For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $855 a month against $1,277 in Cuba, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cuba and in Brazil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $1,277 per month in Cuba vs $855 in Brazil, rent included.
Cuba $1,277
Brazil $855
A couple spends around $1,745 per month in Cuba vs $1,363 in Brazil, rent included.
Cuba $1,745
Brazil $1,363
A family of three spends $2,212 per month in Cuba vs $1,871 in Brazil, rent included.
Cuba $2,212
Brazil $1,871
📏
The regional cost range is wider in Cuba ($185–$1,549) than in Brazil ($478–$1,349), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in Cuba is about 49% higher than in Brazil on average.
📊
Both Cuba and Brazil are more affordable than the global median – Cuba 6% lower, Brazil 37% lower.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cuba
Brazil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.55CUP 133
$6.50R$35.47
-14.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.58CUP 590
$30.90R$169
-20.45%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.61CUP 159
$7.25R$39.61
-8.83%
Cappuccino
$1.65CUP 39.71
$1.99R$10.87
-17.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76CUP 42.27
$1.14R$6.22
54.39%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.12CUP 26.77
$0.73R$3.96
53.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.02CUP 48.57
$1.81R$9.86
11.60%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41CUP 57.9
$2.82R$15.40
-14.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuba
Brazil
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.82CUP 67.7
$0.98R$5.36
187.76%
White Bread(500g)
$1.20CUP 28.79
$1.63R$8.88
-26.38%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.01CUP 48.17
$1.22R$6.68
64.75%
Eggs
$3.30CUP 79.2
$2.15R$11.75
53.49%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.81CUP 139
$8.84R$48.26
-34.28%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.29CUP 127
$4.09R$22.31
29.34%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.04CUP 265
$7.98R$43.55
38.35%
Apples(1kg)
$4.15CUP 99.7
$2.16R$11.80
92.13%
Banana(1kg)
$1.12CUP 26.86
$1.30R$7.11
-13.85%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.81CUP 43.45
$1.16R$6.33
56.03%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.93CUP 46.35
$1.46R$7.99
32.19%
Potato(1kg)
$1.96CUP 47.03
$1.10R$6.00
78.18%
Onion(1kg)
$2.53CUP 60.7
$1.02R$5.55
148.04%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.98CUP 23.56
$0.74R$4.03
32.43%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.95CUP 22.71
$0.72R$3.95
31.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.19CUP 76.6
$2.27R$12.39
40.53%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.67CUP 232
$7.20R$39.29
34.31%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.72CUP 41.30
$1.24R$6.74
38.71%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21CUP 53.0
$2.26R$12.32
-2.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuba
Brazil
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.21CUP 5.16
$0.93R$5.07
-77.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.72CUP 473
$44.48R$243
-55.67%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.24CUP 53.7
$1.21R$6.61
85.12%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.38CUP 9.15
$0.76R$4.13
-50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$20.11CUP 483
$7.56R$41.29
166.01%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.23CUP 29.62
$1.21R$6.58
1.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$68.9KCUP 1.7M
$21.7KR$118.5K
217.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$74.3KCUP 1.8M
$30.9KR$168.8K
140.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
Brazil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$37.50CUP 900
$78.0R$426
-51.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.07CUP 842
$11.96R$65.3
193.23%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$229CUP 5,501
$19.21R$105
1093.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
Brazil
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$38.43CUP 922
$24.14R$132
59.20%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.74CUP 306
$25.23R$138
-49.50%
Cinema Ticket
$0.98CUP 23.56
$7.37R$40.23
-86.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuba
Brazil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$116CUP 2,785
$319R$1,744
-63.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.4KCUP 322.4K
$12.7KR$69.4K
5.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
Brazil
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.50CUP 1,116
$48.80R$266
-4.71%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.13CUP 843
$44.66R$244
-21.34%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$72.4CUP 1,738
$84.6R$462
-14.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.6CUP 1,743
$64.9R$354
11.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuba
Brazil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$327CUP 7,840
$366R$1,999
-10.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$456CUP 10.9K
$241R$1,318
88.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$858CUP 20.6K
$704R$3,845
21.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$603CUP 14.5K
$482R$2,632
25.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$352CUP 8,441
$1,805R$9,853
-80.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$344CUP 8,267
$1,258R$6,868
-72.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuba
Brazil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$35.85CUP 860
$528R$2,885
-93.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.38
11.14
-15.80%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cuba: November 1, 2026
Last update for Brazil: November 2, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$456 35.7%
Brazil
$241 28.2% ↓ 47%$215
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$302 23.6%
Brazil
$109 12.8% ↓ 63.8%$193
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$241 18.9%
Brazil
$183 21.4% ↓ 24.2%$58
🍽Eating Out
Cuba
$111 8.7%
Brazil
$120 14% ↑ 8.4%$9.3
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$102 8%
Brazil
$109 12.8% ↑ 7.2%$7.3
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$40 3.2%
Brazil
$39 4.6% ↓ 3.8%$1.5
🚌Getting Around
Cuba
$25 1.9%
Brazil
$53 6.2% ↑ 115%$28
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$603 27.3%
Brazil
$482 25.8% ↓ 20.1%$121
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$337 15.2%
Brazil
$121 6.5% ↓ 64.1%$216
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$564 25.5%
Brazil
$421 22.5% ↓ 25.2%$142
🍽Eating Out
Cuba
$339 15.3%
Brazil
$392 21% ↑ 15.9%$54
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$227 10.3%
Brazil
$243 13% ↑ 7.2%$16
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$94 4.2%
Brazil
$103 5.5% ↑ 10.1%$9.5
🚌Getting Around
Cuba
$50 2.3%
Brazil
$108 5.8% ↑ 117%$58
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $381 in Cuba vs $333 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $249 in Havana and $508 in Brasilia.
💰Average salary: $37 in Cuba vs $473 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 14% higher in Cuba.
⭐Public transport is 87% more expensive in Brazil.
⭐Salaries are about 13 times higher in Brazil, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Brazil.
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
Cuba vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Brazil and Cuba compare in cost of living?
Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 33% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Brazil and Cuba?
Housing costs more in Cuba: a central one-bedroom averages $381 versus $333 in Brazil.
How do I choose between living in Brazil and in Cuba?
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.