Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Contenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Contenda: $824 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Contenda
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Contenda Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Contenda

🇧🇷 Brazil

$824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Contenda

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $824 in Contenda.

Brasilia $916
Contenda $824

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,240 in Contenda.

Brasilia $1,514
Contenda $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $1,657 in Contenda.

Brasilia $2,112
Contenda $1,657

Living in Brasilia is roughly 11% more expensive than in Contenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Contenda 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.15

$3.64 R$19.49

131.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$196

$11.07 R$59.2

231.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$42.72

$7.16 R$38.33

11.45%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.51

$2.23 R$11.93

13.45%

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

$1.42 R$7.60

$1.26 R$6.74

12.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.36

$0.58 R$3.11

72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.77

$1.83 R$9.79

20.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.10

$1.91 R$10.22

96.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.45

$0.97 R$5.17

5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.45

$1.51 R$8.06

29.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.64

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.17

$2.48 R$13.30

-8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$59.8

$9.24 R$49.47

20.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$20.68

$3.78 R$20.25

2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$45.90

$7.25 R$38.77

18.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.34

$2.27 R$12.14

1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.38

$1.14 R$6.09

21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.73

$1.10 R$5.91

14.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.14

$1.28 R$6.86

18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.95

$0.97 R$5.16

14.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.22

$0.85 R$4.54

15.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.04

$0.73 R$3.89

4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$5.00

$0.66 R$3.52

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.65

$2.75 R$14.70

-14.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.04

$3.70 R$19.78

107.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.64

$1.37 R$7.33

-9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.60

$1.82 R$9.74

29.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.90

$0.95 R$5.07

-23.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$159

$42.25 R$226

-29.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.43

$1.14 R$6.12

-11.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.59

$0.89 R$4.74

-3.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$30.89

$9.54 R$51.1

-39.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.68

$1.15 R$6.14

8.70%

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

$22.0K R$117.5K

$16.7K R$89.1K

31.78%

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

$31.9K R$170.4K

$20.6K R$110.2K

54.61%

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

$92.1 R$493

$80.7 R$432

14.18%

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

$11.85 R$63.4

$7.50 R$40.14

58.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$112

$18.24 R$97.6

14.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$163

$24.01 R$128

26.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$141

$25.60 R$137

2.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$39.95

$7.58 R$40.58

-1.58%

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

$764 R$4,091

$260 R$1,394

193.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$84.1K

$10.2K R$54.7K

53.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$282

$59.6 R$319

-11.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$225

$65.3 R$349

-35.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$425

$104 R$557

-23.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$447

$64.8 R$347

28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,767

$341 R$1,823

51.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,292

$226 R$1,210

6.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,188

$559 R$2,991

106.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,102

$400 R$2,141

44.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$12.8K

$1,421 R$7,603

68.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$8,979

$983 R$5,258

70.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,197

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.61

14.23%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Contenda: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Contenda

$226 27.5% 6.4% $15

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Contenda

$170 20.7% 15.1% $30

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Contenda

$98 11.9% 34.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Contenda

$106 12.9% 14.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Contenda

$132 16.1% 14% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Contenda

$39 4.8% 13.7% $6.2

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Contenda

$52 6.3% 35.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $341 in Contenda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $11 in Contenda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $170 per month, with Contenda cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Contenda

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

19,128

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Brasilia Contenda 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Contenda

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 Contenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Contenda differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($916 vs $824 including rent). Contenda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,374 in Brasilia and $1,235 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: $517 in Brasilia versus $341 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 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $916 per month in Brasilia versus $824 in Contenda – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Contenda is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.