Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Petrolina

For one person, living is cheaper in Petrolina: $736 a month against $907 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
Learn more

Brasilia Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Petrolina
Learn more

Petrolina Living Index

Jump to prices

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$907

/mo nomad

Petrolina

🇧🇷 Brazil

$736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Petrolina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $907 in Brasilia versus $736 in Petrolina.

Brasilia $907
Petrolina $736

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Brasilia versus $1,155 in Petrolina.

Brasilia $1,501
Petrolina $1,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,094 in Brasilia versus $1,574 in Petrolina.

Brasilia $2,094
Petrolina $1,574

Living in Brasilia is roughly 23% more expensive than in Petrolina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Petrolina 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.23 R$45.18

$5.42 R$29.74

51.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 R$206

$29.35 R$161

27.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$43.91

$7.30 R$40.07

9.59%

Cappuccino

$2.44 R$13.37

$1.86 R$10.20

31.18%

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

$1.37 R$7.53

$1.23 R$6.75

11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$5.34

$0.70 R$3.85

38.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$12.43

$1.81 R$9.94

25.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 R$19.67

$2.85 R$15.65

25.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 R$5.17

$1.04 R$5.71

-9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 R$10.60

$0.85 R$4.66

127.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.68

$1.11 R$6.06

9.91%

Eggs

$2.25 R$12.33

$1.54 R$8.47

46.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 R$60.1

$8.60 R$47.17

27.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.68 R$20.21

$3.48 R$19.10

5.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.16 R$44.78

$7.45 R$40.90

9.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 R$12.51

$2.26 R$12.39

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.50

$0.84 R$4.62

63.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.81

$1.07 R$5.89

15.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 R$8.20

$1.44 R$7.92

4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.97

$1.12 R$6.16

-2.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.62

$0.73 R$3.99

39.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.17

$0.72 R$3.93

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$5.16

$0.45 R$2.45

108.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 R$12.83

$2.34 R$12.81

Wine (Bottle)

$7.68 R$42.14

$6.48 R$35.56

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.78

$1.23 R$6.78

0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 R$12.20

$1.95 R$10.68

13.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 R$4.24

$1.00 R$5.48

-23.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.34 R$166

$42.15 R$231

-28.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.58

$1.23 R$6.76

-2.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.63

$0.86 R$4.72

-2.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.22 R$39.63

$7.43 R$40.75

-2.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.57

$1.23 R$6.77

-2.44%

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

$21.4K R$117.4K

$19.5K R$107.0K

9.68%

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

$31.7K R$173.7K

$24.6K R$134.9K

28.78%

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

$87.9 R$482

$62.7 R$344

40.24%

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

$11.11 R$61.0

$8.18 R$44.86

35.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.19 R$111

$11.37 R$62.4

77.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.40 R$167

$17.51 R$96.1

73.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.58 R$140

$25.72 R$141

-0.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.23 R$39.67

$3.76 R$20.63

92.29%

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

$765 R$4,200

$226 R$1,241

238.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K R$91.3K

$6,623 R$36.3K

151.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R$291

$18.43 R$101

187.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.52 R$228

$46.58 R$256

-10.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 R$432

$50.9 R$279

54.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.4 R$446

$78.2 R$429

3.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$508 R$2,785

$256 R$1,405

98.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$246 R$1,352

$221 R$1,213

11.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 R$6,211

$556 R$3,048

103.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 R$3,207

$379 R$2,081

54.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,281 R$12.5K

$1,587 R$8,710

43.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,623 R$8,907

$1,139 R$6,248

42.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$859 R$4,716

$558 R$3,061

54.07%

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 Petrolina: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$246 27.2%

Petrolina

$221 30% 10.3% $25

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$196 21.6%

Petrolina

$159 21.6% 18.9% $37

Eating Out

Brasilia

$147 16.2%

Petrolina

$110 15% 25.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$119 13.1%

Petrolina

$82 11.2% 31% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$115 12.6%

Petrolina

$87 11.9% 23.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Petrolina

$25 3.4% 44.2% $20

Getting Around

Brasilia

$39 4.3%

Petrolina

$52 7% 33% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $508 in Brasilia and $256 in Petrolina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $38 in Brasilia vs $29 in Petrolina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $159 per month, with Petrolina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Petrolina

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

386,791

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.162 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brasilia Petrolina 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
Petrolina

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 Petrolina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $907 in Brasilia and $736 in Petrolina, so Petrolina is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $508 in Brasilia versus $256 in Petrolina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Petrolina – 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 $736 in Petrolina – Petrolina is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 – Petrolina wins on affordability, Brasilia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.