Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brasilia and Zacatecas

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $730 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Zacatecas
Learn more

Zacatecas Living Index

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Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$916

/mo nomad

Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$730

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brasilia and in Zacatecas

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 Zacatecas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $916 in Brasilia versus $730 in Zacatecas.

Brasilia $916
Zacatecas $730

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,514 in Brasilia versus $1,155 in Zacatecas.

Brasilia $1,514
Zacatecas $1,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,112 in Brasilia versus $1,580 in Zacatecas.

Brasilia $2,112
Zacatecas $1,580

Living in Brasilia is roughly 25% more expensive than in Zacatecas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brasilia 33% lower, Zacatecas 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.44 R$45.41

$6.06 MX$114

39.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.71 R$198

$31.91 MX$600

15.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$42.96

$7.17 MX$135

11.30%

Cappuccino

$2.53 R$13.59

$3.01 MX$56.6

-15.95%

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

$1.42 R$7.64

$1.25 MX$23.52

13.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 R$5.39

$0.72 MX$13.48

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 R$11.83

$1.84 MX$34.51

19.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 R$20.21

$4.13 MX$77.6

-8.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 R$5.49

$1.35 MX$25.38

-24.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 R$10.51

$2.15 MX$40.31

-9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.68

$1.53 MX$28.66

-18.95%

Eggs

$2.27 R$12.24

$2.21 MX$41.49

2.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 R$60.1

$7.28 MX$137

53.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 R$20.79

$5.96 MX$112

-35.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 R$46.16

$9.62 MX$181

-10.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.41

$1.78 MX$33.41

29.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.42

$1.59 MX$29.89

-13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.77

$1.93 MX$36.19

-34.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$8.18

$1.46 MX$27.39

4.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.98

$1.99 MX$37.31

-44.22%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 R$5.25

$1.77 MX$33.27

-44.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$4.07

$1.58 MX$29.72

-51.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R$5.03

$0.80 MX$15.01

16.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 R$12.72

$4.25 MX$79.8

-44.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.67 R$41.27

$10.27 MX$193

-25.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.67

$1.60 MX$30.03

-22.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.68

$3.35 MX$63.0

-29.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 R$3.92

$0.53 MX$9.91

37.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.76 R$160

$16.07 MX$302

85.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 R$5.46

$2.13 MX$40.07

-52.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.62

$1.11 MX$20.84

-22.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 R$31.06

$9.49 MX$178

-39.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.71

$1.46 MX$27.42

-14.38%

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

$22.0K R$118.1K

$20.9K MX$393.1K

4.96%

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

$31.9K R$171.4K

$23.8K MX$446.9K

33.95%

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

$92.1 R$496

$22.72 MX$427

305.46%

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

$11.85 R$63.8

$7.97 MX$150

48.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.93 R$113

$24.73 MX$465

-15.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.47 R$164

$24.23 MX$455

25.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.29 R$141

$7.96 MX$150

230.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.46 R$40.17

$4.24 MX$79.8

75.94%

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

$764 R$4,114

$235 MX$4,415

225.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K R$84.6K

$3,243 MX$61.0K

384.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 R$283

$44.83 MX$842

17.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.10 R$227

$40.16 MX$755

4.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 R$427

$90.7 MX$1,704

-12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.6 R$450

$42.77 MX$804

95.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 R$2,783

$241 MX$4,534

114.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 R$1,300

$162 MX$3,049

48.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,156 R$6,223

$381 MX$7,154

203.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$3,119

$241 MX$4,526

140.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,398 R$12.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 R$9,030

$563 MX$10.6K

197.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$784 R$4,221

$408 MX$7,665

92.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

10.8

12.22%

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

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Last update for Zacatecas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brasilia

$242 26.4%

Zacatecas

$162 22.2% 32.8% $79

Groceries & Markets

Brasilia

$201 21.9%

Zacatecas

$224 30.7% 11.9% $24

Eating Out

Brasilia

$150 16.4%

Zacatecas

$131 18% 12.3% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brasilia

$125 13.6%

Zacatecas

$55 7.6% 55.6% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Brasilia

$116 12.7%

Zacatecas

$98 13.5% 15.2% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Brasilia

$45 5%

Zacatecas

$33 4.5% 27.9% $13

Getting Around

Brasilia

$38 4.1%

Zacatecas

$26 3.5% 31.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Brasilia and $241 in Zacatecas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 92% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $37 in Brasilia vs $32 in Zacatecas. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $224, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

02:32 2:32 AM

3 h behind Brasilia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,817,381 Capital

138,444

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brasilia Zacatecas 7,330 km ≈ 10 h 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 Zacatecas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $916 in Brasilia and $730 in Zacatecas, so Zacatecas is about 20% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 92% 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: $517 in Brasilia versus $241 in Zacatecas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Zacatecas – a meal for two runs $32 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $916 per month in Brasilia versus $730 in Zacatecas – Zacatecas is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Zacatecas gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Zacatecas wins on affordability, Brasilia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.