Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Macaé

For one person, living is cheaper in Macaé: $887 a month against $1,000 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Macaé
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Macaé Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Macaé

🇧🇷 Brazil

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Macaé

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in Brasilia versus $887 in Macaé.

Brasilia $1,000
Macaé $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Brasilia versus $1,495 in Macaé.

Brasilia $1,614
Macaé $1,495

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Brasilia versus $2,102 in Macaé.

Brasilia $2,228
Macaé $2,102

Living in Brasilia is roughly 13% more expensive than in Macaé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 26% lower, Macaé 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 R$44.59

$5.43 R$27.54

62.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.84 R$202

$29.78 R$151

33.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 R$41.87

$6.91 R$35.00

19.54%

Cappuccino

$2.72 R$13.81

$1.72 R$8.73

58.14%

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

$1.57 R$7.96

$1.39 R$7.04

12.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.07

$0.63 R$3.18

58.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 R$11.81

$1.21 R$6.16

92.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 R$19.85

$2.79 R$14.16

40.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.53

$0.96 R$4.85

13.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.52

$1.56 R$7.91

32.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.87

$1.38 R$6.99

-1.45%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.33

$1.94 R$9.85

25.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 R$59.0

$9.12 R$46.21

27.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.62

$3.34 R$16.92

21.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 R$44.60

$9.69 R$49.10

-9.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 R$12.64

$1.86 R$9.40

33.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.20 R$6.11

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.79

$0.96 R$4.85

39.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.29

$1.23 R$6.21

32.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$0.64 R$3.23

92.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.27

$0.81 R$4.09

28.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 R$4.34

$0.54 R$2.73

59.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.80

$0.52 R$2.64

82.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 R$12.77

$1.56 R$7.88

61.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 R$42.54

$6.09 R$30.86

37.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R$6.65

$0.95 R$4.82

37.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 R$12.23

$1.25 R$6.35

92.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.61 R$8.16

-37.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.30 R$179

$83.9 R$425

-57.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.41 R$7.14

-21.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R$4.73

$0.79 R$4.03

17.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 R$31.25

$7.92 R$40.16

-22.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.29 R$6.53

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$21.5K R$109.0K

8.98%

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

$33.7K R$170.9K

$31.2K R$158.2K

8.03%

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

$96.3 R$488

$100.0 R$507

-3.63%

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

$12.59 R$63.8

$10.21 R$51.7

23.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.58 R$114

$18.76 R$95.1

20.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 R$171

$39.82 R$202

-15.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.87 R$141

$34.04 R$173

-18.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 R$39.43

$6.79 R$34.44

14.58%

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

$815 R$4,133

$648 R$3,283

25.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K R$87.3K

$7,012 R$35.5K

145.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R$281

$63.1 R$320

-12.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.23 R$224

$32.02 R$162

38.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 R$431

$66.9 R$339

27.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 R$445

$46.66 R$237

88.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 R$2,506

$370 R$1,873

33.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 R$1,427

$241 R$1,221

16.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 R$5,711

$886 R$4,490

27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 R$3,004

$669 R$3,392

-11.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,522 R$12.8K

$1,270 R$6,436

98.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 R$8,885

$800 R$4,054

119.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$850 R$4,310

$799 R$4,049

6.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.67

13.59%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 18, 2026

Last update for Macaé: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$282 28.2%

Macaé

$241 27.2% 14.4% $41

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$212 21.2%

Macaé

$169 19.1% 20.1% $43

Eating Out

Brasilia

$158 15.8%

Macaé

$105 11.8% 33.6% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$131 13.2%

Macaé

$129 14.5% 2% $2.6

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$123 12.3%

Macaé

$94 10.6% 23.4% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$49 4.9%

Macaé

$53 6% 8.5% $4.2

Getting Around

Brasilia

$45 4.5%

Macaé

$96 10.8% 112% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $494 in Brasilia and $370 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 6% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Brasilia vs $30.00 in Macaé for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $169 per month, with Macaé cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Macaé

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

246,391

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Macaé 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Macaé

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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Macaé differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,000 vs $887 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Brasilia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $494 in Brasilia versus $370 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,000 per month in Brasilia versus $887 in Macaé – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $887 in Macaé versus $1,000 in Brasilia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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.

Expats usually find Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.