Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castanhal and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Castanhal: $838 a month against $916 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $940 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Castanhal, Brazil
Brasilia, Brazil
Castanhal
🇧🇷 Brazil
$838
/mo nomad
Brasilia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$916
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $838 in Castanhal versus $916 in Brasilia.

  • Castanhal $838
  • Brasilia $916

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Castanhal versus $1,514 in Brasilia.

  • Castanhal $1,350
  • Brasilia $1,514

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,862 in Castanhal versus $2,112 in Brasilia.

  • Castanhal $1,862
  • Brasilia $2,112

Living in Castanhal costs roughly 8% less than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Castanhal 38% lower, Brasilia 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Castanhal
Brasilia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.63 R$30.61
$8.44 R$45.87
-33.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.17 R$175
$36.71 R$200
-12.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.37 R$40.07
$7.98 R$43.40
-7.64%
Cappuccino
$1.91 R$10.41
$2.53 R$13.73
-24.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$6.47
$1.42 R$7.72
-16.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.70 R$3.78
$1.00 R$5.45
-30.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.84 R$10.01
$2.20 R$11.96
-16.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 R$14.93
$3.76 R$20.42
-26.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Castanhal
Brasilia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.83 R$4.50
$1.02 R$5.54
-18.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.49 R$8.10
$1.95 R$10.62
-23.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.14 R$6.22
$1.24 R$6.74
-8.06%
Eggs
$2.00 R$10.85
$2.27 R$12.36
-11.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.88 R$42.82
$11.17 R$60.7
-29.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.94 R$21.39
$3.86 R$21.01
2.07%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.87 R$48.20
$8.58 R$46.64
3.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.20 R$11.97
$2.31 R$12.53
-4.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.26 R$6.83
$1.38 R$7.50
-8.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.25 R$6.80
$1.26 R$6.83
-0.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.67 R$9.06
$1.52 R$8.27
9.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 R$5.92
$1.11 R$6.04
-1.80%
Onion (1kg)
$0.91 R$4.97
$0.98 R$5.30
-7.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 R$4.14
$0.76 R$4.11
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 R$4.22
$0.93 R$5.08
-16.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 R$11.97
$2.36 R$12.85
-6.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.31 R$39.77
$7.67 R$41.69
-4.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 R$6.00
$1.24 R$6.74
-11.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 R$10.25
$2.36 R$12.80
-19.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Castanhal
Brasilia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 R$5.37
$0.73 R$3.96
35.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.44 R$220
$29.76 R$162
35.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.18 R$6.42
$1.01 R$5.52
16.83%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.84 R$4.55
$0.86 R$4.66
-2.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.65 R$36.15
$5.77 R$31.38
15.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 R$6.25
$1.25 R$6.78
-8.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.0K R$103.1K
$22.0K R$119.3K
-13.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.6K R$172.0K
$31.9K R$173.2K
-0.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Castanhal
Brasilia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$72.3 R$393
$92.1 R$501
-21.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.79 R$53.2
$11.85 R$64.4
-17.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.03 R$120
$20.93 R$114
5.26%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Castanhal
Brasilia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.85 R$130
$30.47 R$166
-21.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.97 R$119
$26.29 R$143
-16.43%
Cinema Ticket
$6.80 R$36.99
$7.46 R$40.58
-8.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Castanhal
Brasilia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$288 R$1,566
$764 R$4,156
-62.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,516 R$35.4K
$15.7K R$85.5K
-58.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Castanhal
Brasilia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.8 R$282
$52.6 R$286
-1.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.71 R$254
$42.10 R$229
10.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.5 R$454
$79.4 R$432
5.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.7 R$368
$83.6 R$454
-19.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Castanhal
Brasilia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$350 R$1,901
$517 R$2,811
-32.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$243 R$1,324
$242 R$1,313
0.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$651 R$3,537
$1,156 R$6,287
-43.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$506 R$2,750
$580 R$3,151
-12.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,564 R$8,504
$2,398 R$13.0K
-34.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,119 R$6,083
$1,678 R$9,123
-33.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Castanhal
Brasilia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$784 R$4,264
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
12.12
-9.24%

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

Last update for Castanhal: October 27, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Castanhal
$243
Brasilia
$242 0.8% $1.9
Groceries & Markets
Castanhal
$179
Brasilia
$201 12.1% $22
Eating Out
Castanhal
$112
Brasilia
$150 33.4% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Castanhal
$112
Brasilia
$116 3.2% $3.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Castanhal
$104
Brasilia
$125 19.9% $21
Getting Around
Castanhal
$50
Brasilia
$38 23.7% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Castanhal
$37
Brasilia
$45 21.2% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $350 in Castanhal and $517 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32 in Castanhal vs $37 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $201 per month, with Castanhal cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Castanhal
🇧🇷 Brasilia
🕒 Local time
03:05 3:05 AM
03:05 3:05 AM
Same time as Castanhal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
192,256
2,817,381 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Castanhal Brasilia 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Castanhal
  • 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
Castanhal vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Castanhal and in Brasilia?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $838 in Castanhal and $916 in Brasilia, so Castanhal is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Castanhal compared to Brasilia?
You’d need roughly $1,258 in Castanhal and $1,374 in Brasilia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Castanhal and in Brasilia?
Rent for a central apartment: $350 in Castanhal 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 Castanhal – a meal for two runs $32 versus $37 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Castanhal or Brasilia?
All in, you’ll spend $838 per month in Castanhal versus $916 in Brasilia – Castanhal is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is feasible on a $800 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Castanhal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Castanhal and Brasilia?
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.

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