Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $776 a month against $1,000 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $776 in Contagem versus $1,000 in Brasilia.

Contagem $776
Brasilia $1,000

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,248 in Contagem versus $1,614 in Brasilia.

Contagem $1,248
Brasilia $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,719 in Contagem versus $2,228 in Brasilia.

Contagem $1,719
Brasilia $2,228

Living in Contagem costs roughly 22% less than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Contagem 43% lower, Brasilia 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 R$29.69

$8.80 R$44.59

-33.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 R$153

$39.84 R$202

-24.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.84

$8.26 R$41.87

-14.41%

Cappuccino

$1.69 R$8.58

$2.72 R$13.81

-37.87%

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

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.57 R$7.96

-14.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$1.00 R$5.07

-38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 R$6.41

$2.33 R$11.81

-45.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.72

$3.92 R$19.85

-35.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.09 R$5.53

-12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.30

$2.07 R$10.52

-11.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.36 R$6.87

-0.74%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.20

$2.43 R$12.33

-17.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 R$49.00

$11.64 R$59.0

-16.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$17.16

$4.07 R$20.62

-16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 R$38.41

$8.80 R$44.60

-13.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.51

$2.49 R$12.64

-24.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.48 R$7.48

-18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.34 R$6.79

-28.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.31

$1.63 R$8.29

0.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.23 R$6.25

-12.20%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.04 R$5.27

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.25

$0.86 R$4.34

-2.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.95 R$4.80

-12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 R$8.12

$2.52 R$12.77

-36.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$8.39 R$42.54

-30.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.79

$1.31 R$6.65

-28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.17

$2.41 R$12.23

-41.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R$7.31

$1.01 R$5.13

42.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 R$402

$35.30 R$179

124.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R$5.74

$1.10 R$5.58

2.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.63

$0.93 R$4.73

-22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.82

$6.17 R$31.25

1.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.48

$1.29 R$6.54

-0.78%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

0.01%

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

$32.2K R$163.0K

$33.7K R$170.9K

-4.60%

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

$77.6 R$393

$96.3 R$488

-19.47%

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

$10.12 R$51.3

$12.59 R$63.8

-19.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 R$97.9

$22.58 R$114

-14.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 R$136

$33.65 R$171

-20.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.87 R$121

$27.87 R$141

-14.35%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 R$35.59

$7.78 R$39.43

-9.77%

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

$143 R$725

$815 R$4,133

-82.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,614 R$13.2K

$17.2K R$87.3K

-84.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R$304

$55.4 R$281

8.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.09 R$249

$44.23 R$224

10.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 R$340

$85.0 R$431

-21.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 R$244

$87.8 R$445

-45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,132

$494 R$2,506

-54.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 R$779

$282 R$1,427

-45.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 R$2,391

$1,127 R$5,711

-58.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,617

$593 R$3,004

-46.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 R$10.2K

$2,522 R$12.8K

-20.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 R$5,087

$1,753 R$8,885

-42.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 R$1,331

$850 R$4,310

-69.11%

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 Contagem: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$176 22.7%

Brasilia

$212 21.2% 20.3% $36

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$154 19.8%

Brasilia

$282 28.2% 83.2% $128

Eating Out

Contagem

$108 13.9%

Brasilia

$158 15.8% 46.5% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$107 13.8%

Brasilia

$131 13.2% 22.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$101 13%

Brasilia

$123 12.3% 21.5% $22

Getting Around

Contagem

$90 11.6%

Brasilia

$45 4.5% 49.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$41 5.3%

Brasilia

$49 4.9% 20.5% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $223 in Contagem and $494 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 224% 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: $30.00 in Contagem vs $40.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $212 per month, with Contagem cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

14:45 2:45 PM

Same time as Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

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

Contagem Brasilia 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Contagem
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

Contagem vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Contagem and Brasilia differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($776 vs $1,000 including rent). Contagem is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 224% 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: $223 in Contagem versus $494 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Contagem – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $40.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $776 per month in Contagem versus $1,000 in Brasilia – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $776 in Contagem versus $1,000 in Brasilia, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Contagem but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Contagem 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 Contagem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.