Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Frio and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $633 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cabo Frio, Brazil
Brasilia, Brazil
Cabo Frio
🇧🇷 Brazil
$633
/mo nomad
Brasilia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$916
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cabo Frio and in Brasilia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $633 in Cabo Frio versus $916 in Brasilia.

  • Cabo Frio $633
  • Brasilia $916

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,037 in Cabo Frio versus $1,514 in Brasilia.

  • Cabo Frio $1,037
  • Brasilia $1,514

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,442 in Cabo Frio versus $2,112 in Brasilia.

  • Cabo Frio $1,442
  • Brasilia $2,112

Living in Cabo Frio costs roughly 31% less than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cabo Frio 53% lower, Brasilia 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cabo Frio
Brasilia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.51 R$29.49
$8.44 R$45.15
-34.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$27.78 R$149
$36.71 R$196
-24.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.44 R$34.47
$7.98 R$42.72
-19.30%
Cappuccino
$1.61 R$8.62
$2.53 R$13.51
-36.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.25 R$6.70
$1.42 R$7.60
-11.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 R$2.79
$1.00 R$5.36
-48.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.13 R$6.05
$2.20 R$11.77
-48.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 R$9.87
$3.76 R$20.10
-51.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cabo Frio
Brasilia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.72 R$3.87
$1.02 R$5.45
-29.41%
White Bread (500g)
$1.45 R$7.78
$1.95 R$10.45
-25.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.71 R$3.82
$1.24 R$6.64
-42.74%
Eggs
$1.52 R$8.16
$2.27 R$12.17
-33.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.38 R$39.49
$11.17 R$59.8
-33.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.15 R$16.87
$3.86 R$20.68
-18.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.89 R$47.57
$8.58 R$45.90
3.61%
Apples (1kg)
$1.80 R$9.64
$2.31 R$12.34
-22.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.08 R$5.77
$1.38 R$7.38
-21.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.86 R$4.60
$1.26 R$6.73
-31.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.13 R$6.04
$1.52 R$8.14
-25.66%
Potato (1kg)
$0.62 R$3.30
$1.11 R$5.95
-44.14%
Onion (1kg)
$0.76 R$4.07
$0.98 R$5.22
-22.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.53 R$2.84
$0.76 R$4.04
-30.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 R$3.14
$0.93 R$5.00
-36.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.47 R$7.85
$2.36 R$12.65
-37.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.73 R$30.68
$7.67 R$41.04
-25.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 R$5.05
$1.24 R$6.64
-24.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 R$6.84
$2.36 R$12.60
-45.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Cabo Frio
Brasilia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.27 R$6.82
$0.73 R$3.90
73.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.1 R$407
$29.76 R$159
155.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.17 R$6.28
$1.01 R$5.43
15.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.69 R$3.69
$0.86 R$4.59
-19.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.54 R$40.34
$5.77 R$30.89
30.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 R$5.87
$1.25 R$6.68
-12.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.3K R$108.6K
$22.0K R$117.5K
-7.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.9K R$154.6K
$31.9K R$170.4K
-9.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cabo Frio
Brasilia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$55.4 R$296
$92.1 R$493
-39.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.38 R$39.47
$11.85 R$63.4
-37.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.67 R$67.8
$20.93 R$112
-39.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cabo Frio
Brasilia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.60 R$110
$30.47 R$163
-32.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$26.29 R$141
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 R$23.44
$7.46 R$39.95
-41.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cabo Frio
Brasilia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$137 R$734
$764 R$4,091
-82.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,446 R$13.1K
$15.7K R$84.1K
-84.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cabo Frio
Brasilia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.31 R$226
$52.6 R$282
-19.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.38 R$200
$42.10 R$225
-11.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$53.0 R$284
$79.4 R$425
-33.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$44.60 R$239
$83.6 R$447
-46.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cabo Frio
Brasilia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$418 R$2,234
$517 R$2,767
-19.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$113 R$603
$242 R$1,292
-53.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$625 R$3,342
$1,156 R$6,188
-46.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$261 R$1,399
$580 R$3,102
-54.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,398 R$12.8K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,678 R$8,979
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cabo Frio
Brasilia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$265 R$1,420
$784 R$4,197
-66.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.67
12.12
-11.96%

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

Last update for Cabo Frio: October 27, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Cabo Frio
$151
Brasilia
$201 32.7% $49
Accommodation & Living
Cabo Frio
$113
Brasilia
$242 115% $129
Eating Out
Cabo Frio
$99
Brasilia
$150 51.2% $51
Getting Around
Cabo Frio
$86
Brasilia
$38 55.8% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Cabo Frio
$80
Brasilia
$116 45.3% $36
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cabo Frio
$75
Brasilia
$125 65.6% $49
Sport & Entertainment
Cabo Frio
$29
Brasilia
$45 54.6% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $418 in Cabo Frio and $517 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $28 in Cabo Frio vs $37 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $201 per month, with Cabo Frio cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Cabo Frio
🇧🇷 Brasilia
🕒 Local time
11:12 11:12 AM
11:12 11:12 AM
Same time as Cabo Frio
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
222,161
2,817,381 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cabo Frio Brasilia 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Cabo Frio
  • Brasilia

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
Cabo Frio vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Cabo Frio and in Brasilia?
Cabo Frio and Brasilia differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($633 vs $916 including rent). Cabo Frio is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Cabo Frio. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Cabo Frio and in Brasilia?
Rent for a central apartment: $418 in Cabo Frio versus $517 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Cabo Frio – a meal for two runs $28 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Cabo Frio or Brasilia?
All in, you’ll spend $633 per month in Cabo Frio versus $916 in Brasilia – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Where should families live: Cabo Frio or Brasilia?
For families, Cabo Frio is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brasilia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
How do I decide between Cabo Frio and Brasilia?
It comes down to priorities – Cabo Frio wins on affordability, Brasilia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Cabo Frio vs other spots: cost of living compared

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