Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Cuba Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Cuba

Name: Cuba
Address: CU

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $846 per month in Brazil vs $932 in Cuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,346 per month in Brazil vs $1,316 in Cuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,845 per month in Brazil vs $1,699 in Cuba, rent included.

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 9% lower than in Cuba on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Brazil and Cuba are more affordable than the global median – Brazil 39% lower, Cuba 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 R$33.16

$5.92 CUP 142

9.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.65 R$173

$24.68 CUP 592

36.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.92 R$40.59

$6.39 CUP 153

23.94%

Cappuccino

$2.07 R$10.61

$1.78 CUP 42.63

16.29%

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

$1.26 R$6.48

$1.81 CUP 43.44

-30.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 R$3.77

$1.06 CUP 25.50

-30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 R$9.86

$2.05 CUP 49.17

-6.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 R$15.09

$2.51 CUP 60.2

17.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.52

$2.78 CUP 66.7

-61.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 R$8.92

$1.27 CUP 30.52

37.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.69

$2.01 CUP 48.12

-35.32%

Eggs

$2.23 R$11.42

$3.37 CUP 80.9

-33.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 R$46.94

$5.64 CUP 135

62.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.33 R$22.22

$5.13 CUP 123

-15.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.46 R$43.35

$10.83 CUP 260

-21.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 R$11.37

$4.18 CUP 100

-46.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.81

$1.12 CUP 26.99

18.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.16

$1.80 CUP 43.18

-33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.78

$1.84 CUP 44.12

-17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.13

$1.99 CUP 47.69

-40.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.47

$2.43 CUP 58.3

-55.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.30

$0.96 CUP 22.98

-12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.09

$0.96 CUP 23.08

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R$12.27

$3.16 CUP 75.8

-24.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.62 R$39.06

$10.07 CUP 242

-24.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R$6.98

$1.82 CUP 43.77

-25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 R$11.89

$2.12 CUP 50.8

9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 R$5.23

$0.21 CUP 4.98

385.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.47 R$228

$19.85 CUP 476

124.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.30 R$6.66

$2.19 CUP 52.5

-40.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R$4.83

$0.43 CUP 10.27

118.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.03 R$41.15

$19.92 CUP 478

-59.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.39

$1.28 CUP 30.61

-2.34%

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

$23.0K R$117.7K

$69.9K CUP 1.7M

-67.15%

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

$31.6K R$161.8K

$73.7K CUP 1.8M

-57.19%

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

$81.0 R$415

$37.37 CUP 897

116.70%

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

$12.79 R$65.6

$34.65 CUP 832

-63.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.82 R$107

$224 CUP 5,378

-90.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.51 R$131

$39.47 CUP 947

-35.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.17 R$134

$12.73 CUP 305

105.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.99 R$35.81

$1.01 CUP 24.35

592.08%

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

$337 R$1,725

$107 CUP 2,568

214.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,862 R$45.4K

$13.1K CUP 315.0K

-32.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R$272

$41.47 CUP 995

27.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.80 R$250

$31.93 CUP 766

52.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 R$454

$71.1 CUP 1,707

24.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.5 R$351

$68.5 CUP 1,644

0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 R$1,933

$333 CUP 7,993

13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 R$1,250

$479 CUP 11.5K

-49.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 R$3,713

$879 CUP 21.1K

-17.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 R$2,445

$618 CUP 14.8K

-22.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,846 R$9,462

$363 CUP 8,711

408.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,262 R$6,469

$339 CUP 8,145

271.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$524 R$2,686

$35.13 CUP 843

1391.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.19

9.38

19.30%

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

Last update for Brazil: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cuba: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $341 in Brazil vs $269 in Cuba. For reference, capital cities sit at $479 in Brasilia and $251 in Havana.

Average salary: $487 in Brazil vs $36.00 in Cuba. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 27% higher in Brazil.

Dining out costs 36% more in Brazil.

Public transport is 179% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 1253% higher in Brazil, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brazil.

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

Brazil vs Cuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuba is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 25% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Brazil, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Brazil consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Cuba, contributing to the overall 25% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Cuba, but in Brazil it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Cuba is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.