Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Petropolis Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Petropolis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $974 in Brasilia versus $980 in Petropolis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,587 in Brasilia versus $1,487 in Petropolis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Brasilia versus $1,993 in Petropolis.

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 1% less than in Petropolis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 29% lower, Petropolis 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.66

$5.76 R$29.52

51.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.13 R$195

$28.16 R$144

35.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 R$41.61

$7.00 R$35.87

16.00%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R$13.15

$1.67 R$8.57

53.89%

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

$1.44 R$7.36

$1.33 R$6.81

8.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$4.95

$0.60 R$3.07

61.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 R$11.82

$1.14 R$5.85

102.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 R$19.37

$4.55 R$23.34

-16.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.50

$0.93 R$4.78

15.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.72

$1.54 R$7.89

35.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.76

$1.40 R$7.15

-5.71%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.51

$1.95 R$10.00

25.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 R$60.0

$9.01 R$46.17

29.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.84

$4.09 R$20.96

-0.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.48 R$43.43

$9.53 R$48.83

-11.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.28

$1.61 R$8.23

49.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.31

$1.17 R$5.99

22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.72

$0.88 R$4.52

48.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 R$8.26

$1.20 R$6.14

34.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.21

$0.68 R$3.48

77.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.38

$0.78 R$3.99

34.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 R$4.09

$0.52 R$2.68

53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.11

$0.56 R$2.87

78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.27

$2.12 R$10.84

12.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.11 R$41.54

$5.82 R$29.80

39.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R$6.60

$1.02 R$5.25

26.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 R$11.99

$1.34 R$6.87

74.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 R$5.35

$1.05 R$5.40

-0.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.90 R$179

$49.32 R$253

-29.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 R$5.26

$1.15 R$5.91

-10.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.73

$0.93 R$4.75

-1.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.35 R$32.54

$7.64 R$39.15

-16.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.64

$1.20 R$6.14

7.50%

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

$23.3K R$119.6K

$20.5K R$104.9K

14.02%

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

$32.6K R$166.9K

$30.7K R$157.5K

6.02%

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

$95.0 R$487

$70.8 R$363

34.19%

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

$12.28 R$62.9

$9.61 R$49.25

27.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.41 R$115

$18.74 R$96.0

19.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.39 R$161

$31.29 R$160

0.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.96 R$138

$30.67 R$157

-12.10%

Cinema Ticket

$7.85 R$40.22

$6.84 R$35.06

14.77%

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

$811 R$4,154

$355 R$1,818

128.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K R$84.7K

$10.6K R$54.6K

55.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 R$265

$54.2 R$278

-4.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.78 R$224

$49.35 R$253

-11.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 R$426

$87.7 R$449

-5.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R$439

$68.5 R$351

24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$480 R$2,461

$514 R$2,632

-6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,340

$393 R$2,014

-33.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 R$5,688

$820 R$4,203

35.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 R$2,850

$628 R$3,218

-11.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 R$12.8K

$2,724 R$14.0K

-8.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 R$8,747

$1,987 R$10.2K

-14.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$809 R$4,147

$595 R$3,049

36.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.87

2.11%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 13, 2026

Last update for Petropolis: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $480 in Brasilia and $514 in Petropolis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Brasilia vs $28.00 in Petropolis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $171 per month, with Petropolis cheaper across the board.

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 Petropolis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Petropolis differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($974 vs $980 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $480 in Brasilia versus $514 in Petropolis. 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 $38.00 versus $28.00 in Petropolis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $974 per month in Brasilia versus $980 in Petropolis – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $974 in Brasilia versus $980 in Petropolis, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Petropolis. 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 1% less than in Petropolis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.