Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Japan

Name: Japan
Address: JP

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $1,329 in Japan, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
Learn more

Brazil Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Japan
Learn more

Japan Living Index

Jump to prices

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

🇯🇵 Japan

$1,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil and in Japan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brazil and in Japan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $865 per month in Brazil vs $1,329 in Japan, rent included.

Brazil $865
Japan $1,329

A couple spends around $1,373 per month in Brazil vs $2,030 in Japan, rent included.

Brazil $1,373
Japan $2,030

A family of three spends $1,880 per month in Brazil vs $2,730 in Japan, rent included.

Brazil $1,880
Japan $2,730

The regional cost range is wider in Japan ($728–$2,745) than in Brazil ($569–$1,349), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 35% lower than in Japan on average.

Both Brazil and Japan are more affordable than the global median – Brazil 36% lower, Japan 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 R$35.64

$6.19 ¥977

5.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.71 R$167

$31.81 ¥5,023

-3.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.45 R$40.53

$5.21 ¥822

42.99%

Cappuccino

$1.91 R$10.38

$3.21 ¥507

-40.50%

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

$1.15 R$6.28

$1.17 ¥185

-1.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$4.11

$0.79 ¥125

-3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.85 R$10.05

$3.23 ¥511

-42.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 R$15.53

$3.73 ¥589

-23.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R$5.61

$1.48 ¥234

-30.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$8.51

$1.51 ¥238

3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.71

$4.87 ¥769

-74.54%

Eggs

$2.10 R$11.44

$2.10 ¥332

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 R$48.21

$11.52 ¥1,819

-23.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.99 R$21.71

$6.19 ¥977

-35.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 R$42.17

$17.80 ¥2,811

-56.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$11.71

$4.84 ¥765

-55.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.91

$2.32 ¥367

-45.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.28

$4.22 ¥666

-72.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.31

$4.46 ¥705

-65.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.31

$2.68 ¥424

-56.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.54

$2.52 ¥399

-59.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$4.03

$1.33 ¥211

-44.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 R$3.90

$0.83 ¥131

-13.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 R$12.26

$4.00 ¥632

-43.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.65 R$41.59

$7.65 ¥1,208

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 R$7.09

$1.95 ¥309

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R$11.77

$2.56 ¥404

-15.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$5.11

$1.41 ¥223

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.00 R$239

$63.0 ¥9,947

-30.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.68

$3.89 ¥614

-68.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.96 R$5.20

$3.23 ¥510

-70.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 R$40.34

$19.98 ¥3,155

-62.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.60

$1.07 ¥170

13.08%

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

$22.1K R$120.4K

$21.7K ¥3.4M

1.88%

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

$31.6K R$171.6K

$15.9K ¥2.5M

98.21%

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

$77.2 R$420

$157 ¥24.7K

-50.71%

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

$12.44 R$67.6

$25.21 ¥3,981

-50.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.80 R$108

$33.23 ¥5,246

-40.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.36 R$132

$51.3 ¥8,098

-52.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.46 R$138

$18.01 ¥2,843

41.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 R$37.97

$12.61 ¥1,990

-44.65%

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

$316 R$1,717

$660 ¥104.2K

-52.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,298 R$45.1K

$11.9K ¥1.9M

-30.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.37 R$268

$46.43 ¥7,332

6.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.73 R$249

$28.97 ¥4,574

57.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 R$454

$60.4 ¥9,531

38.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.6 R$357

$79.5 ¥12.6K

-17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$373 R$2,028

$587 ¥92.6K

-36.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R$1,362

$405 ¥63.9K

-38.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R$3,908

$1,346 ¥212.5K

-46.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 R$2,666

$766 ¥120.9K

-35.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,795 R$9,758

$5,484 ¥865.9K

-67.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 R$6,900

$3,075 ¥485.5K

-58.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$496 R$2,699

$2,138 ¥337.6K

-76.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

2.13

424.41%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Last update for Japan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brazil

$251 29%

Japan

$405 30.5% 61.5% $154

Groceries & Markets

Brazil

$183 21.2%

Japan

$313 23.5% 70.7% $130

Eating Out

Brazil

$120 13.9%

Japan

$135 10.2% 12.3% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Brazil

$110 12.7%

Japan

$97 7.3% 11.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazil

$109 12.6%

Japan

$215 16.2% 96.5% $106

Getting Around

Brazil

$54 6.2%

Japan

$89 6.7% 64.9% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Brazil

$38 4.4%

Japan

$77 5.8% 99.6% $38

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $335 in Brazil vs $544 in Japan. For reference, capital cities sit at $517 in Brasilia and $1,329 in Tokyo.

Average salary: $468 in Brazil vs $1,936 in Japan. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 62% higher in Japan.

Dining out costs 14% more in Japan.

Public transport is 30% more expensive in Japan.

Salaries are about 4.1 times higher in Japan, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Japan.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇯🇵 Japan

🕒 Local time

22:40 10:40 PM

10:40 10:40 AM

12 h ahead of Brazil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

203,062,512

125,440,000

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Japanese Yen JPY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD

1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JPY, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.09 BRL (1 BRL = 0.164 EUR).

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.65 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Brazil Japan 17,680 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazil
Japan

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

Brazil vs Japan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 35% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Japan: a central one-bedroom averages $544 versus $335 in Brazil.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Brazil – part of why living there is about 35% cheaper overall.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.