Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Caxias do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Caxias do Sul: $817 a month against $1,008 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Caxias do Sul
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Caxias do Sul Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,008

/mo nomad

Caxias do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$817

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Caxias do Sul

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 Caxias do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,008 in Brasilia versus $817 in Caxias do Sul.

Brasilia $1,008
Caxias do Sul $817

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,618 in Brasilia versus $1,379 in Caxias do Sul.

Brasilia $1,618
Caxias do Sul $1,379

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Brasilia versus $1,941 in Caxias do Sul.

Brasilia $2,228
Caxias do Sul $1,941

Living in Brasilia is roughly 23% more expensive than in Caxias do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 25% lower, Caxias do Sul 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.23 R$46.81

$6.97 R$35.32

32.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.99 R$203

$38.56 R$195

3.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$42.79

$6.99 R$35.43

20.74%

Cappuccino

$2.62 R$13.29

$1.94 R$9.82

35.05%

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

$1.52 R$7.70

$1.42 R$7.18

7.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$1.10 R$5.58

-17.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R$12.30

$2.25 R$11.42

8.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 R$20.23

$2.97 R$15.07

34.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.57

$0.89 R$4.51

23.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.47

$1.66 R$8.40

24.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.90

$1.14 R$5.77

19.30%

Eggs

$2.46 R$12.47

$2.00 R$10.12

23.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.1

$10.22 R$51.8

18.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 R$20.29

$4.88 R$24.76

-18.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 R$46.06

$10.20 R$51.7

-10.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.33

$1.56 R$7.93

55.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.76

$1.09 R$5.55

40.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.73

$0.58 R$2.95

129.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.76

$1.66 R$8.42

4.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$0.98 R$4.96

19.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.28

$0.67 R$3.41

55.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.79 R$3.99

5.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.03

$0.73 R$3.71

35.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 R$12.34

$2.55 R$12.91

-4.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 R$41.86

$3.96 R$20.09

108.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.12 R$5.67

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R$12.58

$2.24 R$11.35

10.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.23

$1.40 R$7.11

-26.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.05 R$183

$43.70 R$222

-17.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.32

$1.27 R$6.46

-17.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.81 R$4.12

12.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 R$31.99

$8.08 R$40.94

-21.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.51

$1.30 R$6.60

-1.54%

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

$24.2K R$122.5K

$23.7K R$120.4K

1.72%

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

$33.3K R$169.0K

$33.5K R$169.7K

-0.45%

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

$98.4 R$499

$71.6 R$363

37.57%

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

$12.88 R$65.3

$12.57 R$63.7

2.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.35 R$113

$22.36 R$113

-0.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.14 R$173

$26.54 R$135

28.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.34 R$144

$59.0 R$299

-51.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 R$39.45

$7.48 R$37.94

4.01%

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

$834 R$4,230

$406 R$2,056

105.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K R$87.9K

$24.2K R$122.7K

-28.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 R$288

$50.4 R$255

12.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.40 R$230

$36.75 R$186

23.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 R$433

$101 R$512

-15.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 R$459

$79.6 R$404

13.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 R$2,572

$272 R$1,378

86.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 R$1,412

$184 R$932

51.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 R$5,693

$701 R$3,554

60.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 R$2,881

$429 R$2,173

32.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,518 R$12.8K

$1,769 R$8,967

42.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 R$8,840

$1,226 R$6,217

42.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$841 R$4,263

$565 R$2,862

48.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.5

5.39%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 12, 2026

Last update for Caxias do Sul: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$279 27.7%

Caxias do Sul

$184 22.5% 34% $95

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$214 21.3%

Caxias do Sul

$183 22.4% 14.7% $31

Eating Out

Brasilia

$160 15.9%

Caxias do Sul

$127 15.6% 20.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$134 13.3%

Caxias do Sul

$106 13% 20.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$125 12.4%

Caxias do Sul

$120 14.7% 3.8% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$50 4.9%

Caxias do Sul

$42 5.1% 16.5% $8.2

Getting Around

Brasilia

$46 4.5%

Caxias do Sul

$55 6.7% 19.3% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Brasilia and $272 in Caxias do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 49% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Brasilia vs $39.00 in Caxias do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $183 per month, with Caxias do Sul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Caxias do Sul

🕒 Local time

12:52 12:52 PM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

463,501

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Brasilia Caxias do Sul 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Caxias do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Caxias do Sul differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,008 vs $817 including rent). Caxias do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Brasilia, 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: $507 in Brasilia versus $272 in Caxias do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caxias do Sul – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,008 per month in Brasilia versus $817 in Caxias do Sul – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $817 in Caxias do Sul versus $1,008 in Brasilia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Caxias do Sul but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Caxias do Sul 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 Caxias do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.