Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Changsha Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Changsha

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $860 in Brasilia versus $752 in Changsha.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Brasilia versus $1,227 in Changsha.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,961 in Brasilia versus $1,701 in Changsha.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 14% more expensive than Changsha, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 36% lower, Changsha 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 R$35.53

$2.81 ¥19.03

149.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 R$197

$20.63 ¥140

88.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 R$32.41

$4.77 ¥32.28

34.17%

Cappuccino

$1.94 R$9.80

$3.07 ¥20.73

-36.81%

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

$1.15 R$5.85

$0.42 ¥2.85

173.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.36

$0.25 ¥1.69

244.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$9.01

$1.10 ¥7.42

61.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 R$16.14

$1.86 ¥12.56

71.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.00

$1.92 ¥12.95

-48.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 R$8.39

$2.35 ¥15.87

-29.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.52

$0.93 ¥6.29

60.22%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.19

$1.63 ¥11.01

23.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 R$45.53

$15.89 ¥107

-43.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 R$16.68

$3.07 ¥20.79

7.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 R$33.61

$9.02 ¥61.0

-26.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.23

$1.91 ¥12.92

5.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.09

$1.29 ¥8.72

8.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.09

$1.77 ¥11.97

-32.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.19

$1.81 ¥12.25

-10.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.54

$0.89 ¥6.00

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.61

$1.53 ¥10.33

-14.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.09

$0.50 ¥3.39

62.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.16

$0.42 ¥2.87

47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R$10.99

$2.80 ¥18.95

-22.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 R$43.91

$12.47 ¥84.3

-30.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 R$5.37

$0.90 ¥6.07

17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R$11.41

$1.43 ¥9.70

57.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.12

$0.34 ¥2.29

197.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.27 R$224

$13.73 ¥92.9

222.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 R$5.08

$1.28 ¥8.69

-21.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.08

$0.26 ¥1.74

211.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 R$28.91

$8.25 ¥55.8

-30.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.78

$1.14 ¥7.68

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

$24.8K R$125.7K

$20.4K ¥137.7K

21.96%

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

$28.6K R$144.7K

$21.6K ¥145.9K

32.43%

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

$69.8 R$353

$43.59 ¥295

60.17%

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

$13.07 R$66.2

$12.35 ¥83.5

5.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.51 R$104

$14.65 ¥99.0

40.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.95 R$126

$56.8 ¥384

-56.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.00 R$111

$22.83 ¥154

-3.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R$36.86

$6.01 ¥40.62

21.13%

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

$491 R$2,485

$311 ¥2,106

57.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K R$78.5K

$7,443 ¥50.3K

108.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 R$299

$84.3 ¥570

-30.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 R$208

$31.02 ¥210

32.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 R$344

$81.0 ¥548

-16.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.8 R$323

$69.5 ¥470

-8.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 R$2,093

$207 ¥1,400

99.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 R$1,311

$173 ¥1,171

49.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 R$4,831

$513 ¥3,467

86.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 R$2,794

$354 ¥2,394

55.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 R$12.6K

$2,513 ¥17.0K

-1.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 R$8,520

$1,370 ¥9,263

22.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$929 R$4,705

$1,109 ¥7,500

-16.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

3.89

205.14%

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

Last update for Brasilia: June 8, 2026

Last update for Changsha: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Brasilia and $207 in Changsha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changsha pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $21.00 in Changsha. Groceries flip the comparison at $180 vs $222, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

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 Changsha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Changsha differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($860 vs $752 including rent). Changsha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Changsha earns 19% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $414 in Brasilia versus $207 in Changsha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changsha – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $860 per month in Brasilia versus $752 in Changsha – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Changsha 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 Changsha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.