Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Montes Claros

For one person, living is cheaper in Montes Claros: $818 a month against $907 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Montes Claros
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Montes Claros Living Index

Jump to prices

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$907

/mo nomad

Montes Claros

🇧🇷 Brazil

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Montes Claros

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Brasilia versus $818 in Montes Claros.

Brasilia $907
Montes Claros $818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Brasilia versus $1,288 in Montes Claros.

Brasilia $1,501
Montes Claros $1,288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in Brasilia versus $1,758 in Montes Claros.

Brasilia $2,094
Montes Claros $1,758

Living in Brasilia is roughly 11% more expensive than in Montes Claros, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Montes Claros 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 R$44.96

$3.26 R$17.79

152.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 R$205

$29.27 R$160

28.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$43.70

$7.33 R$40.03

9.14%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R$13.30

$1.81 R$9.87

34.81%

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

$1.37 R$7.50

$1.19 R$6.47

15.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$5.31

$0.69 R$3.77

40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$12.37

$1.35 R$7.35

68.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 R$19.57

$2.83 R$15.44

26.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$5.14

$0.93 R$5.05

1.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$10.55

$1.59 R$8.67

21.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.65

$1.15 R$6.29

6.09%

Eggs

$2.25 R$12.27

$2.08 R$11.35

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 R$59.8

$9.47 R$51.7

15.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 R$20.11

$3.98 R$21.71

-7.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 R$44.56

$7.86 R$42.91

3.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 R$12.45

$2.42 R$13.23

-5.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.46

$1.22 R$6.65

12.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.78

$1.06 R$5.78

16.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$8.16

$1.51 R$8.26

-0.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.94

$1.23 R$6.74

-11.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.60

$1.00 R$5.46

2.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.15

$0.73 R$3.98

4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$5.14

$0.65 R$3.58

44.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 R$12.77

$2.20 R$12.00

6.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 R$41.94

$7.21 R$39.39

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.75

$1.25 R$6.82

-0.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$12.14

$2.08 R$11.34

6.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$4.22

$0.92 R$5.02

-16.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 R$166

$40.11 R$219

-24.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.54

$1.15 R$6.27

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.61

$0.71 R$3.85

18.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 R$39.43

$7.12 R$38.88

1.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.53

$0.99 R$5.40

21.21%

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

$21.4K R$116.8K

$19.7K R$107.6K

8.57%

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

$31.7K R$172.8K

$34.4K R$187.6K

-7.86%

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

$87.9 R$480

$79.0 R$431

11.24%

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

$11.11 R$60.7

$10.66 R$58.2

4.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 R$110

$18.00 R$98.3

12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 R$166

$24.05 R$131

26.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 R$140

$25.54 R$139

0.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 R$39.47

$7.42 R$40.52

-2.56%

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

$765 R$4,179

$296 R$1,616

158.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$90.8K

$6,015 R$32.8K

176.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R$290

$51.2 R$279

3.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 R$227

$45.32 R$247

-8.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 R$430

$81.1 R$443

-2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 R$444

$68.1 R$372

19.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 R$2,771

$341 R$1,862

48.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,345

$240 R$1,313

2.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 R$6,180

$645 R$3,524

75.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 R$3,191

$453 R$2,473

29.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 R$12.5K

$1,777 R$9,703

28.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,623 R$8,862

$1,287 R$7,028

26.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 R$4,692

$373 R$2,034

130.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.18%

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

Last update for Brasilia: November 1, 2026

Last update for Montes Claros: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$246 27.2%

Montes Claros

$240 29.4% 2.4% $5.9

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$196 21.6%

Montes Claros

$182 22.3% 6.9% $14

Eating Out

Brasilia

$147 16.2%

Montes Claros

$90 11% 39% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$119 13.1%

Montes Claros

$108 13.2% 9.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$115 12.6%

Montes Claros

$111 13.5% 3.5% $4

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Montes Claros

$39 4.8% 13.3% $6

Getting Around

Brasilia

$39 4.3%

Montes Claros

$48 5.9% 24.7% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Brasilia and $341 in Montes Claros. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Brasilia vs $29 in Montes Claros for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $182 per month, with Montes Claros cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Montes Claros

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

414,240

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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 Montes Claros: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $907 in Brasilia and $818 in Montes Claros, so Montes Claros is about 10% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Brasilia is about 2.3 times higher, 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: $508 in Brasilia versus $341 in Montes Claros. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montes Claros – a meal for two runs $29 versus $38 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $907 per month in Brasilia versus $818 in Montes Claros – Montes Claros is about 10% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Montes Claros gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Montes Claros wins on affordability, Brasilia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.