Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Santa Cruz do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul: $949 a month against $1,000 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $610 less a year. The total is higher in Brasilia despite lower rent and utilities.

48

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz do Sul
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Santa Cruz do Sul Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in Brasilia versus $949 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Brasilia $1,000
Santa Cruz do Sul $949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Brasilia versus $1,519 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Brasilia $1,614
Santa Cruz do Sul $1,519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Brasilia versus $2,089 in Santa Cruz do Sul.

Brasilia $2,228
Santa Cruz do Sul $2,089

Living in Brasilia is roughly 5% more expensive than in Santa Cruz do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 26% lower, Santa Cruz do Sul 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 R$44.59

$5.96 R$30.23

47.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.84 R$202

$35.87 R$182

11.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 R$41.87

$7.10 R$35.99

16.34%

Cappuccino

$2.72 R$13.81

$2.24 R$11.36

21.43%

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

$1.57 R$7.96

$1.35 R$6.82

16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.07

$0.88 R$4.46

13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 R$11.81

$1.74 R$8.82

33.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 R$19.85

$2.70 R$13.70

45.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.53

$0.88 R$4.45

23.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.52

$1.80 R$9.15

15.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.87

$1.39 R$7.07

-2.16%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.33

$2.24 R$11.36

8.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 R$59.0

$8.97 R$45.45

29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.62

$4.80 R$24.32

-15.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 R$44.60

$7.87 R$39.91

11.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 R$12.64

$2.18 R$11.06

14.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.11 R$5.63

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.79

$1.18 R$5.99

13.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.29

$1.52 R$7.73

7.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.26 R$6.37

-2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.27

$1.21 R$6.12

-14.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 R$4.34

$0.89 R$4.52

-3.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.80

$0.87 R$4.42

9.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 R$12.77

$2.33 R$11.80

8.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 R$42.54

$7.22 R$36.60

16.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R$6.65

$1.17 R$5.91

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 R$12.23

$1.99 R$10.11

21.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.13

$0.99 R$5.00

2.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.30 R$179

$48.92 R$248

-27.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.17 R$5.91

-5.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R$4.73

$0.92 R$4.66

1.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 R$31.25

$7.79 R$39.50

-20.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.11 R$5.64

16.22%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$20.3K R$103.1K

15.21%

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

$33.7K R$170.9K

$33.4K R$169.4K

0.86%

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

$96.3 R$488

$86.3 R$438

11.60%

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

$12.59 R$63.8

$13.08 R$66.3

-3.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.58 R$114

$23.04 R$117

-2.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 R$171

$25.93 R$131

29.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.87 R$141

$24.49 R$124

13.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 R$39.43

$7.66 R$38.85

1.57%

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

$815 R$4,133

$288 R$1,462

182.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K R$87.3K

$6,499 R$32.9K

164.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R$281

$49.59 R$251

11.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.23 R$224

$55.4 R$281

-20.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 R$431

$99.2 R$503

-14.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 R$445

$65.8 R$333

33.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 R$2,506

$533 R$2,702

-7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 R$1,427

$296 R$1,499

-4.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 R$5,711

$927 R$4,697

21.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 R$3,004

$607 R$3,075

-2.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,522 R$12.8K

$1,850 R$9,380

36.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 R$8,885

$1,188 R$6,021

47.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$850 R$4,310

$373 R$1,889

128.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.18%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz do Sul: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$282 28.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$296 31.2% 5% $14

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$212 21.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$190 20.1% 10.3% $22

Eating Out

Brasilia

$158 15.8%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$119 12.5% 24.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$131 13.2%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$122 12.9% 6.9% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$123 12.3%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$121 12.8% 0.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$49 4.9%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$41 4.4% 16.2% $8

Getting Around

Brasilia

$45 4.5%

Santa Cruz do Sul

$59 6.2% 30% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $494 in Brasilia and $533 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 128% 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 $36.00 in Santa Cruz do Sul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $190 per month, with Santa Cruz do Sul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Santa Cruz do Sul

🕒 Local time

22:24 10:24 PM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

133,246

💱 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 Santa Cruz do Sul 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 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 Santa Cruz do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Santa Cruz do Sul differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,000 vs $949 including rent). Santa Cruz do Sul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 128% 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: $494 in Brasilia versus $533 in Santa Cruz do Sul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz do Sul – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,000 per month in Brasilia versus $949 in Santa Cruz do Sul – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $949 in Santa Cruz do Sul versus $1,000 in Brasilia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz do Sul but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz do Sul 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 Santa Cruz do Sul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.