Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Contenda Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Contenda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $957 in Brasilia versus $840 in Contenda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Brasilia versus $1,314 in Contenda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Brasilia versus $1,788 in Contenda.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 14% more expensive than in Contenda, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Contenda 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 R$44.15

$3.80 R$19.48

126.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.06 R$200

$11.37 R$58.3

243.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$40.99

$7.57 R$38.80

5.68%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$13.05

$2.30 R$11.77

10.87%

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

$1.45 R$7.44

$1.27 R$6.53

14.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.94

$0.56 R$2.89

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R$11.57

$1.90 R$9.73

18.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 R$19.94

$1.90 R$9.73

104.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.00 R$5.10

7.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 R$10.45

$1.50 R$7.68

36.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.45

$1.25 R$6.42

0.80%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.51

$2.43 R$12.48

0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.8

$9.16 R$46.95

31.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.82

$3.82 R$19.56

6.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 R$42.25

$7.82 R$40.07

5.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 R$12.01

$2.33 R$11.93

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.28

$1.17 R$6.01

21.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.52

$1.14 R$5.85

11.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.48

$1.38 R$7.09

19.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.93

$1.00 R$5.11

16.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.18

$0.91 R$4.65

10.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.26

$0.74 R$3.81

12.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$5.00

$0.72 R$3.69

36.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.22

$2.95 R$15.13

-18.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.95

$3.83 R$19.61

108.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.67

$1.48 R$7.60

-12.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.28

$1.96 R$10.03

22.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.69

$0.97 R$4.99

-5.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 R$180

$42.98 R$220

-18.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.39

$1.14 R$5.85

-7.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.38

$1.00 R$5.10

-15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 R$30.58

$9.55 R$48.94

-37.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.56

$1.13 R$5.81

13.27%

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

$22.6K R$115.9K

$17.4K R$89.1K

30.10%

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

$32.1K R$164.5K

$21.6K R$110.8K

48.39%

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

$91.1 R$467

$83.1 R$426

9.63%

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

$12.43 R$63.7

$7.71 R$39.50

61.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 R$116

$19.23 R$98.5

17.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 R$161

$25.02 R$128

25.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 R$135

$26.80 R$137

-1.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 R$40.26

$7.79 R$39.90

0.90%

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

$813 R$4,168

$292 R$1,497

178.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K R$83.6K

$10.3K R$53.0K

57.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 R$268

$63.4 R$325

-17.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.67 R$224

$68.4 R$350

-36.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 R$424

$107 R$549

-22.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 R$443

$66.6 R$341

29.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 R$2,564

$354 R$1,817

41.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 R$1,364

$222 R$1,136

20.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 R$5,806

$717 R$3,675

57.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,879

$467 R$2,392

20.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 R$12.4K

$1,545 R$7,918

56.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,738

$1,077 R$5,520

58.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 R$4,489

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

10.61

11.22%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Last update for Contenda: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Brasilia and $354 in Contenda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $11.00 in Contenda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $175 per month, with Contenda 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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Contenda differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($957 vs $840 including rent). Contenda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,435 in Brasilia and $1,260 in Contenda 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: $500 in Brasilia versus $354 in Contenda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Contenda – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $957 per month in Brasilia versus $840 in Contenda – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $840 in Contenda versus $957 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Contenda but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Contenda 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 Contenda 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.