Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Salvador Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Salvador

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $957 in Brasilia versus $922 in Salvador.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Brasilia versus $1,441 in Salvador.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Brasilia versus $1,960 in Salvador.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 4% more expensive than in Salvador, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Salvador 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 R$43.87

$7.85 R$39.99

9.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.06 R$199

$33.00 R$168

18.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$40.74

$7.83 R$39.88

2.17%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.96

$2.36 R$12.03

8.05%

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

$1.45 R$7.39

$1.25 R$6.35

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.91

$0.90 R$4.57

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R$11.50

$2.58 R$13.16

-12.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 R$19.82

$3.82 R$19.45

1.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.44

$1.31 R$6.68

-18.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 R$10.39

$1.54 R$7.84

32.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.41

$1.22 R$6.19

3.28%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.44

$2.02 R$10.30

20.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.4

$9.45 R$48.11

27.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.69

$4.46 R$22.74

-8.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 R$41.99

$7.18 R$36.59

14.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 R$11.94

$2.01 R$10.22

16.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.24

$1.44 R$7.33

-1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.48

$1.08 R$5.51

17.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.42

$1.31 R$6.68

25.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.89

$1.06 R$5.42

9.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.15

$1.30 R$6.60

-22.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.23

$0.76 R$3.88

9.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.97

$1.04 R$5.28

-5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.15

$2.33 R$11.84

2.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.70

$5.86 R$29.85

36.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.63

$1.20 R$6.10

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.20

$2.03 R$10.35

18.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.17 R$5.94

-21.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 R$179

$57.4 R$292

-38.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.36

$1.56 R$7.95

-32.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.35

$1.18 R$5.99

-27.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 R$30.39

$9.30 R$47.38

-35.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.52

$1.29 R$6.58

-0.78%

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

$22.6K R$115.2K

$22.6K R$115.3K

-0.04%

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

$32.1K R$163.5K

$31.9K R$162.4K

0.64%

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

$91.1 R$464

$91.2 R$465

-0.16%

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

$12.43 R$63.3

$9.50 R$48.37

30.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 R$115

$17.25 R$87.9

30.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 R$160

$25.36 R$129

24.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 R$134

$17.46 R$89.0

50.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 R$40.01

$7.39 R$37.66

6.36%

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

$813 R$4,142

$348 R$1,773

133.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K R$83.1K

$15.3K R$77.9K

6.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 R$266

$57.1 R$291

-8.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.67 R$222

$34.54 R$176

26.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 R$421

$83.5 R$425

-0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 R$440

$80.7 R$411

7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 R$2,548

$499 R$2,542

0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 R$1,355

$271 R$1,381

-1.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 R$5,770

$902 R$4,596

25.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,861

$437 R$2,224

28.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 R$12.3K

$2,060 R$10.5K

17.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,684

$1,330 R$6,772

28.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 R$4,461

$378 R$1,925

131.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

18.00%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Last update for Salvador: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Brasilia and $499 in Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 132% 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: $39.00 in Brasilia vs $33.00 in Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $186 per month, with Salvador 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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Salvador differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($957 vs $922 including rent). Salvador is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% 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: $500 in Brasilia versus $499 in Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Salvador – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $957 per month in Brasilia versus $922 in Salvador – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $922 in Salvador versus $957 in Brasilia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Salvador but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Salvador 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 Salvador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.