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: $880 in Brasilia versus $853 in Ipoh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,446 in Brasilia versus $1,289 in Ipoh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,011 in Brasilia versus $1,725 in Ipoh.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 34% lower, Ipoh 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.19 R$35.88

$2.64 MYR 10.41

172.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.72 R$198

$19.05 MYR 75.2

108.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 R$31.13

$3.84 MYR 15.17

62.50%

Cappuccino

$1.88 R$9.37

$2.32 MYR 9.18

-18.97%

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

$1.16 R$5.81

$0.71 MYR 2.82

63.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.37

$0.33 MYR 1.32

163.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 R$9.10

$3.57 MYR 14.10

-49.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 R$16.38

$4.52 MYR 17.86

-27.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.64

$1.83 MYR 7.24

-49.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 R$8.09

$1.03 MYR 4.08

57.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.02

$1.30 MYR 5.14

8.46%

Eggs

$2.10 R$10.47

$1.84 MYR 7.28

14.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 R$46.36

$13.13 MYR 51.9

-29.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 R$16.51

$5.09 MYR 20.10

-34.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 R$34.19

$7.79 MYR 30.76

-12.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 R$9.98

$2.92 MYR 11.52

-31.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.70

$1.72 MYR 6.81

-22.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.06

$2.96 MYR 11.68

-58.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.34

$2.11 MYR 8.33

-20.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.12

$1.50 MYR 5.92

-18.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.49

$1.41 MYR 5.55

-7.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.71

$1.58 MYR 6.24

-53.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.07

$0.42 MYR 1.65

45.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 R$10.88

$4.32 MYR 17.08

-49.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.10 R$50.4

$17.62 MYR 69.6

-42.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R$5.55

$3.45 MYR 13.62

-67.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 R$11.74

$4.25 MYR 16.80

-44.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.12

$0.74 MYR 2.92

39.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.64 R$218

$11.87 MYR 46.90

267.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R$4.71

$1.21 MYR 4.76

-22.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.79 R$3.94

$1.10 MYR 4.36

-28.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.82 R$29.03

$4.28 MYR 16.90

35.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.67

$0.46 MYR 1.82

147.83%

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

$25.4K R$126.6K

$44.5K MYR 175.7K

-42.94%

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

$28.2K R$140.9K

$31.0K MYR 122.5K

-8.98%

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

$69.9 R$349

$63.9 MYR 252

9.41%

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

$13.04 R$65.1

$9.22 MYR 36.41

41.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.00 R$99.8

$28.65 MYR 113

-30.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.95 R$124

$23.82 MYR 94.1

4.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.77 R$109

$5.77 MYR 22.81

277.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.00 R$34.91

$3.08 MYR 12.15

127.27%

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

$488 R$2,435

$120 MYR 472

308.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K R$74.6K

$2,334 MYR 9,221

540.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 R$290

$58.0 MYR 229

0.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.98 R$209

$27.51 MYR 109

52.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 R$345

$74.2 MYR 293

-6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.0 R$320

$52.8 MYR 208

21.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$402 R$2,007

$384 MYR 1,515

4.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$263 R$1,312

$266 MYR 1,050

-1.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 R$4,881

$652 MYR 2,577

49.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 R$2,813

$466 MYR 1,840

21.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,751 R$13.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,816 R$9,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$762 R$3,801

$977 MYR 3,860

-22.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

3.96

199.75%

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

Last update for Brasilia: April 26, 2026

Last update for Ipoh: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $402 in Brasilia and $384 in Ipoh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipoh pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Brasilia vs $19.00 in Ipoh. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 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 ($880 vs $853 including rent). Ipoh is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Ipoh earns 28% less. 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: $402 in Brasilia versus $384 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 $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $880 per month in Brasilia versus $853 in Ipoh – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Ipoh gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.