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: $860 in Brasilia versus $859 in Ipoh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,410 in Brasilia versus $1,305 in Ipoh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,961 in Brasilia versus $1,752 in Ipoh.

Monthly costs are close between Brasilia and Ipoh; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 R$35.53

$2.57 MYR 10.40

173.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 R$197

$18.80 MYR 76.2

106.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.40 R$32.41

$3.70 MYR 15.00

72.97%

Cappuccino

$1.94 R$9.80

$2.32 MYR 9.40

-16.38%

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

$1.15 R$5.85

$0.77 MYR 3.10

49.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.36

$0.33 MYR 1.35

160.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$9.01

$3.47 MYR 14.05

-48.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 R$16.14

$4.58 MYR 18.57

-30.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.00

$1.87 MYR 7.60

-47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 R$8.39

$0.99 MYR 4.01

67.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.52

$1.35 MYR 5.48

10.37%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.19

$1.83 MYR 7.43

9.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 R$45.53

$13.27 MYR 53.8

-32.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.30 R$16.68

$5.16 MYR 20.91

-36.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.64 R$33.61

$7.63 MYR 30.92

-12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 R$10.23

$3.00 MYR 12.17

-32.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.09

$1.81 MYR 7.35

-22.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.09

$2.97 MYR 12.03

-59.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.19

$2.02 MYR 8.19

-19.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.45 MYR 5.89

-11.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.61

$1.35 MYR 5.47

-2.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.09

$1.65 MYR 6.71

-50.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.16

$0.45 MYR 1.84

37.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.17 R$10.99

$4.15 MYR 16.83

-47.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.67 R$43.91

$17.68 MYR 71.7

-50.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 R$5.37

$3.58 MYR 14.52

-70.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R$11.41

$4.37 MYR 17.72

-48.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.12

$0.74 MYR 3.01

36.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.27 R$224

$11.55 MYR 46.83

283.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 R$5.08

$1.17 MYR 4.74

-14.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.08

$1.10 MYR 4.48

-26.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.71 R$28.91

$4.42 MYR 17.94

29.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 R$5.78

$0.46 MYR 1.87

147.83%

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

$24.8K R$125.7K

$43.9K MYR 177.9K

-43.40%

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

$28.6K R$144.7K

$31.4K MYR 127.4K

-9.08%

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

$69.8 R$353

$64.0 MYR 259

9.14%

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

$13.07 R$66.2

$9.26 MYR 37.56

41.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.51 R$104

$27.65 MYR 112

-25.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.95 R$126

$23.76 MYR 96.4

5.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.00 R$111

$5.83 MYR 23.62

277.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R$36.86

$3.15 MYR 12.78

131.11%

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

$491 R$2,485

$116 MYR 470

323.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K R$78.5K

$2,359 MYR 9,567

557.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 R$299

$57.9 MYR 235

1.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 R$208

$27.24 MYR 110

50.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.9 R$344

$76.2 MYR 309

-11.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.8 R$323

$53.7 MYR 218

18.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 R$2,093

$384 MYR 1,559

7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$259 R$1,311

$272 MYR 1,103

-4.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 R$4,831

$644 MYR 2,610

48.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 R$2,794

$463 MYR 1,879

19.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,480 R$12.6K

$1,899 MYR 7,701

30.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,683 R$8,520

$934 MYR 3,787

80.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$929 R$4,705

$978 MYR 3,967

-4.99%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ipoh: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $414 in Brasilia and $384 in Ipoh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipoh pays 5% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $19.00 in Ipoh. Groceries flip the comparison at $180 vs $259, 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

On paper, Ipoh earns 5% 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: $414 in Brasilia versus $384 in Ipoh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Brasilia versus $116 in Ipoh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ipoh – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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