Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Manaus

For one person, living costs are similar in Brasilia and in Manaus: $916 and $931 a month, rent and utilities included.

Brasilia, Brazil
Manaus, Brazil
Brasilia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$916
/mo nomad
Manaus
🇧🇷 Brazil
$931
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Manaus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $931 in Manaus.

  • Brasilia $916
  • Manaus $931

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,368 in Manaus.

  • Brasilia $1,514
  • Manaus $1,368

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $1,806 in Manaus.

  • Brasilia $2,112
  • Manaus $1,806

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Manaus 32% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brasilia
Manaus
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.44 R$45.89
$5.74 R$31.25
47.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.71 R$200
$25.62 R$139
43.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.98 R$43.42
$6.47 R$35.21
23.34%
Cappuccino
$2.53 R$13.74
$2.19 R$11.94
15.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 R$7.72
$0.99 R$5.39
43.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.00 R$5.45
$0.73 R$3.99
36.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.20 R$11.96
$2.54 R$13.83
-13.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.76 R$20.43
$5.05 R$27.45
-25.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brasilia
Manaus
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.02 R$5.54
$1.32 R$7.17
-22.73%
White Bread (500g)
$1.95 R$10.63
$1.54 R$8.38
26.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.24 R$6.75
$1.14 R$6.18
8.77%
Eggs
$2.27 R$12.37
$2.46 R$13.39
-7.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.17 R$60.8
$9.14 R$49.72
22.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 R$21.02
$3.82 R$20.75
1.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.58 R$46.66
$6.70 R$36.43
28.06%
Apples (1kg)
$2.31 R$12.54
$2.23 R$12.15
3.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 R$7.50
$1.54 R$8.36
-10.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.84
$1.38 R$7.50
-8.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.52 R$8.27
$1.84 R$10.00
-17.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 R$6.05
$1.12 R$6.12
-0.89%
Onion (1kg)
$0.98 R$5.31
$1.15 R$6.26
-14.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 R$4.11
$0.75 R$4.10
1.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 R$5.08
$0.62 R$3.40
50.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.36 R$12.86
$3.36 R$18.25
-29.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.67 R$41.71
$8.46 R$46.04
-9.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 R$6.75
$1.41 R$7.69
-12.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 R$12.81
$1.56 R$8.49
51.28%
🚌 Getting Around
Brasilia
Manaus
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.73 R$3.96
$0.88 R$4.81
-17.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$29.76 R$162
$36.80 R$200
-19.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.01 R$5.52
$0.92 R$4.99
9.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.86 R$4.67
$0.87 R$4.71
-1.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.77 R$31.40
$8.99 R$48.91
-35.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 R$6.79
$1.23 R$6.70
1.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0K R$119.4K
$21.6K R$117.7K
1.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K R$173.3K
$32.4K R$176.2K
-1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasilia
Manaus
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$92.1 R$501
$112 R$608
-17.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.85 R$64.4
$14.44 R$78.6
-17.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.93 R$114
$23.86 R$130
-12.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brasilia
Manaus
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.47 R$166
$25.68 R$140
18.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.29 R$143
$23.54 R$128
11.68%
Cinema Ticket
$7.46 R$40.61
$6.41 R$34.84
16.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brasilia
Manaus
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 R$4,158
$212 R$1,152
260.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.7K R$85.5K
$4,775 R$26.0K
229.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brasilia
Manaus
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.6 R$286
$47.41 R$258
11.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.10 R$229
$29.69 R$162
41.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.4 R$432
$56.3 R$306
40.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.6 R$455
$63.9 R$348
30.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brasilia
Manaus
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$517 R$2,813
$747 R$4,064
-30.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$242 R$1,314
$299 R$1,625
-19.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,156 R$6,290
$1,121 R$6,100
3.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$580 R$3,153
$451 R$2,454
28.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,398 R$13.0K
$1,543 R$8,391
55.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 R$9,128
$1,257 R$6,840
33.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brasilia
Manaus
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$784 R$4,267
$491 R$2,669
59.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.12
10.33
17.33%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Manaus: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brasilia
$242
Manaus
$299 23.7% $57
Groceries & Markets
Brasilia
$201
Manaus
$188 6.3% $13
Eating Out
Brasilia
$150
Manaus
$121 19% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brasilia
$125
Manaus
$150 20.1% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Brasilia
$116
Manaus
$89 23.4% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Brasilia
$45
Manaus
$38 15.2% $6.9
Getting Around
Brasilia
$38
Manaus
$46 20% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $747 in Manaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 60% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $26 in Manaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $188 per month, with Manaus cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Brasilia
🇧🇷 Manaus
🕒 Local time
16:43 4:43 PM
15:43 3:43 PM
1 h behind Brasilia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,817,381 Capital
2,063,689
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brasilia Manaus 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brasilia
  • Manaus

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 Manaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city pays better: Brasilia or Manaus?
Average pay runs 60% higher in Brasilia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Brasilia and in Manaus?
Rent for a central apartment: $517 in Brasilia versus $747 in Manaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Brasilia and Manaus?
Childcare runs $764 in Brasilia versus $212 in Manaus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Manaus – a meal for two runs $26 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $1,200 go in Brasilia compared to Manaus?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Brasilia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Brasilia and Manaus?
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.

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