Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Ribeirao Preto

For one person, living is cheaper in Ribeirao Preto: $873 a month against $1,008 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Ribeirao Preto
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Ribeirao Preto Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,008

/mo nomad

Ribeirao Preto

🇧🇷 Brazil

$873

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Ribeirao Preto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,008 in Brasilia versus $873 in Ribeirao Preto.

Brasilia $1,008
Ribeirao Preto $873

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,618 in Brasilia versus $1,420 in Ribeirao Preto.

Brasilia $1,618
Ribeirao Preto $1,420

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Brasilia versus $1,967 in Ribeirao Preto.

Brasilia $2,228
Ribeirao Preto $1,967

Living in Brasilia is roughly 15% more expensive than in Ribeirao Preto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 25% lower, Ribeirao Preto 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.23 R$46.81

$8.08 R$40.94

14.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.99 R$203

$50.4 R$255

-20.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.44 R$42.79

$7.62 R$38.63

10.76%

Cappuccino

$2.62 R$13.29

$1.77 R$8.99

48.02%

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

$1.52 R$7.70

$1.03 R$5.22

47.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.81 R$4.13

12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 R$12.30

$1.22 R$6.19

99.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 R$20.23

$2.01 R$10.20

98.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.57

$0.99 R$5.03

11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.47

$1.78 R$9.01

16.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.90

$0.99 R$5.00

37.37%

Eggs

$2.46 R$12.47

$2.32 R$11.78

6.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.1

$9.92 R$50.3

21.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.00 R$20.29

$4.27 R$21.64

-6.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.09 R$46.06

$8.90 R$45.13

2.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.33

$2.81 R$14.24

-13.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.76

$1.37 R$6.96

11.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.73

$1.46 R$7.40

-8.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.76

$1.95 R$9.87

-11.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.95

$1.32 R$6.70

-11.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.28

$0.99 R$5.02

5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.14 R$5.80

-27.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.03

$0.91 R$4.62

8.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 R$12.34

$2.58 R$13.10

-5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 R$41.86

$8.87 R$44.95

-6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.21 R$6.16

5.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R$12.58

$1.79 R$9.05

38.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.23

$1.05 R$5.31

-1.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.05 R$183

$52.4 R$265

-31.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.32

$1.17 R$5.92

-10.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 R$4.63

$1.43 R$7.23

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 R$31.99

$8.26 R$41.87

-23.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.51

$1.26 R$6.37

1.59%

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

$24.2K R$122.5K

$23.8K R$120.5K

1.60%

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

$33.3K R$169.0K

$32.4K R$164.0K

3.04%

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

$98.4 R$499

$84.7 R$429

16.20%

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

$12.88 R$65.3

$12.14 R$61.5

6.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.35 R$113

$17.71 R$89.8

26.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.14 R$173

$21.33 R$108

60.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.34 R$144

$24.90 R$126

13.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 R$39.45

$7.85 R$39.78

-0.89%

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

$834 R$4,230

$243 R$1,233

243.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.3K R$87.9K

$5,927 R$30.0K

192.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 R$288

$52.8 R$268

7.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.40 R$230

$43.30 R$219

4.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 R$433

$83.0 R$421

2.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 R$459

$55.7 R$283

62.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 R$2,572

$269 R$1,366

88.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 R$1,412

$219 R$1,111

27.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 R$5,693

$507 R$2,572

121.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 R$2,881

$396 R$2,005

43.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,518 R$12.8K

$1,353 R$6,857

86.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,744 R$8,840

$984 R$4,989

77.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$841 R$4,263

$589 R$2,986

42.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

13.62

-11.01%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ribeirao Preto: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$279 27.7%

Ribeirao Preto

$219 25.1% 21.3% $59

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$214 21.3%

Ribeirao Preto

$205 23.5% 4.2% $8.9

Eating Out

Brasilia

$160 15.9%

Ribeirao Preto

$126 14.5% 21.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$134 13.3%

Ribeirao Preto

$115 13.1% 14.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$125 12.4%

Ribeirao Preto

$106 12.1% 15.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$50 4.9%

Ribeirao Preto

$37 4.2% 25.5% $13

Getting Around

Brasilia

$46 4.5%

Ribeirao Preto

$65 7.4% 41.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Brasilia and $269 in Ribeirao Preto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 43% 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 $50.0 in Ribeirao Preto. Groceries flip the comparison at $214 vs $205, with Ribeirao Preto cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Ribeirao Preto

🕒 Local time

04:59 4:59 AM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

698,642

💱 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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Brasilia Ribeirao Preto 600 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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 Ribeirao Preto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Ribeirao Preto differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,008 vs $873 including rent). Ribeirao Preto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 43% 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: $507 in Brasilia versus $269 in Ribeirao Preto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ribeirao Preto – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,008 per month in Brasilia versus $873 in Ribeirao Preto – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $873 in Ribeirao Preto versus $1,008 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ribeirao Preto but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Ribeirao Preto 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 Ribeirao Preto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.