Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Cerquilho Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Cerquilho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $969 in Brasilia versus $770 in Cerquilho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Brasilia versus $1,265 in Cerquilho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,132 in Brasilia versus $1,760 in Cerquilho.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 26% more expensive than in Cerquilho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Cerquilho 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.92 R$45.75

$6.91 R$35.44

29.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.80 R$199

$30.44 R$156

27.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 R$43.54

$7.63 R$39.12

11.27%

Cappuccino

$2.58 R$13.24

$1.96 R$10.03

31.63%

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

$1.41 R$7.22

$1.56 R$8.01

-9.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$1.19 R$6.09

-24.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$12.07

$1.19 R$6.08

98.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 R$19.83

$2.87 R$14.73

34.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.53

$1.16 R$5.96

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 R$10.43

$1.50 R$7.69

35.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.58

$1.16 R$5.96

10.34%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.45

$2.55 R$13.09

-4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 R$60.6

$8.77 R$44.93

34.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$21.09

$1.96 R$10.05

109.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 R$43.47

$5.87 R$30.07

44.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 R$12.39

$1.89 R$9.71

28.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.47

$1.82 R$9.33

-19.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.55

$1.19 R$6.11

7.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.45

$1.83 R$9.39

-9.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.92

$1.33 R$6.82

-12.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.47

$0.56 R$2.87

91.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.03

$0.94 R$4.84

-15.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.85

$0.60 R$3.10

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 R$12.29

$1.37 R$7.00

75.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 R$42.17

$8.76 R$44.88

-6.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.27

$1.13 R$5.80

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$12.02

$2.97 R$15.21

-21.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.10

$0.99 R$5.08

1.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.06 R$180

$42.34 R$217

-17.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.28 R$6.55

-16.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.73

$1.37 R$7.05

-32.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 R$30.99

$9.03 R$46.28

-33.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R$6.73

$1.19 R$6.10

10.08%

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

$23.3K R$119.6K

$22.9K R$117.2K

2.07%

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

$31.9K R$163.6K

$33.2K R$170.4K

-3.95%

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

$96.4 R$494

$45.00 R$231

114.29%

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

$12.61 R$64.6

$13.53 R$69.4

-6.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.81 R$112

$15.65 R$80.2

39.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.07 R$159

$25.50 R$131

21.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.00 R$138

$26.33 R$135

2.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 R$39.38

$7.51 R$38.50

2.26%

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

$822 R$4,214

$429 R$2,197

91.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K R$84.3K

$7,518 R$38.5K

118.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 R$265

$32.22 R$165

60.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 R$222

$19.23 R$98.6

125.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 R$427

$57.0 R$292

46.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 R$443

$82.4 R$422

4.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 R$2,453

$337 R$1,728

41.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 R$1,322

$231 R$1,184

11.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 R$5,719

$653 R$3,348

70.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 R$2,855

$453 R$2,322

22.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,457 R$12.6K

$1,598 R$8,193

53.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,748 R$8,962

$1,117 R$5,726

56.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 R$4,327

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.12

8.99%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 8, 2026

Last update for Cerquilho: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Brasilia and $337 in Cerquilho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $30.00 in Cerquilho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $175 per month, with Cerquilho cheaper across the board.

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 Cerquilho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Cerquilho differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($969 vs $770 including rent). Cerquilho is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,454 in Brasilia and $1,155 in Cerquilho 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: $479 in Brasilia versus $337 in Cerquilho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cerquilho – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $969 per month in Brasilia versus $770 in Cerquilho – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $770 in Cerquilho versus $969 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cerquilho but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Cerquilho 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 Cerquilho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.