Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Castanhal

For one person, living is cheaper in Castanhal: $838 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Castanhal
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Castanhal Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Castanhal

🇧🇷 Brazil

$838

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Castanhal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $838 in Castanhal.

Brasilia $916
Castanhal $838

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,350 in Castanhal.

Brasilia $1,514
Castanhal $1,350

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $1,862 in Castanhal.

Brasilia $2,112
Castanhal $1,862

Living in Brasilia is roughly 9% more expensive than in Castanhal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Castanhal 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.87

$5.63 R$30.61

49.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$200

$32.17 R$175

14.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$43.40

$7.37 R$40.07

8.28%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.73

$1.91 R$10.41

32.46%

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

$1.42 R$7.72

$1.19 R$6.47

19.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.45

$0.70 R$3.78

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.96

$1.84 R$10.01

19.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.42

$2.75 R$14.93

36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.54

$0.83 R$4.50

22.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.62

$1.49 R$8.10

30.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.74

$1.14 R$6.22

8.77%

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.36

$2.00 R$10.85

13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$60.7

$7.88 R$42.82

41.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$21.01

$3.94 R$21.39

-2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$46.64

$8.87 R$48.20

-3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.53

$2.20 R$11.97

5.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.50

$1.26 R$6.83

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.83

$1.25 R$6.80

0.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.27

$1.67 R$9.06

-8.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$6.04

$1.09 R$5.92

1.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.30

$0.91 R$4.97

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.11

$0.76 R$4.14

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$5.08

$0.78 R$4.22

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.85

$2.20 R$11.97

7.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.69

$7.31 R$39.77

4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.74

$1.10 R$6.00

12.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.80

$1.89 R$10.25

24.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.96

$0.99 R$5.37

-26.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$162

$40.44 R$220

-26.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.52

$1.18 R$6.42

-14.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.66

$0.84 R$4.55

2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$31.38

$6.65 R$36.15

-13.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.78

$1.15 R$6.25

8.70%

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

$22.0K R$119.3K

$19.0K R$103.1K

15.77%

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

$31.9K R$173.2K

$31.6K R$172.0K

0.68%

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

$92.1 R$501

$72.3 R$393

27.38%

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

$11.85 R$64.4

$9.79 R$53.2

21.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$114

$22.03 R$120

-4.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$166

$23.85 R$130

27.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$143

$21.97 R$119

19.66%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$40.58

$6.80 R$36.99

9.71%

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

$764 R$4,156

$288 R$1,566

165.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$85.5K

$6,516 R$35.4K

141.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$286

$51.8 R$282

1.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$229

$46.71 R$254

-9.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$432

$83.5 R$454

-4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$454

$67.7 R$368

23.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,811

$350 R$1,901

47.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,313

$243 R$1,324

-0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,287

$651 R$3,537

77.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,151

$506 R$2,750

14.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$13.0K

$1,564 R$8,504

53.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$9,123

$1,119 R$6,083

49.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,264

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: October 24, 2026

Last update for Castanhal: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Castanhal

$243 29% 0.8% $1.9

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Castanhal

$179 21.3% 10.8% $22

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Castanhal

$112 13.4% 25.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Castanhal

$104 12.4% 16.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Castanhal

$112 13.4% 3.1% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Castanhal

$37 4.5% 17.5% $7.9

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Castanhal

$50 5.9% 31% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $350 in Castanhal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $32 in Castanhal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $179 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Castanhal

🕒 Local time

03:05 3:05 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

192,256

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Castanhal 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Castanhal

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 Castanhal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $916 in Brasilia and $838 in Castanhal, so Castanhal is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,374 in Brasilia and $1,258 in Castanhal to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $517 in Brasilia versus $350 in Castanhal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Castanhal – a meal for two runs $32 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 $838 in Castanhal – Castanhal is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Castanhal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.