Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and London

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $907 a month against $4,048 in London, rent and utilities included – about $37,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brasilia, Brazil
London, United Kingdom
Brasilia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$907
/mo nomad
London
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$4,048
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Brasilia versus $4,048 in London.

  • Brasilia $907
  • London $4,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Brasilia versus $5,903 in London.

  • Brasilia $1,501
  • London $5,903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in Brasilia versus $7,758 in London.

  • Brasilia $2,094
  • London $7,758

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 78% less than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasilia is 33% below, London is 199% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brasilia
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.23 R$45.32
$26.36 £19.68
-68.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.50 R$206
$109 £81.1
-65.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.00 R$44.05
$10.71 £8.00
-25.30%
Cappuccino
$2.44 R$13.41
$5.59 £4.17
-56.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 R$7.56
$3.00 £2.24
-54.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.97 R$5.35
$2.22 £1.66
-56.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.27 R$12.47
$9.65 £7.20
-76.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 R$19.73
$8.26 £6.16
-56.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brasilia
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 R$5.18
$1.97 £1.47
-52.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.93 R$10.64
$2.09 £1.56
-7.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 R$6.70
$2.59 £1.94
-52.90%
Eggs
$2.25 R$12.37
$5.37 £4.01
-58.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.96 R$60.3
$13.12 £9.79
-16.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.68 R$20.27
$11.03 £8.23
-66.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.16 R$44.92
$17.73 £13.23
-53.98%
Apples (1kg)
$2.28 R$12.55
$3.17 £2.37
-28.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.37 R$7.52
$1.38 £1.03
-0.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.24 R$6.83
$2.82 £2.11
-56.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 R$8.23
$3.36 £2.51
-55.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 R$5.99
$1.70 £1.27
-35.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.02 R$5.64
$1.78 £1.33
-42.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 R$4.18
$1.49 £1.11
-48.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 R$5.18
$1.82 £1.36
-48.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.34 R$12.87
$23.85 £17.80
-90.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.68 R$42.27
$13.44 £10.03
-42.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 R$6.80
$3.11 £2.32
-60.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.22 R$12.24
$4.49 £3.35
-50.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Brasilia
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.77 R$4.25
$4.13 £3.08
-81.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.34 R$167
$266 £199
-88.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 R$6.60
$5.98 £4.46
-79.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.84 R$4.65
$3.39 £2.53
-75.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.22 R$39.75
$56.6 £42.21
-87.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 R$6.59
$2.21 £1.65
-45.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.4K R$117.8K
$38.3K £28.6K
-44.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K R$174.2K
$41.0K £30.6K
-22.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasilia
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$87.9 R$484
$372 £278
-76.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.11 R$61.2
$18.66 £13.93
-40.46%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.19 R$111
$40.53 £30.26
-50.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brasilia
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.40 R$167
$56.0 £41.82
-45.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.58 R$141
$17.10 £12.76
49.59%
Cinema Ticket
$7.23 R$39.79
$17.95 £13.40
-59.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brasilia
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$765 R$4,213
$2,946 £2,199
-74.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K R$91.6K
$47.6K £35.5K
-65.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brasilia
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.1 R$292
$116 £86.8
-54.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.52 R$229
$56.9 £42.47
-27.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.7 R$433
$128 £95.5
-38.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$81.4 R$448
$154 £115
-47.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brasilia
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$508 R$2,794
$2,935 £2,191
-82.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$246 R$1,356
$2,258 £1,686
-89.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,132 R$6,230
$5,250 £3,919
-78.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$584 R$3,217
$3,859 £2,881
-84.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,281 R$12.6K
$17.2K £12.8K
-86.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,623 R$8,934
$8,278 £6,179
-80.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brasilia
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$859 R$4,730
$5,621 £4,196
-84.71%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.12
4.78
153.56%

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

Last update for Brasilia: November 1, 2026

Last update for London: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brasilia
$246
London
$2.3K 817% $2K
Groceries & Markets
Brasilia
$196
London
$360 83.7% $164
Eating Out
Brasilia
$147
London
$396 169% $249
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasilia
$119
London
$432 262% $312
Clothing & Footwear
Brasilia
$115
London
$205 78.7% $90
Sport & Entertainment
Brasilia
$45
London
$92 105% $47
Getting Around
Brasilia
$39
London
$305 686% $267

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Brasilia and $2,935 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays about 6.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Brasilia vs $109 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $360 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Brasilia
🇬🇧 London
🕒 Local time
10:46 10:46 AM
13:46 1:46 PM
3 h ahead of Brasilia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,817,381 Capital
8,908,083 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.5 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brasilia London 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brasilia
  • London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Brasilia and in London?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $907 in Brasilia and $4,048 in London, so Brasilia is about 78% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Brasilia. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Brasilia and in London?
Rent for a central apartment: $508 in Brasilia versus $2,935 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $38 versus $109 in London. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Brasilia or London?
All in, you’ll spend $907 per month in Brasilia versus $4,048 in London – Brasilia is about 78% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $907 in Brasilia versus $4,048 in London, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Brasilia and London?
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.
Where should expats move: Brasilia or London?
Expats usually find Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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