Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Caruaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Caruaru: $611 a month against $907 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Caruaru
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Caruaru Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$907

/mo nomad

Caruaru

🇧🇷 Brazil

$611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Caruaru

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Brasilia versus $611 in Caruaru.

Brasilia $907
Caruaru $611

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Brasilia versus $1,000 in Caruaru.

Brasilia $1,501
Caruaru $1,000

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in Brasilia versus $1,388 in Caruaru.

Brasilia $2,094
Caruaru $1,388

Living in Brasilia is roughly 48% more expensive than in Caruaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Caruaru 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 R$44.96

$5.36 R$29.29

53.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 R$205

$27.77 R$152

35.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$43.70

$7.57 R$41.36

5.68%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R$13.30

$1.48 R$8.10

64.86%

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

$1.37 R$7.50

$0.97 R$5.32

41.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$5.31

$0.60 R$3.25

61.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$12.37

$1.55 R$8.45

46.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 R$19.57

$2.25 R$12.29

59.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$5.14

$1.08 R$5.88

-12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$10.55

$1.03 R$5.61

87.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.65

$1.26 R$6.89

-3.17%

Eggs

$2.25 R$12.27

$1.88 R$10.28

19.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 R$59.9

$4.19 R$22.86

161.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 R$20.11

$4.51 R$24.64

-18.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 R$44.57

$6.99 R$38.19

16.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 R$12.45

$1.26 R$6.89

80.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.46

$0.91 R$4.98

50.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.78

$0.76 R$4.17

63.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$8.16

$1.08 R$5.89

38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.94

$1.49 R$8.16

-26.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.60

$1.18 R$6.45

-13.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.15

$0.69 R$3.76

10.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$5.14

$0.77 R$4.19

22.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 R$12.77

$2.71 R$14.81

-13.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 R$41.94

$7.41 R$40.47

3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.75

$1.57 R$8.56

-21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$12.15

$2.17 R$11.83

2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$4.22

$0.80 R$4.35

-3.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 R$166

$24.98 R$136

21.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.54

$1.07 R$5.84

12.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.61

$1.82 R$9.92

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 R$39.44

$2.88 R$15.75

150.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.54

$1.22 R$6.68

-1.64%

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

$21.4K R$116.8K

$21.8K R$119.3K

-2.03%

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

$31.7K R$172.9K

$30.4K R$166.2K

4.03%

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

$87.9 R$480

$51.8 R$283

69.52%

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

$11.11 R$60.7

$7.32 R$39.99

51.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 R$110

$9.16 R$50.1

120.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 R$166

$13.86 R$75.7

119.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 R$140

$27.91 R$152

-8.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 R$39.48

$6.75 R$36.88

7.11%

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

$765 R$4,180

$102 R$558

649.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$90.8K

$6,162 R$33.7K

169.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R$290

$36.72 R$200

44.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 R$227

$45.83 R$250

-9.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 R$430

$81.4 R$445

-3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 R$444

$60.0 R$328

35.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 R$2,772

$152 R$829

234.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,345

$119 R$648

107.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 R$6,181

$329 R$1,795

244.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 R$3,192

$235 R$1,285

148.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 R$12.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,623 R$8,864

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 R$4,693

$238 R$1,302

260.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.18%

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

Last update for Brasilia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Caruaru: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$246 27.2%

Caruaru

$119 19.4% 51.8% $128

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$196 21.6%

Caruaru

$156 25.5% 20.6% $40

Eating Out

Brasilia

$147 16.2%

Caruaru

$102 16.7% 30.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$119 13.1%

Caruaru

$68 11.2% 42.7% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$115 12.6%

Caruaru

$101 16.5% 12% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Caruaru

$27 4.5% 39% $17

Getting Around

Brasilia

$39 4.3%

Caruaru

$38 6.3% 1.4% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Brasilia and $152 in Caruaru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Brasilia vs $28 in Caruaru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $156 per month, with Caruaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Caruaru

🕒 Local time

19:22 7:22 PM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

377,911

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Caruaru 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Caruaru

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 Caruaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $907 in Brasilia and $611 in Caruaru, so Caruaru is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Brasilia is about 3.6 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 $152 in Caruaru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caruaru – 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 $611 in Caruaru – Caruaru is about 33% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Caruaru 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 Caruaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.