Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Sao Carlos Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Sao Carlos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $957 in Brasilia versus $969 in Sao Carlos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Brasilia versus $1,679 in Sao Carlos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Brasilia versus $2,389 in Sao Carlos.

Living in Brasilia costs roughly 1% less than in Sao Carlos, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Sao Carlos 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 R$44.14

$4.72 R$24.16

82.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.06 R$200

$39.17 R$201

-0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$40.98

$6.72 R$34.44

19.05%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$13.04

$2.08 R$10.68

22.60%

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

$1.45 R$7.44

$1.29 R$6.59

12.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.94

$0.76 R$3.92

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R$11.57

$1.56 R$7.98

44.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 R$19.94

$2.64 R$13.54

47.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.35 R$6.90

-20.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 R$10.45

$1.89 R$9.69

7.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.45

$1.80 R$9.21

-30.00%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.51

$2.88 R$14.78

-15.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.8

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.81

$5.25 R$26.88

-22.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 R$42.24

$9.29 R$47.62

-11.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 R$12.01

$2.66 R$13.63

-12.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.28

$1.82 R$9.33

-21.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.52

$1.73 R$8.88

-26.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.48

$1.85 R$9.47

-10.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.93

$1.66 R$8.52

-30.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.18

$1.37 R$7.03

-26.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.25

$0.92 R$4.70

-9.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$5.00

$1.14 R$5.83

-14.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.22

$3.16 R$16.21

-24.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.95

$8.05 R$41.25

-0.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.67

$1.43 R$7.32

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.28

$2.95 R$15.13

-18.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.69

$0.97 R$4.99

-5.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 R$180

$23.38 R$120

50.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.39

$1.49 R$7.65

-29.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.37

$0.93 R$4.75

-8.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 R$30.57

$3.53 R$18.11

69.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.56

$1.23 R$6.28

4.07%

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

$22.6K R$115.9K

$19.1K R$97.9K

18.43%

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

$32.1K R$164.4K

$30.7K R$157.4K

4.49%

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

$91.1 R$467

$61.2 R$313

48.85%

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

$12.43 R$63.7

$13.48 R$69.1

-7.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 R$116

$24.27 R$124

-7.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 R$161

$32.74 R$168

-3.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 R$135

$46.41 R$238

-43.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 R$40.25

$5.42 R$27.76

45.02%

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

$813 R$4,167

$286 R$1,464

184.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K R$83.6K

$2,914 R$14.9K

459.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 R$268

$80.3 R$411

-34.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.67 R$224

$93.1 R$477

-53.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 R$424

$137 R$704

-39.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 R$443

$160 R$817

-45.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 R$2,563

$261 R$1,339

91.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 R$1,364

$222 R$1,139

19.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 R$5,805

$662 R$3,393

71.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,878

$642 R$3,289

-12.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 R$12.4K

$815 R$4,178

195.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,736

$723 R$3,702

135.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 R$4,488

$654 R$3,351

33.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

10.75

9.77%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Last update for Sao Carlos: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Brasilia and $261 in Sao Carlos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 34% 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 $39.00 in Sao Carlos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $236 per month, with Brasilia 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 Sao Carlos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Sao Carlos differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($957 vs $969 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% 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 $261 in Sao Carlos. 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 $39.00 in Sao Carlos. 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 $969 in Sao Carlos – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $957 in Brasilia versus $969 in Sao Carlos, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Sao Carlos. 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 1% less than in Sao Carlos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.