Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $862 in Brasilia versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Brasilia versus $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,993 in Brasilia versus $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro.

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 10% less than in Rio de Janeiro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 36% lower, Rio de Janeiro 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.02 R$35.50

$7.20 R$36.43

-2.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.86 R$197

$35.52 R$180

9.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.32 R$31.99

$6.44 R$32.61

-1.86%

Cappuccino

$1.96 R$9.91

$1.97 R$9.99

-0.51%

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

$1.18 R$5.96

$1.27 R$6.45

-7.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 R$4.35

$0.90 R$4.54

-4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$9.38

$1.76 R$8.93

5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 R$16.07

$2.68 R$13.58

18.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 R$5.03

$1.16 R$5.88

-14.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 R$8.08

$1.70 R$8.59

-5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.14

Eggs

$2.04 R$10.30

$2.00 R$10.11

2.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 R$47.83

$8.05 R$40.72

17.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 R$17.19

$3.62 R$18.31

-6.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 R$35.60

$8.20 R$41.49

-14.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 R$9.92

$2.40 R$12.13

-18.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.58 R$7.99

-11.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.08

$1.49 R$7.56

-19.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.38

$1.56 R$7.89

6.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.27

$1.30 R$6.60

-4.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 R$6.60

$1.10 R$5.58

19.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.81 R$4.08

$0.68 R$3.46

19.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.19

$0.58 R$2.93

8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 R$10.78

$1.95 R$9.86

9.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.02 R$45.65

$8.73 R$44.17

3.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.59

$1.21 R$6.14

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$12.08

$2.15 R$10.89

11.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 R$5.21

$1.23 R$6.23

-16.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.41 R$225

$39.30 R$199

13.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R$4.77

$1.11 R$5.63

-15.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.07

$0.71 R$3.61

14.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 R$28.19

$7.37 R$37.30

-24.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.68

$1.07 R$5.43

4.67%

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

$25.0K R$126.5K

$20.4K R$103.0K

22.86%

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

$29.1K R$147.3K

$27.1K R$137.1K

7.45%

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

$72.2 R$365

$104 R$525

-30.42%

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

$13.08 R$66.2

$12.18 R$61.6

7.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.40 R$103

$18.70 R$94.6

9.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.97 R$126

$25.68 R$130

-2.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.29 R$108

$24.37 R$123

-12.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.08 R$35.81

$6.60 R$33.41

7.27%

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

$488 R$2,471

$542 R$2,742

-9.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K R$75.8K

$11.8K R$59.7K

26.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 R$295

$44.23 R$224

31.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.97 R$212

$41.91 R$212

0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.8 R$353

$76.8 R$389

-9.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.2 R$330

$62.0 R$314

5.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$408 R$2,062

$438 R$2,218

-7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 R$1,317

$331 R$1,672

-21.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 R$4,799

$838 R$4,242

13.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,842

$569 R$2,881

-1.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,540 R$12.9K

$3,356 R$17.0K

-24.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,714 R$8,671

$1,389 R$7,026

23.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$846 R$4,281

$548 R$2,773

54.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.87

11.33

4.77%

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

Last update for Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $408 in Brasilia and $438 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $188, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($862 vs $960 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Brasilia pays 54% more on average, 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: $408 in Brasilia versus $438 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 $39.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $862 per month in Brasilia versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $862 in Brasilia versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. 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 11% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.