Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Itapema

For one person, living is cheaper in Itapema: $776 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Itapema
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Itapema Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Itapema

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Itapema

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $776 in Itapema.

Brasilia $916
Itapema $776

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,239 in Itapema.

Brasilia $1,514
Itapema $1,239

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $1,702 in Itapema.

Brasilia $2,112
Itapema $1,702

Living in Brasilia is roughly 18% more expensive than in Itapema, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Itapema 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.11

$5.38 R$28.78

56.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$196

$28.31 R$151

29.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$42.68

$6.46 R$34.55

23.53%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.50

$1.81 R$9.66

39.78%

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

$1.42 R$7.59

$1.11 R$5.96

27.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.36

$0.61 R$3.28

63.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.76

$1.82 R$9.75

20.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.08

$2.73 R$14.59

37.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.45

$0.96 R$5.11

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.45

$1.45 R$7.76

34.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.63

$1.15 R$6.15

7.83%

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.16

$2.03 R$10.83

11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$59.7

$8.08 R$43.19

38.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$20.66

$3.57 R$19.10

8.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$45.86

$7.28 R$38.91

17.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.33

$2.12 R$11.33

8.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.37

$1.26 R$6.73

9.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.72

$1.19 R$6.38

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.13

$1.51 R$8.06

0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.94

$1.18 R$6.31

-5.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.22

$1.08 R$5.78

-9.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.04

$0.66 R$3.55

15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.99

$0.67 R$3.58

38.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.64

$2.17 R$11.59

8.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.00

$7.37 R$39.42

4.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.63

$1.18 R$6.33

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.59

$2.09 R$11.15

12.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.90

$0.88 R$4.73

-17.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$159

$38.91 R$208

-23.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.42

$1.10 R$5.86

-8.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.59

$0.71 R$3.81

21.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$30.86

$6.29 R$33.63

-8.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.67

$1.08 R$5.76

15.74%

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

$22.0K R$117.4K

$20.8K R$111.1K

5.66%

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

$31.9K R$170.3K

$27.6K R$147.6K

15.38%

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

$92.1 R$493

$60.8 R$325

51.51%

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

$11.85 R$63.3

$13.38 R$71.6

-11.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$112

$18.90 R$101

10.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$163

$22.25 R$119

36.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$141

$22.05 R$118

19.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$39.91

$6.12 R$32.74

21.90%

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

$764 R$4,087

$282 R$1,506

171.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$84.1K

$6,456 R$34.5K

143.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$281

$46.98 R$251

12.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$225

$42.19 R$226

-0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$425

$76.0 R$407

4.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$447

$62.4 R$333

33.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,765

$315 R$1,684

64.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,291

$220 R$1,179

9.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,183

$571 R$3,055

102.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,099

$434 R$2,323

33.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$12.8K

$1,464 R$7,827

63.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$8,972

$1,017 R$5,436

65.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,194

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.92

10.99%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Itapema: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Itapema

$220 28.4% 8.7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Itapema

$172 22.2% 14% $28

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Itapema

$106 13.6% 29.6% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Itapema

$93 12% 25.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Itapema

$102 13.2% 11.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Itapema

$34 4.5% 24% $11

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Itapema

$47 6.1% 24% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $315 in Itapema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $28 in Itapema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $172 per month, with Itapema cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Itapema

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

75,940

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Itapema 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Itapema

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 Itapema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Itapema differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($916 vs $776 including rent). Itapema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $1,374 in Brasilia and $1,163 in Itapema to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $517 in Brasilia versus $315 in Itapema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Itapema – a meal for two runs $28 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $916 per month in Brasilia versus $776 in Itapema – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.