Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Ipoh Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Ipoh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $974 in Brasilia versus $944 in Ipoh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in Brasilia versus $1,403 in Ipoh.

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

Living in Brasilia is roughly 3% more expensive than in Ipoh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 29% lower, Ipoh 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.87

$3.42 MYR 13.95

154.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.13 R$196

$19.40 MYR 79.2

96.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 R$41.81

$4.35 MYR 17.78

86.67%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R$13.21

$2.85 MYR 11.62

-9.82%

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

$1.44 R$7.39

$0.76 MYR 3.10

89.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$4.97

$0.48 MYR 1.96

102.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 R$11.88

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 R$19.46

$4.71 MYR 19.21

-19.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.53

$2.00 MYR 8.16

-46.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.77

$1.04 MYR 4.23

100.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.80

$1.40 MYR 5.72

-5.71%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.57

$2.27 MYR 9.27

7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 R$60.3

$13.79 MYR 56.3

-15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.93

$4.91 MYR 20.06

-17.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 R$43.64

$7.79 MYR 31.82

8.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.34

$2.99 MYR 12.19

-19.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.35

$1.79 MYR 7.32

-20.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.76

$2.33 MYR 9.52

-43.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R$8.30

$1.59 MYR 6.47

1.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.24

$1.36 MYR 5.57

-11.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.41

$1.37 MYR 5.60

-23.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 R$4.11

$1.21 MYR 4.93

-33.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.13

$0.44 MYR 1.79

127.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.32

$4.45 MYR 18.18

-46.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 R$41.74

$17.28 MYR 70.5

-53.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$6.63

$3.55 MYR 14.48

-63.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$12.05

$4.57 MYR 18.67

-48.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.38

$0.73 MYR 2.97

42.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.90 R$180

$11.31 MYR 46.19

208.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 R$5.29

$1.24 MYR 5.08

-16.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.75

$0.48 MYR 1.95

91.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 R$32.69

$4.99 MYR 20.36

27.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.67

$0.52 MYR 2.11

148.08%

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

$23.3K R$120.1K

$41.2K MYR 168.1K

-43.33%

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

$32.6K R$167.7K

$35.3K MYR 144.2K

-7.76%

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

$95.0 R$489

$63.5 MYR 259

49.53%

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

$12.28 R$63.2

$9.34 MYR 38.12

31.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 R$115

$26.28 MYR 107

-14.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.39 R$162

$40.27 MYR 164

-22.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.96 R$139

$6.62 MYR 27.02

307.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 R$40.41

$3.54 MYR 14.44

121.75%

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

$811 R$4,174

$295 MYR 1,205

174.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K R$85.1K

$5,009 MYR 20.4K

229.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 R$267

$61.4 MYR 251

-15.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 R$225

$37.03 MYR 151

18.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 R$428

$62.1 MYR 254

33.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R$441

$60.3 MYR 246

41.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 R$2,473

$417 MYR 1,702

15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,347

$310 MYR 1,265

-15.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 R$5,714

$693 MYR 2,831

60.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 R$2,863

$488 MYR 1,992

14.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 R$12.9K

$1,941 MYR 7,924

28.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 R$8,788

$1,187 MYR 4,846

43.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$809 R$4,166

$972 MYR 3,969

-16.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

3.99

203.76%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 13, 2026

Last update for Ipoh: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $480 in Brasilia and $417 in Ipoh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipoh pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Brasilia vs $19.00 in Ipoh. Groceries flip the comparison at $210 vs $256, 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 Ipoh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Ipoh differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($974 vs $944 including rent). Ipoh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Ipoh. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $480 in Brasilia versus $417 in Ipoh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ipoh – a meal for two runs $19.00 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 $944 in Ipoh – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $944 in Ipoh versus $974 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ipoh but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Ipoh 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.

Safety-wise, Brasilia and Ipoh are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ipoh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.