Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Caraguatatuba

For one person, living is cheaper in Caraguatatuba: $778 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
Learn more

Brasilia Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Caraguatatuba
Learn more

Caraguatatuba Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$778

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Caraguatatuba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $778 in Caraguatatuba.

Brasilia $916
Caraguatatuba $778

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,259 in Caraguatatuba.

Brasilia $1,514
Caraguatatuba $1,259

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $1,739 in Caraguatatuba.

Brasilia $2,112
Caraguatatuba $1,739

Living in Brasilia is roughly 18% more expensive than in Caraguatatuba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Caraguatatuba 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.41

$6.94 R$37.36

21.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$198

$26.88 R$145

36.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$42.96

$8.24 R$44.37

-3.16%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.59

$2.15 R$11.58

17.67%

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

$1.42 R$7.64

$1.10 R$5.91

29.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.39

$0.86 R$4.65

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.83

$2.25 R$12.11

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.21

$2.94 R$15.81

27.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.49

$1.00 R$5.38

2.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.51

$1.50 R$8.07

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.68

$1.23 R$6.60

0.81%

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.24

$1.83 R$9.84

24.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$60.1

$5.62 R$30.24

98.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$20.79

$2.96 R$15.92

30.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$46.16

$7.28 R$39.20

17.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.41

$1.94 R$10.43

19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.42

$1.58 R$8.50

-12.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.77

$1.39 R$7.48

-9.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.18

$1.26 R$6.78

20.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.98

$1.24 R$6.65

-10.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.25

$0.77 R$4.14

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.07

$0.67 R$3.60

13.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$5.03

$0.77 R$4.16

20.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.72

$2.00 R$10.78

18.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.27

$6.33 R$34.08

21.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.67

$1.46 R$7.84

-15.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.68

$2.36 R$12.70

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.92

$0.96 R$5.16

-23.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$160

$21.53 R$116

38.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.46

$1.08 R$5.84

-6.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.62

$0.66 R$3.56

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$31.06

$3.30 R$17.77

74.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.71

$1.21 R$6.52

3.31%

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

$22.0K R$118.1K

$14.3K R$77.0K

53.53%

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

$31.9K R$171.4K

$27.6K R$148.7K

15.27%

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

$92.1 R$496

$62.2 R$335

48.13%

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

$11.85 R$63.8

$12.19 R$65.6

-2.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$113

$21.17 R$114

-1.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$164

$20.15 R$108

51.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$141

$15.02 R$80.9

75.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$40.17

$7.41 R$39.89

0.67%

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

$764 R$4,114

$207 R$1,111

270.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$84.6K

$3,944 R$21.2K

298.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$283

$53.3 R$287

-1.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$227

$52.1 R$280

-19.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$427

$72.4 R$390

9.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$450

$55.4 R$298

50.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,783

$396 R$2,132

30.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,300

$218 R$1,175

10.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,223

$790 R$4,254

46.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,119

$484 R$2,606

19.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$12.9K

$1,610 R$8,666

48.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$9,030

$1,166 R$6,277

43.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,221

$308 R$1,658

154.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

8.15

48.71%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Caraguatatuba: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Caraguatatuba

$218 28.1% 9.6% $23

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Caraguatatuba

$164 21% 18.4% $37

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Caraguatatuba

$131 16.8% 12.6% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Caraguatatuba

$96 12.3% 23.5% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Caraguatatuba

$105 13.5% 9.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Caraguatatuba

$35 4.5% 23% $10

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Caraguatatuba

$30 3.8% 21.7% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $396 in Caraguatatuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays about 2.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $27 in Caraguatatuba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $164 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Caraguatatuba

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

134,873

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Caraguatatuba 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Caraguatatuba

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 Caraguatatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $916 in Brasilia and $778 in Caraguatatuba, so Caraguatatuba is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Brasilia is about 2.5 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: $517 in Brasilia versus $396 in Caraguatatuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $27 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $916 per month in Brasilia versus $778 in Caraguatatuba – Caraguatatuba is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 Caraguatatuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.