Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Curitiba Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Curitiba

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $969 in Brasilia versus $1,029 in Curitiba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,551 in Brasilia versus $1,596 in Curitiba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,132 in Brasilia versus $2,163 in Curitiba.

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 6% less than in Curitiba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Curitiba 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.92 R$45.75

$7.68 R$39.38

16.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.80 R$199

$38.78 R$199

0.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 R$43.54

$8.82 R$45.20

-3.74%

Cappuccino

$2.58 R$13.24

$2.68 R$13.72

-3.73%

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

$1.41 R$7.22

$1.13 R$5.81

24.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.92 R$4.70

-2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$12.07

$2.79 R$14.30

-15.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 R$19.83

$4.15 R$21.27

-6.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.53

$1.07 R$5.49

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 R$10.43

$1.84 R$9.43

10.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.58

$1.35 R$6.90

-5.19%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.45

$2.37 R$12.14

2.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 R$60.6

$9.59 R$49.15

23.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$21.09

$4.82 R$24.71

-14.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 R$43.47

$10.03 R$51.4

-15.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 R$12.39

$1.62 R$8.32

49.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.47

$1.05 R$5.38

39.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.55

$0.95 R$4.88

34.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.45

$1.16 R$5.93

42.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.92

$0.81 R$4.15

43.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.47

$0.75 R$3.83

42.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$4.03

$0.77 R$3.92

2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.85

$0.87 R$4.44

9.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.40 R$12.29

$2.95 R$15.10

-18.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 R$42.17

$7.57 R$38.83

8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.27

$1.39 R$7.13

-12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$12.02

$2.48 R$12.72

-5.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.10

$1.15 R$5.91

-13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.06 R$180

$68.9 R$353

-49.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.24 R$6.34

-13.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.73

$0.80 R$4.11

15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 R$30.99

$5.87 R$30.09

3.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 R$6.73

$1.32 R$6.76

-0.76%

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

$23.3K R$119.6K

$23.0K R$118.0K

1.33%

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

$31.9K R$163.6K

$32.6K R$167.1K

-2.07%

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

$96.4 R$494

$101 R$515

-4.08%

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

$12.61 R$64.6

$14.74 R$75.6

-14.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.81 R$112

$22.53 R$115

-3.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.07 R$159

$27.41 R$140

13.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.00 R$138

$17.06 R$87.5

58.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.68 R$39.38

$6.76 R$34.67

13.61%

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

$822 R$4,214

$377 R$1,932

118.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K R$84.3K

$11.0K R$56.2K

50.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 R$265

$55.0 R$282

-5.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.32 R$222

$50.7 R$260

-14.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 R$427

$92.8 R$476

-10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 R$443

$77.6 R$398

11.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$479 R$2,453

$496 R$2,544

-3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 R$1,322

$286 R$1,466

-9.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,116 R$5,719

$788 R$4,042

41.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 R$2,855

$520 R$2,665

7.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,457 R$12.6K

$2,477 R$12.7K

-0.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,748 R$8,962

$1,766 R$9,055

-1.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$844 R$4,327

$664 R$3,403

27.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.54

5.03%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 8, 2026

Last update for Curitiba: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $479 in Brasilia and $496 in Curitiba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 27% 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 $39.00 in Curitiba. Groceries flip the comparison at $209 vs $195, with Curitiba 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 Curitiba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Curitiba differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($969 vs $1,029 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Brasilia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $479 in Brasilia versus $496 in Curitiba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

All in, you'll spend $969 per month in Brasilia versus $1,029 in Curitiba – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $969 in Brasilia versus $1,029 in Curitiba, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Curitiba. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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 Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Curitiba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.