

$2.37 R 39.04

2.95%

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

$1.37 R$7.53

$1.27 R 20.96

7.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$5.34

$0.94 R 15.46

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$12.43

$2.96 R 48.77

-23.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 R$19.67

$3.69 R 60.8

-2.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$5.17

$1.32 R 21.73

-28.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$10.60

$1.21 R 19.87

59.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.68

$2.20 R 36.26

-44.55%

Eggs

$2.25 R$12.33

$3.10 R 51.1

-27.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 R$60.1

$8.73 R 144

25.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 R$20.21

$6.89 R 114

-46.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 R$44.78

$9.26 R 153

-11.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 R$12.51

$1.83 R 30.08

24.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.50

$1.95 R 32.12

-29.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.81

$1.66 R 27.32

-25.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$8.20

$2.14 R 35.19

-29.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.97

$1.58 R 26.01

-31.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.62

$1.47 R 24.29

-30.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.17

$1.35 R 22.18

-43.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$5.16

$1.14 R 18.85

-17.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 R$12.83

$3.58 R 59.0

-34.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 R$42.14

$6.05 R 99.7

26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.78

$1.39 R 22.95

-10.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$12.20

$2.18 R 35.90

1.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$4.24

$1.40 R 23.02

-45.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 R$166

$60.8 R 1,001

-50.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.58

$0.93 R 15.26

29.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.63

$0.90 R 14.83

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 R$39.63

$4.96 R 81.7

45.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.57

$1.54 R 25.37

-22.08%

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

$21.4K R$117.4K

$35.4K R 582.8K

-39.50%

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

$31.7K R$173.7K

$33.4K R 549.9K

-5.13%

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

$87.9 R$482

$117 R 1,929

-24.95%

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

$11.11 R$61.0

$25.71 R 424

-56.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 R$111

$39.41 R 649

-48.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 R$167

$51.6 R 850

-41.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 R$140

$11.35 R 187

125.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 R$39.67

$8.89 R 146

-18.67%

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

$765 R$4,200

$308 R 5,069

148.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$91.3K

$8,141 R 134.2K

104.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R$291

$57.4 R 946

-7.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 R$228

$31.75 R 523

30.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 R$432

$116 R 1,911

-32.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 R$446

$101 R 1,660

-19.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 R$2,785

$1,047 R 17.2K

-51.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,352

$669 R 11.0K

-63.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 R$6,211

$1,861 R 30.7K

-39.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 R$3,207

$1,407 R 23.2K

-58.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 R$12.5K

$2,410 R 39.7K

-5.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,623 R$8,907

$1,570 R 25.9K

3.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 R$4,716

$1,630 R 26.9K

-47.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.89

11.29%

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

Last update for Brasilia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$246 27.2%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 172% $423

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$196 21.6%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 13.9% $27

Eating Out

Brasilia

$147 16.2%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 18.4% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$119 13.1%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 52.9% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$115 12.6%

Cape Town

$138 9% 20.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 54.7% $25

Getting Around

Brasilia

$39 4.3%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 84.7% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Brasilia and $1,047 in Cape Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Town pays 90% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Brasilia vs $43 in Cape Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $223 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

06:47 6:47 AM

11:47 11:47 AM

5 h ahead of Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.49 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.16 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.51 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brasilia Cape Town 6,870 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $907 in Brasilia and $1,527 in Cape Town, so Brasilia is about 41% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Brasilia. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $508 in Brasilia versus $1,047 in Cape Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $38 versus $43 in Cape Town. 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 $1,527 in Cape Town – Brasilia is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $907 in Brasilia versus $1,527 in Cape Town, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Cape Town. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Cape Town. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.