Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caraguatatuba and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Caraguatatuba: $843 a month against $1,008 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Caraguatatuba
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Caraguatatuba Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Brazil

$843

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,008

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba and in Brasilia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,008 in Brasilia.

Caraguatatuba $843
Brasilia $1,008

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,363 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,618 in Brasilia.

Caraguatatuba $1,363
Brasilia $1,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,883 in Caraguatatuba versus $2,228 in Brasilia.

Caraguatatuba $1,883
Brasilia $2,228

Living in Caraguatatuba costs roughly 16% less than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Caraguatatuba 38% lower, Brasilia 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.70 R$39.04

$9.23 R$46.81

-16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.38 R$149

$39.99 R$203

-26.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 R$46.80

$8.44 R$42.79

9.36%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R$11.99

$2.62 R$13.29

-9.54%

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

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.52 R$7.70

-19.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.48

$0.91 R$4.63

-3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 R$11.96

$2.43 R$12.30

-2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R$16.60

$3.99 R$20.23

-18.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.09

$1.10 R$5.57

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 R$8.17

$2.07 R$10.47

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.36 R$6.90

2.94%

Eggs

$1.96 R$9.96

$2.46 R$12.47

-20.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 R$29.84

$12.06 R$61.1

-51.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.32 R$16.82

$4.00 R$20.29

-17.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.98 R$40.47

$9.09 R$46.06

-12.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$10.89

$2.43 R$12.33

-11.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 R$8.46

$1.53 R$7.76

9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.39

$1.33 R$6.73

9.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.19

$1.73 R$8.76

-17.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.45

$1.17 R$5.95

8.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 R$4.13

$1.04 R$5.28

-21.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 R$3.60

$0.83 R$4.20

-14.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 R$3.99

$0.99 R$5.03

-20.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 R$10.96

$2.43 R$12.34

-11.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.00 R$35.46

$8.26 R$41.86

-15.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 R$7.58

$1.28 R$6.50

17.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R$13.11

$2.48 R$12.58

4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 R$4.96

$1.03 R$5.23

-4.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.55 R$119

$36.05 R$183

-34.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 R$5.89

$1.05 R$5.32

10.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$3.70

$0.91 R$4.63

-19.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 R$17.85

$6.31 R$31.99

-44.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.59

$1.28 R$6.51

1.56%

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

$15.7K R$79.3K

$24.2K R$122.5K

-35.21%

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

$29.5K R$149.6K

$33.3K R$169.0K

-11.47%

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

$66.3 R$336

$98.4 R$499

-32.63%

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

$13.05 R$66.2

$12.88 R$65.3

1.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.44 R$114

$22.35 R$113

0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.64 R$110

$34.14 R$173

-36.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.29 R$82.6

$28.34 R$144

-42.52%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 R$41.40

$7.78 R$39.45

5.01%

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

$223 R$1,130

$834 R$4,230

-73.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,271 R$21.7K

$17.3K R$87.9K

-75.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 R$293

$56.8 R$288

1.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 R$287

$45.40 R$230

24.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 R$397

$85.5 R$433

-8.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.2 R$300

$90.5 R$459

-34.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$416 R$2,110

$507 R$2,572

-17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R$1,201

$279 R$1,412

-14.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$879 R$4,453

$1,123 R$5,693

-21.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R$2,648

$568 R$2,881

-8.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,681 R$8,523

$2,518 R$12.8K

-33.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,217 R$6,170

$1,744 R$8,840

-30.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$336 R$1,704

$841 R$4,263

-60.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.15

12.12

-32.76%

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

Last update for Caraguatatuba: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Caraguatatuba

$237 28.1%

Brasilia

$279 27.7% 17.6% $42

Groceries & Markets

Caraguatatuba

$176 20.9%

Brasilia

$214 21.3% 21.9% $38

Eating Out

Caraguatatuba

$145 17.2%

Brasilia

$160 15.9% 11.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Caraguatatuba

$113 13.5%

Brasilia

$125 12.4% 10.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caraguatatuba

$102 12.1%

Brasilia

$134 13.3% 31.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Caraguatatuba

$38 4.5%

Brasilia

$50 4.9% 30.9% $12

Getting Around

Caraguatatuba

$32 3.8%

Brasilia

$46 4.5% 41.9% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $416 in Caraguatatuba and $507 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 150% 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: $29.00 in Caraguatatuba vs $40.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $214 per month, with Caraguatatuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Caraguatatuba

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

Same time as Caraguatatuba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

134,873

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Caraguatatuba Brasilia 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Caraguatatuba
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

Caraguatatuba vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caraguatatuba and Brasilia differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($843 vs $1,008 including rent). Caraguatatuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 150% lower in Brasilia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $416 in Caraguatatuba versus $507 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caraguatatuba – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $843 per month in Caraguatatuba versus $1,008 in Brasilia – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $843 in Caraguatatuba versus $1,008 in Brasilia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Caraguatatuba but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Caraguatatuba 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 Caraguatatuba 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.