Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Maceio - Alagoas Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Maceio - Alagoas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $974 in Brasilia versus $810 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in Brasilia versus $1,274 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Brasilia versus $1,737 in Maceio - Alagoas.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 20% more expensive than in Maceio - Alagoas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 29% lower, Maceio - Alagoas 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.90

$5.97 R$30.76

45.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.13 R$196

$28.73 R$148

32.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 R$41.84

$5.89 R$30.34

37.86%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R$13.22

$1.75 R$9.02

46.86%

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

$1.44 R$7.40

$1.09 R$5.64

32.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$4.97

$0.48 R$2.47

102.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 R$11.89

$1.55 R$7.98

49.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 R$19.47

$4.11 R$21.16

-8.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.53

$1.07 R$5.49

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.77

$1.94 R$10.01

7.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.80

$1.01 R$5.22

30.69%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.58

$1.96 R$10.09

24.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 R$60.3

$9.01 R$46.44

29.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.95

$4.34 R$22.36

-6.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 R$43.66

$7.39 R$38.09

14.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.81 R$14.47

-14.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.35

$1.10 R$5.66

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.76

$1.37 R$7.07

-4.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R$8.30

$1.31 R$6.76

22.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.24

$1.44 R$7.42

-15.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.41

$1.24 R$6.39

-15.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 R$4.11

$0.53 R$2.73

50.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.13

$0.76 R$3.90

31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.33

$2.03 R$10.45

17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 R$41.77

$6.61 R$34.05

22.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$6.64

$1.50 R$7.70

-14.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$12.05

$1.42 R$7.31

64.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.38

$0.74 R$3.83

40.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.90 R$180

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 R$5.29

$0.40 R$2.08

157.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.75

$0.41 R$2.10

124.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 R$32.71

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.67

$1.19 R$6.12

8.40%

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

$23.3K R$120.2K

$21.3K R$109.9K

9.41%

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

$32.6K R$167.8K

$30.1K R$155.0K

8.29%

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

$95.0 R$489

$80.3 R$414

18.27%

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

$12.28 R$63.3

$16.07 R$82.8

-23.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 R$115

$17.73 R$91.4

26.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.39 R$162

$23.71 R$122

32.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.96 R$139

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 R$40.43

$5.85 R$30.14

34.19%

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

$811 R$4,177

$214 R$1,104

278.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K R$85.1K

$6,930 R$35.7K

138.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 R$267

$53.6 R$276

-3.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 R$226

$75.3 R$388

-41.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 R$428

$90.6 R$467

-8.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R$441

$77.3 R$398

10.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 R$2,474

$293 R$1,507

64.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,348

$241 R$1,239

8.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 R$5,718

$486 R$2,505

128.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 R$2,865

$464 R$2,391

19.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 R$12.9K

$1,469 R$7,567

70.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 R$8,794

$693 R$3,570

146.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$809 R$4,169

$586 R$3,018

38.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.17

19.17%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 13, 2026

Last update for Maceio - Alagoas: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $480 in Brasilia and $293 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 38% 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: $38.00 in Brasilia vs $29.00 in Maceio - Alagoas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $187 per month, with Maceio - Alagoas cheaper across the board.

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 Maceio - Alagoas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Maceio - Alagoas differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($974 vs $810 including rent). Maceio - Alagoas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $480 in Brasilia versus $293 in Maceio - Alagoas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $811 in Brasilia versus $214 in Maceio - Alagoas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Maceio - Alagoas – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $38.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $810 in Maceio - Alagoas versus $974 in Brasilia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Maceio - Alagoas but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Maceio - Alagoas 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 Maceio - Alagoas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.