Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $994 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $49,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$994

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $994 in Brasilia versus $5,142 in New York, NY.

Brasilia $994
New York, NY $5,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,593 in Brasilia versus $7,455 in New York, NY.

Brasilia $1,593
New York, NY $7,455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,193 in Brasilia versus $9,767 in New York, NY.

Brasilia $2,193
New York, NY $9,767

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 81% less than in New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brasilia is 26% below, New York, NY is 284% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.18 R$45.81

$26.46 $26.46

-65.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.43 R$202

$119 $119

-65.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$42.12

$14.43 $14.43

-41.51%

Cappuccino

$2.73 R$13.62

$6.55 $6.55

-58.32%

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

$1.51 R$7.55

$3.84 $3.84

-60.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$4.96

$3.00 $3.00

-67.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 R$11.83

$8.27 $8.27

-71.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 R$19.72

$10.05 $10.05

-60.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.52

$1.31 $1.31

-15.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 R$10.27

$4.90 $4.90

-57.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.68

$7.16 $7.16

-81.28%

Eggs

$2.56 R$12.79

$5.92 $5.92

-56.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 R$57.9

$19.06 $19.06

-39.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 R$20.69

$17.38 $17.38

-76.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.27 R$46.27

$18.94 $18.94

-51.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 R$11.92

$6.96 $6.96

-65.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.73

$2.08 $2.08

-25.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.51

$6.10 $6.10

-78.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.25

$6.95 $6.95

-76.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$5.96

$3.98 $3.98

-70.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.19

$4.44 $4.44

-76.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.12

$2.81 $2.81

-70.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.77

$2.51 $2.51

-61.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 R$12.11

$19.27 $19.27

-87.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.15 R$40.66

$19.67 $19.67

-58.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$6.43

$3.08 $3.08

-58.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 R$12.50

$3.68 $3.68

-32.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.33

$3.02 $3.02

-64.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.76 R$179

$140 $140

-74.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.50

$3.07 $3.07

-64.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.32

$2.13 $2.13

-59.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 R$32.73

$41.21 $41.21

-84.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.44

$1.11 $1.11

16.22%

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

$23.9K R$119.5K

$35.0K $35.0K

-31.59%

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

32.19%

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

$97.6 R$487

$217 $217

-55.12%

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

$12.78 R$63.8

$74.0 $74.0

-82.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.79 R$114

$72.5 $72.5

-68.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.48 R$172

$120 $120

-71.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.17 R$141

$66.9 $66.9

-57.89%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$38.93

$22.32 $22.32

-65.05%

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

$844 R$4,211

$3,425 $3,425

-75.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K R$83.6K

$61.2K $61.2K

-72.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 R$283

$76.3 $76.3

-25.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.89 R$219

$55.5 $55.5

-20.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 R$431

$119 $119

-27.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 R$446

$131 $131

-31.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 R$2,484

$4,506 $4,506

-88.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 R$1,406

$3,155 $3,155

-91.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$5,772

$8,817 $8,817

-86.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$574 R$2,863

$5,532 $5,532

-89.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 R$12.5K

$19.4K $19.4K

-87.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,735 R$8,660

$6,754 $6,754

-74.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$848 R$4,233

$5,290 $5,290

-83.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

6.82

77.71%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 5, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$282 27.9%

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2% 1020% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$213 21.2%

New York, NY

$546 11% 156% $333

Eating Out

Brasilia

$161 16%

New York, NY

$422 8.5% 162% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$133 13.2%

New York, NY

$364 7.3% 173% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$124 12.3%

New York, NY

$172 3.4% 38.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$50 5%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 230% $115

Getting Around

Brasilia

$45 4.5%

New York, NY

$165 3.3% 264% $120

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $498 in Brasilia and $4,506 in New York, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 524% 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 $119 in New York, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $213 vs $546 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

08:06 8:06 AM

1 h behind Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia New York, NY 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and New York, NY differ by about 418% in total monthly costs ($994 vs $5,142 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 524% lower in New York, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $498 in Brasilia versus $4,506 in New York, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $119 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $994 per month in Brasilia versus $5,142 in New York, NY – a 418% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $994 in Brasilia versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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 Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 418% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.