Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Chapala

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $916 a month against $1,067 in Chapala, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Chapala outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
Learn more

Brasilia Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Chapala
Learn more

Chapala Living Index

Jump to prices

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Chapala

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Chapala

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $1,067 in Chapala.

Brasilia $916
Chapala $1,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,595 in Chapala.

Brasilia $1,514
Chapala $1,595

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $2,122 in Chapala.

Brasilia $2,112
Chapala $2,122

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 14% less than in Chapala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Chapala 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.41

$11.52 MX$216

-26.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$198

$24.67 MX$464

48.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$42.96

$7.18 MX$135

11.14%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.59

$3.20 MX$60.2

-20.94%

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

$1.42 R$7.64

$1.64 MX$30.82

-13.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.39

$1.20 MX$22.59

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.83

$2.10 MX$39.53

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.21

$3.15 MX$59.1

19.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.49

$1.46 MX$27.42

-30.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.51

$2.21 MX$41.52

-11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.68

$1.50 MX$28.11

-17.33%

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.24

$2.32 MX$43.69

-2.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$60.1

$7.82 MX$147

42.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$20.79

$5.35 MX$101

-27.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$46.16

$7.89 MX$148

8.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.41

$2.24 MX$42.08

3.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.42

$1.24 MX$23.39

11.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.77

$1.45 MX$27.33

-13.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.18

$1.74 MX$32.67

-12.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.98

$1.52 MX$28.61

-26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.25

$1.37 MX$25.69

-28.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.07

$0.98 MX$18.44

-22.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$5.03

$0.83 MX$15.59

12.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.72

$4.20 MX$78.9

-43.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.27

$8.02 MX$151

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.67

$0.82 MX$15.39

51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.68

$3.35 MX$62.9

-29.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.92

$0.72 MX$13.50

1.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$160

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.46

$1.22 MX$22.98

-17.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.62

$3.28 MX$61.7

-73.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$31.06

$16.36 MX$308

-64.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.71

$1.40 MX$26.28

-10.71%

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

$22.0K R$118.1K

$24.3K MX$456.1K

-9.55%

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

$31.9K R$171.4K

$23.7K MX$446.0K

34.21%

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

$92.1 R$496

$48.73 MX$916

89.04%

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

$11.85 R$63.8

$16.52 MX$311

-28.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$113

$24.05 MX$452

-12.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$164

$23.79 MX$447

28.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$141

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$40.17

$2.95 MX$55.5

152.88%

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

$764 R$4,114

$213 MX$3,996

259.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$84.6K

$2,826 MX$53.1K

456.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$283

$54.9 MX$1,032

-4.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$227

$38.31 MX$720

9.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$427

$50.5 MX$948

57.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$450

$34.79 MX$654

140.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,783

$575 MX$10.8K

-10.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,300

$460 MX$8,646

-47.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,223

$1,014 MX$19.1K

14.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,119

$768 MX$14.4K

-24.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$12.9K

$692 MX$13.0K

246.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$9,030

$698 MX$13.1K

140.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,221

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.2

8.21%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Chapala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Chapala

$460 43.1% 90.5% $219

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Chapala

$207 19.4% 3.2% $6.5

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Chapala

$180 16.9% 20.2% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Chapala

$89 8.4% 28.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Chapala

$80 7.5% 30.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Chapala

$30 2.8% 34.6% $16

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Chapala

$21 * 1.9% 46% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $575 in Chapala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $25 in Chapala. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $207, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇲🇽 Chapala

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

22:55 10:55 PM

3 h behind Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

21,596

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.166 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brasilia Chapala 7,250 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Chapala

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 Chapala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $916 in Brasilia and $1,067 in Chapala, so Brasilia is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,374 in Brasilia and $1,601 in Chapala 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 $575 in Chapala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $764 in Brasilia versus $213 in Chapala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chapala – a meal for two runs $25 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Brasilia 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.