Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Nova Iguacu

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $736 a month against $1,000 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
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Nova Iguacu Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Nova Iguacu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in Brasilia versus $736 in Nova Iguacu.

Brasilia $1,000
Nova Iguacu $736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Brasilia versus $1,212 in Nova Iguacu.

Brasilia $1,614
Nova Iguacu $1,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Brasilia versus $1,687 in Nova Iguacu.

Brasilia $2,228
Nova Iguacu $1,687

Living in Brasilia is roughly 36% more expensive than in Nova Iguacu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 26% lower, Nova Iguacu 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 R$44.59

$3.54 R$17.92

148.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.84 R$202

$30.13 R$153

32.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 R$41.87

$7.87 R$39.92

4.96%

Cappuccino

$2.72 R$13.81

$1.89 R$9.59

43.92%

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

$1.57 R$7.96

$1.20 R$6.11

30.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.07

$0.58 R$2.94

72.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 R$11.81

$1.68 R$8.50

38.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 R$19.85

$1.61 R$8.15

143.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.53

$1.23 R$6.25

-11.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.52

$1.62 R$8.19

27.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.87

$1.13 R$5.71

20.35%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.33

$1.97 R$9.96

23.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 R$59.0

$8.24 R$41.75

41.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.62

$2.82 R$14.31

44.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 R$44.60

$7.08 R$35.90

24.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 R$12.64

$1.37 R$6.95

81.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.41 R$7.15

4.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.79

$0.95 R$4.82

41.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.29

$1.74 R$8.84

-6.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.02 R$5.19

20.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.27

$1.03 R$5.22

0.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 R$4.34

$0.41 R$2.08

109.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.80

$0.42 R$2.13

126.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 R$12.77

$1.82 R$9.25

38.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 R$42.54

$5.80 R$29.41

44.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R$6.65

$0.97 R$4.92

35.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 R$12.23

$1.37 R$6.94

75.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.48 R$7.51

-31.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.30 R$179

$50.1 R$254

-29.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.33 R$6.77

-17.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R$4.73

$1.38 R$6.98

-32.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 R$31.25

$9.26 R$46.94

-33.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.18 R$5.96

9.32%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$23.8K R$120.8K

-1.68%

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

$33.7K R$170.9K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-0.75%

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

$96.3 R$488

$42.49 R$215

126.69%

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

$12.59 R$63.8

$11.82 R$59.9

6.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.58 R$114

$17.90 R$90.7

26.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 R$171

$23.75 R$120

41.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.87 R$141

$39.25 R$199

-28.99%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 R$39.43

$6.08 R$30.80

27.96%

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

$815 R$4,133

$73.3 R$371

1012.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K R$87.3K

$1,935 R$9,808

789.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R$281

$54.2 R$275

2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.23 R$224

$37.22 R$189

18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 R$431

$65.2 R$331

30.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 R$445

$58.4 R$296

50.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 R$2,506

$321 R$1,627

53.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 R$1,427

$214 R$1,086

31.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 R$5,711

$654 R$3,318

72.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 R$3,004

$444 R$2,250

33.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,522 R$12.8K

$972 R$4,926

159.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 R$8,885

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$850 R$4,310

$244 R$1,238

248.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.12

8.99%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 18, 2026

Last update for Nova Iguacu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$282 28.2%

Nova Iguacu

$214 29.1% 23.9% $67

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$212 21.2%

Nova Iguacu

$160 21.7% 24.7% $52

Eating Out

Brasilia

$158 15.8%

Nova Iguacu

$93 12.7% 40.8% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$131 13.2%

Nova Iguacu

$72 9.8% 45.1% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$123 12.3%

Nova Iguacu

$97 13.1% 21.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$49 4.9%

Nova Iguacu

$36 4.9% 27% $13

Getting Around

Brasilia

$45 4.5%

Nova Iguacu

$64 8.7% 42.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $494 in Brasilia and $321 in Nova Iguacu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 248% 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 Nova Iguacu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $160 per month, with Nova Iguacu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🕒 Local time

10:57 10:57 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

785,867

💱 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

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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 Nova Iguacu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Nova Iguacu differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($1,000 vs $736 including rent). Nova Iguacu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 248% 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 $321 in Nova Iguacu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nova Iguacu – 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 $736 in Nova Iguacu – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $736 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,000 in Brasilia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nova Iguacu but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Iguacu 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 Nova Iguacu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.