Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Ilheus

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilheus: $782 a month against $907 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Ilheus
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Ilheus Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$907

/mo nomad

Ilheus

🇧🇷 Brazil

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Ilheus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Brasilia versus $782 in Ilheus.

Brasilia $907
Ilheus $782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Brasilia versus $1,268 in Ilheus.

Brasilia $1,501
Ilheus $1,268

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in Brasilia versus $1,754 in Ilheus.

Brasilia $2,094
Ilheus $1,754

Living in Brasilia is roughly 16% more expensive than in Ilheus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Ilheus 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 R$45.19

$3.91 R$21.48

110.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 R$206

$29.38 R$161

27.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$43.92

$7.24 R$39.75

10.50%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R$13.37

$1.82 R$10.00

34.07%

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

$1.37 R$7.53

$1.23 R$6.75

11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$5.34

$0.81 R$4.45

19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$12.43

$2.26 R$12.40

0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 R$19.67

$3.16 R$17.33

13.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$5.17

$0.99 R$5.46

-5.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$10.60

$1.51 R$8.30

27.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.68

$1.15 R$6.34

6.09%

Eggs

$2.25 R$12.33

$2.16 R$11.86

4.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 R$60.2

$17.30 R$95.0

-36.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 R$20.21

$3.81 R$20.90

-3.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 R$44.79

$7.37 R$40.46

10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 R$12.52

$2.12 R$11.63

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.50

$1.26 R$6.90

8.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.81

$1.08 R$5.91

14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$8.21

$1.41 R$7.72

6.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.97

$1.11 R$6.11

-1.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.63

$1.04 R$5.70

-1.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.17

$0.77 R$4.23

-1.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$5.16

$0.74 R$4.06

27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 R$12.84

$2.36 R$12.93

-0.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 R$42.15

$7.04 R$38.63

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.78

$1.16 R$6.34

6.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$12.21

$1.84 R$10.12

20.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$4.24

$0.97 R$5.35

-20.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 R$167

$45.03 R$247

-32.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.58

$1.22 R$6.70

-1.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.63

$0.81 R$4.42

3.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 R$39.64

$7.01 R$38.45

3.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.57

$1.07 R$5.86

12.15%

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

$21.4K R$117.4K

$18.9K R$103.8K

13.17%

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

$31.7K R$173.7K

$34.9K R$191.7K

-9.36%

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

$87.9 R$482

$72.3 R$397

21.57%

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

$11.11 R$61.0

$11.46 R$62.9

-3.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 R$111

$19.12 R$105

5.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 R$167

$20.38 R$112

49.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 R$140

$22.39 R$123

14.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 R$39.68

$7.37 R$40.42

-1.90%

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

$765 R$4,201

$275 R$1,511

177.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$91.3K

$6,712 R$36.8K

147.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R$291

$49.75 R$273

6.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 R$228

$39.59 R$217

4.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 R$432

$83.0 R$456

-5.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 R$446

$65.7 R$361

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 R$2,786

$204 R$1,118

149.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,352

$180 R$990

36.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 R$6,212

$522 R$2,864

116.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 R$3,208

$394 R$2,160

48.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 R$12.5K

$1,502 R$8,241

51.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,623 R$8,909

$1,297 R$7,118

25.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 R$4,717

$560 R$3,071

53.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.18%

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

Last update for Brasilia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ilheus: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$246 27.2%

Ilheus

$180 23.1% 26.8% $66

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$196 21.6%

Ilheus

$202 25.8% 2.9% $5.8

Eating Out

Brasilia

$147 16.2%

Ilheus

$101 12.9% 31.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$119 13.1%

Ilheus

$103 13.2% 13.7% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$115 12.6%

Ilheus

$107 13.7% 6.5% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Ilheus

$35 4.5% 21.7% $9.8

Getting Around

Brasilia

$39 4.3%

Ilheus

$54 6.9% 39.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Brasilia and $204 in Ilheus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Brasilia vs $29 in Ilheus. Groceries flip the comparison at $196 vs $202, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Ilheus

🕒 Local time

04:30 4:30 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

178,649

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Brasilia Ilheus 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Brasilia
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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 Ilheus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $907 in Brasilia and $782 in Ilheus, so Ilheus is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $508 in Brasilia versus $204 in Ilheus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ilheus – a meal for two runs $29 versus $38 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $907 per month in Brasilia versus $782 in Ilheus – Ilheus is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Ilheus gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Ilheus is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brasilia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Ilheus wins on affordability, Brasilia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.