Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,062 in Cuiaba versus $957 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,564 in Cuiaba versus $1,566 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,067 in Cuiaba versus $2,176 in Brasilia.

Living in Cuiaba is roughly 11% more expensive than in Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuiaba 23% lower, Brasilia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.96 R$25.42

$8.61 R$44.14

-42.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.84 R$173

$39.06 R$200

-13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.53 R$38.60

$8.00 R$40.98

-5.87%

Cappuccino

$1.77 R$9.07

$2.55 R$13.04

-30.59%

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

$1.23 R$6.31

$1.45 R$7.44

-15.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.49

$0.96 R$4.94

-29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 R$9.97

$2.26 R$11.57

-13.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.99

$3.89 R$19.94

-34.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.87

$1.07 R$5.47

7.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 R$8.29

$2.04 R$10.45

-20.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 R$9.05

$1.26 R$6.45

40.48%

Eggs

$3.02 R$15.49

$2.44 R$12.51

23.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.54 R$84.7

$12.06 R$61.8

37.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.55 R$23.34

$4.06 R$20.81

12.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 R$56.1

$8.24 R$42.24

32.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 R$11.41

$2.34 R$12.01

-4.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 R$11.93

$1.42 R$7.28

64.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 R$12.78

$1.27 R$6.52

96.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.89 R$14.83

$1.65 R$8.48

75.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 R$12.80

$1.16 R$5.93

115.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 R$10.81

$1.01 R$5.18

108.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 R$7.91

$0.83 R$4.25

85.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 R$7.17

$0.98 R$5.00

42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 R$11.40

$2.39 R$12.22

-6.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.23 R$57.6

$7.99 R$40.95

40.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 R$9.86

$1.30 R$6.67

47.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 R$15.73

$2.40 R$12.28

27.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R$4.74

$0.92 R$4.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.32 R$196

$35.15 R$180

9.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.39

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 R$4.37

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 R$30.57

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.18

$1.28 R$6.56

-5.47%

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

$29.8K R$152.8K

$22.6K R$115.9K

31.79%

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

$32.9K R$168.7K

$32.1K R$164.4K

2.62%

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

$168 R$858

$91.1 R$467

83.99%

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

$18.98 R$97.3

$12.43 R$63.7

52.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.00 R$133

$22.55 R$116

15.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.69 R$127

$31.51 R$161

-21.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 R$100.0

$26.35 R$135

-25.96%

Cinema Ticket

$5.72 R$29.32

$7.86 R$40.25

-27.23%

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

$424 R$2,172

$813 R$4,167

-47.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,143 R$46.8K

$16.3K R$83.6K

-43.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 R$374

$52.2 R$268

39.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.79 R$245

$43.67 R$224

9.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$145 R$743

$82.7 R$424

75.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 R$353

$86.5 R$443

-20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$320 R$1,642

$500 R$2,563

-35.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$218 R$1,119

$266 R$1,364

-17.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 R$3,240

$1,133 R$5,805

-44.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$353 R$1,811

$562 R$2,878

-37.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,316 R$6,744

$2,411 R$12.4K

-45.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$774 R$3,967

$1,705 R$8,736

-54.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$392 R$2,006

$876 R$4,488

-55.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.1

11.8

36.44%

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

Last update for Cuiaba: August 29, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $320 in Cuiaba and $500 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 124% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Cuiaba vs $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $209, with Brasilia cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cuiaba vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuiaba and Brasilia differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,062 vs $957 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 124% 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: $320 in Cuiaba versus $500 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $34.00 in Cuiaba. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,062 per month in Cuiaba versus $957 in Brasilia – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $957 in Brasilia versus $1,062 in Cuiaba, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Cuiaba. The gap between the two cities makes Brasilia 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 Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Cuiaba. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.