Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Cotia Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Cotia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $974 in Brasilia versus $886 in Cotia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in Brasilia versus $1,476 in Cotia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Brasilia versus $2,066 in Cotia.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 10% more expensive than in Cotia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 29% lower, Cotia 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.81

$6.75 R$34.73

29.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.13 R$196

$38.65 R$199

-1.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 R$41.76

$8.16 R$41.98

-0.49%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R$13.20

$2.52 R$12.96

1.98%

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

$1.44 R$7.38

$1.30 R$6.70

10.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$4.97

$1.15 R$5.90

-15.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 R$11.86

$2.99 R$15.35

-22.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 R$19.43

$4.63 R$23.79

-18.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.14 R$5.87

-6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.75

$1.82 R$9.34

14.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.79

$1.20 R$6.15

10.00%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.55

$2.66 R$13.69

-8.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 R$60.2

$11.79 R$60.6

-0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.91

$4.55 R$23.41

-10.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 R$43.58

$10.46 R$53.8

-18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.32

$2.78 R$14.30

-13.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.34

$1.72 R$8.84

-16.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.75

$1.61 R$8.27

-18.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R$8.29

$1.75 R$9.00

-8.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.23

$1.31 R$6.73

-7.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.40

$1.24 R$6.36

-15.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 R$4.10

$0.90 R$4.61

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.12

$0.73 R$3.76

36.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.31

$2.67 R$13.74

-10.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 R$41.69

$8.55 R$43.94

-5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$6.62

$1.68 R$8.62

-23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$12.03

$2.56 R$13.14

-8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.37

$0.85 R$4.38

22.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.90 R$179

$43.83 R$225

-20.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 R$5.28

$1.29 R$6.63

-20.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.74

$1.01 R$5.20

-8.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 R$32.65

$9.15 R$47.07

-30.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.66

$1.28 R$6.57

0.78%

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

$23.3K R$120.0K

$23.0K R$118.2K

1.54%

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

$32.6K R$167.5K

$32.3K R$166.1K

0.87%

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

$95.0 R$488

$44.54 R$229

113.25%

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

$12.28 R$63.1

$14.73 R$75.7

-16.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 R$115

$17.88 R$92.0

25.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.39 R$161

$25.43 R$131

23.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.96 R$139

$28.49 R$147

-5.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 R$40.36

$7.92 R$40.73

-0.88%

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

$811 R$4,169

$427 R$2,198

89.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K R$84.9K

$7,587 R$39.0K

117.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 R$266

$54.4 R$280

-4.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 R$225

$56.4 R$290

-22.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 R$427

$94.8 R$487

-12.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R$440

$82.5 R$424

3.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 R$2,469

$335 R$1,722

43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,345

$230 R$1,181

13.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 R$5,707

$644 R$3,310

72.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 R$2,860

$454 R$2,333

22.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 R$12.8K

$1,810 R$9,305

38.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 R$8,777

$1,069 R$5,498

59.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$809 R$4,161

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 13, 2026

Last update for Cotia: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $480 in Brasilia and $335 in Cotia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Brasilia vs $39.00 in Cotia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $223 per month, with Brasilia 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 Cotia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Cotia differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($974 vs $886 including rent). Cotia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,461 in Brasilia and $1,330 in Cotia 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: $480 in Brasilia versus $335 in Cotia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cotia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $38.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $974 per month in Brasilia versus $886 in Cotia – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $886 in Cotia versus $974 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotia but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Cotia 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 Cotia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.