Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Rio do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio do Sul: $768 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Rio do Sul
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Rio do Sul Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Rio do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Rio do Sul

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 Rio do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $768 in Rio do Sul.

Brasilia $916
Rio do Sul $768

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,205 in Rio do Sul.

Brasilia $1,514
Rio do Sul $1,205

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $1,642 in Rio do Sul.

Brasilia $2,112
Rio do Sul $1,642

Living in Brasilia is roughly 19% more expensive than in Rio do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Rio do Sul 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.11

$4.67 R$24.98

80.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$196

$20.32 R$109

80.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$42.68

$7.52 R$40.18

6.12%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.50

$1.98 R$10.60

27.78%

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

$1.42 R$7.59

$1.03 R$5.53

37.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.36

$0.86 R$4.62

16.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.76

$2.64 R$14.14

-16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.08

$3.76 R$20.10

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.45

$0.97 R$5.21

5.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.45

$1.77 R$9.47

10.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.63

$1.23 R$6.60

0.81%

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.16

$1.48 R$7.91

53.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$59.7

$7.31 R$39.08

52.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$20.66

$3.77 R$20.16

2.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$45.86

$6.60 R$35.31

30.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.33

$1.46 R$7.79

58.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.37

$1.03 R$5.50

33.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.72

$0.77 R$4.13

63.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.13

$1.31 R$6.98

16.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.94

$0.79 R$4.24

40.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.22

$0.73 R$3.93

34.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.04

$0.70 R$3.73

8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$4.99

$0.71 R$3.77

30.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.64

$2.74 R$14.67

-13.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.00

$3.64 R$19.46

110.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.63

$1.20 R$6.40

3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.59

$2.38 R$12.74

-0.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.90

$0.99 R$5.28

-26.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$159

$42.68 R$228

-30.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.42

$1.23 R$6.56

-17.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.59

$0.71 R$3.82

21.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$30.86

$5.49 R$29.35

5.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.67

$1.14 R$6.10

9.65%

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

$22.0K R$117.4K

$22.1K R$118.0K

-0.50%

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

$31.9K R$170.3K

$31.0K R$165.9K

2.63%

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

$92.1 R$493

$60.0 R$321

53.53%

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

$11.85 R$63.3

$9.45 R$50.5

25.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$112

$19.37 R$104

8.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$163

$24.31 R$130

25.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$141

$25.84 R$138

1.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$39.91

$4.53 R$24.21

64.68%

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

$764 R$4,087

$293 R$1,566

160.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$84.1K

$10.4K R$55.4K

51.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$281

$45.60 R$244

15.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$225

$51.9 R$277

-18.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$425

$74.3 R$397

6.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$447

$45.77 R$245

82.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,765

$336 R$1,799

53.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,291

$229 R$1,227

5.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,183

$634 R$3,390

82.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,099

$453 R$2,424

27.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$12.8K

$1,598 R$8,543

50.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$8,972

$1,126 R$6,021

49.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,194

$366 R$1,958

114.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

11.54

5.03%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Rio do Sul: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Rio do Sul

$229 29.9% 5% $12

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Rio do Sul

$155 20.2% 22.7% $45

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Rio do Sul

$112 14.6% 25.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Rio do Sul

$89 11.6% 28.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Rio do Sul

$98 12.8% 15.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Rio do Sul

$33 4.3% 26.5% $12

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Rio do Sul

$51 6.7% 35.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $336 in Rio do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $20 in Rio do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $201 vs $155 per month, with Rio do Sul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Rio do Sul

🕒 Local time

16:59 4:59 PM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

72,587

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Rio do Sul 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Brasilia
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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 Rio do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $916 in Brasilia and $768 in Rio do Sul, so Rio do Sul is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Brasilia is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $517 in Brasilia versus $336 in Rio do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio do Sul – a meal for two runs $20 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $916 per month in Brasilia versus $768 in Rio do Sul – Rio do Sul is about 16% 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 – Rio do Sul wins on affordability, Brasilia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.