Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Taubate Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Taubate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $957 in Brasilia versus $799 in Taubate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,566 in Brasilia versus $1,303 in Taubate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,176 in Brasilia versus $1,807 in Taubate.

Living in Brasilia is roughly 20% more expensive than in Taubate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 30% lower, Taubate 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 R$43.93

$6.87 R$35.05

25.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.06 R$199

$37.35 R$190

4.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 R$40.79

$7.57 R$38.59

5.68%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.98

$2.02 R$10.31

26.24%

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

$1.45 R$7.40

$1.25 R$6.38

16.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$4.92

$0.81 R$4.11

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R$11.52

$2.34 R$11.94

-3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 R$19.85

$2.95 R$15.06

31.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.45

$1.06 R$5.39

0.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 R$10.40

$2.00 R$10.18

2.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.42

$1.38 R$7.05

-8.70%

Eggs

$2.44 R$12.45

$2.28 R$11.63

7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.5

$10.53 R$53.7

14.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.06 R$20.72

$4.33 R$22.06

-6.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.24 R$42.05

$7.57 R$38.63

8.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 R$11.96

$2.00 R$10.18

17.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.24

$1.65 R$8.43

-13.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.49

$1.38 R$7.04

-7.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.44

$1.77 R$9.01

-6.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.90

$1.26 R$6.41

-7.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.15

$0.99 R$5.06

2.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 R$4.23

$0.69 R$3.52

20.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

$0.62 R$3.19

58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.16

$2.27 R$11.59

5.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 R$40.75

$7.55 R$38.49

5.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$6.64

$1.14 R$5.82

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 R$12.22

$2.44 R$12.44

-1.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.67

$0.95 R$4.85

-3.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.15 R$179

$41.90 R$214

-16.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.36

$1.24 R$6.30

-15.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.35

$0.87 R$4.43

-2.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 R$30.43

$8.85 R$45.16

-32.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.53

$1.04 R$5.29

23.08%

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

$22.6K R$115.4K

$22.7K R$115.6K

-0.23%

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

$32.1K R$163.7K

$31.0K R$157.9K

3.64%

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

$91.1 R$464

$86.6 R$442

5.09%

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

$12.43 R$63.4

$11.29 R$57.6

10.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.55 R$115

$21.04 R$107

7.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.51 R$161

$22.45 R$114

40.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.35 R$134

$27.09 R$138

-2.73%

Cinema Ticket

$7.86 R$40.06

$7.52 R$38.33

4.52%

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

$813 R$4,147

$350 R$1,785

132.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K R$83.2K

$5,743 R$29.3K

184.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 R$266

$40.83 R$208

27.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.67 R$223

$46.14 R$235

-5.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.7 R$422

$69.2 R$353

19.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 R$441

$60.7 R$310

42.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 R$2,551

$264 R$1,347

89.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$266 R$1,357

$182 R$926

46.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 R$5,778

$535 R$2,730

111.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 R$2,865

$334 R$1,703

68.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,411 R$12.3K

$1,610 R$8,209

49.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,695

$1,131 R$5,766

50.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$876 R$4,467

$555 R$2,830

57.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

11.93

-1.09%

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

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Last update for Taubate: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Brasilia and $264 in Taubate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 58% 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 $37.00 in Taubate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $209 vs $197 per month, with Taubate 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 Taubate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasilia and Taubate differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($957 vs $799 including rent). Taubate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 58% 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 $264 in Taubate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Taubate – a meal for two runs $37.00 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 $799 in Taubate – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $799 in Taubate versus $957 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taubate but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Taubate 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 Taubate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.