Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Ilheus Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Ilheus

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $974 in Brasilia versus $821 in Ilheus.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in Brasilia versus $1,341 in Ilheus.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Brasilia versus $1,862 in Ilheus.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 19% more expensive than in Ilheus, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 29% lower, Ilheus 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.66

$4.24 R$21.73

105.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.13 R$195

$31.60 R$162

20.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 R$41.61

$7.09 R$36.32

14.53%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R$13.15

$1.97 R$10.12

30.46%

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

$1.44 R$7.36

$1.25 R$6.41

15.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$4.95

$0.87 R$4.46

11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 R$11.82

$2.04 R$10.45

13.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 R$19.37

$2.49 R$12.75

51.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.50

$1.04 R$5.34

2.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.72

$1.68 R$8.62

24.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.76

$1.21 R$6.23

9.09%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.51

$2.18 R$11.16

11.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 R$60.0

$18.15 R$93.0

-35.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.84

$4.22 R$21.64

-3.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 R$43.43

$7.59 R$38.87

11.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.28

$2.08 R$10.68

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.31

$1.28 R$6.58

11.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.72

$1.19 R$6.09

10.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R$8.26

$1.59 R$8.16

1.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.21

$1.22 R$6.24

-0.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.38

$1.06 R$5.42

-0.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 R$4.09

$0.81 R$4.13

-1.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.11

$0.74 R$3.77

35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.27

$2.45 R$12.56

-2.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 R$41.54

$7.35 R$37.67

10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$6.60

$1.16 R$5.96

11.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$11.99

$1.78 R$9.13

31.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.35

$0.99 R$5.08

5.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.90 R$179

$38.82 R$199

-10.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 R$5.26

$1.30 R$6.64

-20.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.73

$0.84 R$4.32

9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 R$32.54

$8.27 R$42.37

-23.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.64

$1.17 R$6.02

10.26%

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

$23.3K R$119.6K

$25.1K R$128.8K

-7.19%

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

$32.6K R$166.9K

$34.2K R$175.2K

-4.71%

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

$95.0 R$487

$72.5 R$371

31.10%

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

$12.28 R$62.9

$12.31 R$63.1

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 R$115

$20.55 R$105

9.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.39 R$161

$25.71 R$132

22.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.96 R$138

$28.55 R$146

-5.57%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 R$40.22

$7.37 R$37.79

6.51%

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

$811 R$4,154

$311 R$1,594

160.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K R$84.7K

$8,045 R$41.2K

105.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 R$265

$45.72 R$234

13.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 R$224

$45.77 R$235

-4.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 R$426

$106 R$544

-21.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R$439

$63.3 R$324

35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 R$2,461

$218 R$1,116

120.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,340

$198 R$1,015

32.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 R$5,688

$535 R$2,742

107.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 R$2,850

$413 R$2,118

34.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 R$12.8K

$1,824 R$9,346

36.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 R$8,747

$1,251 R$6,413

36.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$809 R$4,147

$574 R$2,940

41.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.06

9.58%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ilheus: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $480 in Brasilia and $218 in Ilheus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Brasilia vs $32.00 in Ilheus. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $212, with Brasilia 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 Ilheus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Ilheus differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($974 vs $821 including rent). Ilheus is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $480 in Brasilia versus $218 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 $32.00 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 $821 in Ilheus – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $821 in Ilheus versus $974 in Brasilia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ilheus but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Ilheus 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 Ilheus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.