Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Sao Bernardo do Campo

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo: $807 a month against $1,000 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Sao Bernardo do Campo
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Sao Bernardo do Campo Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Sao Bernardo do Campo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Sao Bernardo do Campo

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in Brasilia versus $807 in Sao Bernardo do Campo.

Brasilia $1,000
Sao Bernardo do Campo $807

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,614 in Brasilia versus $1,285 in Sao Bernardo do Campo.

Brasilia $1,614
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in Brasilia versus $1,763 in Sao Bernardo do Campo.

Brasilia $2,228
Sao Bernardo do Campo $1,763

Living in Brasilia is roughly 24% more expensive than in Sao Bernardo do Campo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 26% lower, Sao Bernardo do Campo 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.80 R$44.59

$6.93 R$35.11

26.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.84 R$202

$30.15 R$153

32.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.26 R$41.87

$8.92 R$45.20

-7.40%

Cappuccino

$2.72 R$13.81

$1.86 R$9.43

46.24%

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

$1.57 R$7.96

$1.40 R$7.10

12.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.07

$0.72 R$3.66

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 R$11.81

$1.21 R$6.14

92.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 R$19.85

$2.02 R$10.23

94.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.53

$0.89 R$4.50

22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.52

$1.63 R$8.25

26.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.87

$1.22 R$6.21

11.48%

Eggs

$2.43 R$12.33

$2.00 R$10.16

21.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.64 R$59.0

$10.01 R$50.8

16.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 R$20.62

$4.50 R$22.81

-9.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 R$44.60

$8.85 R$44.85

-0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 R$12.64

$2.60 R$13.18

-4.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.39 R$7.05

6.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 R$6.79

$1.41 R$7.14

-4.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.29

$1.62 R$8.22

0.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.29 R$6.53

-4.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.27

$1.00 R$5.07

4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 R$4.34

$0.91 R$4.61

-5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.80

$0.93 R$4.73

2.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 R$12.77

$2.21 R$11.19

14.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.39 R$42.54

$7.59 R$38.48

10.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 R$6.65

$1.27 R$6.43

3.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 R$12.23

$2.01 R$10.17

19.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.13

$1.07 R$5.42

-5.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.30 R$179

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.17 R$5.94

-5.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R$4.73

$0.61 R$3.10

52.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.17 R$31.25

$2.95 R$14.98

109.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.14 R$5.78

13.16%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$23.8K R$120.5K

-1.39%

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

$33.7K R$170.9K

$32.4K R$164.4K

3.95%

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

$96.3 R$488

$80.4 R$408

19.76%

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

$12.59 R$63.8

$11.96 R$60.6

5.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.58 R$114

$18.64 R$94.5

21.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.65 R$171

$24.36 R$124

38.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.87 R$141

$33.25 R$169

-16.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 R$39.43

$6.78 R$34.35

14.75%

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

$815 R$4,133

$205 R$1,040

297.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K R$87.3K

$6,569 R$33.3K

162.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 R$281

$38.76 R$197

42.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.23 R$224

$39.91 R$202

10.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 R$431

$84.2 R$427

0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.8 R$445

$52.7 R$267

66.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 R$2,506

$352 R$1,786

40.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$282 R$1,427

$231 R$1,172

21.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 R$5,711

$780 R$3,953

44.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 R$3,004

$444 R$2,252

33.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,522 R$12.8K

$1,578 R$8,000

59.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 R$8,885

$1,118 R$5,666

56.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$850 R$4,310

$532 R$2,696

59.88%

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 Sao Bernardo do Campo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$282 28.2%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$231 28.6% 17.9% $50

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$212 21.2%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$198 24.6% 6.4% $14

Eating Out

Brasilia

$158 15.8%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$123 15.3% 21.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$131 13.2%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$111 13.8% 15.6% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$123 12.3%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$97 12% 20.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$49 4.9%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$38 4.7% 23% $11

Getting Around

Brasilia

$45 4.5%

Sao Bernardo do Campo

$8.5 * 1.1% 81.2% $37

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $494 in Brasilia and $352 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 60% 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 $30.00 in Sao Bernardo do Campo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $212 vs $198 per month, with Sao Bernardo do Campo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇧🇷 Sao Bernardo do Campo

🕒 Local time

13:03 1:03 PM

Same time as Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

810,729

💱 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

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Sao Bernardo do Campo 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Sao Bernardo do Campo differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,000 vs $807 including rent). Sao Bernardo do Campo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 60% 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 $352 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $815 in Brasilia versus $205 in Sao Bernardo do Campo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sao Bernardo do Campo – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $807 in Sao Bernardo do Campo versus $1,000 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sao Bernardo do Campo but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Sao Bernardo do Campo 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 Sao Bernardo do Campo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.