Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Curitiba and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $907 a month against $1,000 in Curitiba, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Curitiba, Brazil
Brasilia, Brazil
Curitiba
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,000
/mo nomad
Brasilia
🇧🇷 Brazil
$907
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in Curitiba versus $907 in Brasilia.

  • Curitiba $1,000
  • Brasilia $907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,532 in Curitiba versus $1,501 in Brasilia.

  • Curitiba $1,532
  • Brasilia $1,501

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,065 in Curitiba versus $2,094 in Brasilia.

  • Curitiba $2,065
  • Brasilia $2,094

Living in Curitiba is roughly 10% more expensive than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Curitiba 26% lower, Brasilia 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Curitiba
Brasilia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.19 R$39.26
$8.23 R$44.99
-12.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$36.52 R$200
$37.50 R$205
-2.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.39 R$45.86
$8.00 R$43.73
4.88%
Cappuccino
$2.45 R$13.41
$2.44 R$13.31
0.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 R$5.59
$1.37 R$7.50
-25.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 R$4.78
$0.97 R$5.31
-10.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.51 R$13.70
$2.27 R$12.38
10.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.58 R$19.58
$3.58 R$19.58
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Curitiba
Brasilia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.93 R$5.07
$0.94 R$5.14
-1.06%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 R$9.60
$1.93 R$10.56
-8.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.27 R$6.96
$1.22 R$6.65
4.10%
Eggs
$2.31 R$12.64
$2.25 R$12.28
2.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.18 R$50.2
$10.96 R$59.9
-16.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.59 R$25.10
$3.68 R$20.12
24.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.43 R$51.5
$8.16 R$44.59
15.56%
Apples (1kg)
$1.68 R$9.19
$2.28 R$12.46
-26.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 R$5.61
$1.37 R$7.46
-24.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.89 R$4.86
$1.24 R$6.78
-28.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.28 R$7.01
$1.50 R$8.17
-14.67%
Potato (1kg)
$0.77 R$4.20
$1.09 R$5.94
-29.36%
Onion (1kg)
$0.68 R$3.70
$1.02 R$5.60
-33.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.74 R$4.04
$0.76 R$4.15
-2.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 R$4.20
$0.94 R$5.14
-18.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.73 R$14.89
$2.34 R$12.78
16.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.35 R$34.70
$7.68 R$41.97
-17.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.18 R$6.45
$1.24 R$6.75
-4.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 R$12.86
$2.22 R$12.15
5.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Curitiba
Brasilia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.09 R$5.95
$0.77 R$4.22
41.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.9 R$355
$30.34 R$166
113.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.23 R$6.73
$1.20 R$6.55
2.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.77 R$4.19
$0.84 R$4.61
-8.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 R$30.59
$7.22 R$39.46
-22.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.21 R$6.59
$1.20 R$6.54
0.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.0K R$120.3K
$21.4K R$116.9K
2.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K R$173.3K
$31.7K R$173.0K
0.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Curitiba
Brasilia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$97.1 R$531
$87.9 R$480
10.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.63 R$74.5
$11.11 R$60.7
22.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.41 R$117
$20.19 R$110
6.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Curitiba
Brasilia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.23 R$138
$30.40 R$166
-17.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.47 R$101
$25.58 R$140
-27.80%
Cinema Ticket
$7.45 R$40.73
$7.23 R$39.50
3.04%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Curitiba
Brasilia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$354 R$1,936
$765 R$4,182
-53.71%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.6K R$85.0K
$16.6K R$90.9K
-6.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Curitiba
Brasilia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 R$288
$53.1 R$290
-0.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.0 R$279
$41.52 R$227
22.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.1 R$476
$78.7 R$430
10.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$75.1 R$410
$81.4 R$444
-7.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Curitiba
Brasilia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$470 R$2,570
$508 R$2,773
-7.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$310 R$1,696
$246 R$1,346
25.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$778 R$4,249
$1,132 R$6,184
-31.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$521 R$2,848
$584 R$3,193
-10.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,247 R$12.3K
$2,281 R$12.5K
-1.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,720 R$9,399
$1,623 R$8,869
5.98%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Curitiba
Brasilia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$717 R$3,919
$859 R$4,695
-16.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.54
12.12
-4.79%

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

Last update for Curitiba: November 1, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Curitiba
$310
Brasilia
$246 20.6% $64
Groceries & Markets
Curitiba
$184
Brasilia
$196 6.7% $12
Eating Out
Curitiba
$139
Brasilia
$147 5.4% $7.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Curitiba
$132
Brasilia
$119 9.8% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Curitiba
$120
Brasilia
$115 4.3% $5.1
Getting Around
Curitiba
$74
Brasilia
$39 47.7% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Curitiba
$40
Brasilia
$45 11.8% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $470 in Curitiba and $508 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37 in Curitiba vs $38 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $196 per month, with Curitiba cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Curitiba
🇧🇷 Brasilia
🕒 Local time
02:12 2:12 AM
02:12 2:12 AM
Same time as Curitiba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,773,718
2,817,381 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.46 BRL (1 BRL = 0.183 USD). 1 EUR = 6.13 BRL (1 BRL = 0.163 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Curitiba Brasilia 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Curitiba
  • 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
Curitiba vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Curitiba and in Brasilia?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,000 in Curitiba and $907 in Brasilia, so Brasilia is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Curitiba. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Curitiba and in Brasilia?
Rent for a central apartment: $470 in Curitiba versus $508 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 Curitiba – a meal for two runs $37 versus $38 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Curitiba or Brasilia?
All in, you’ll spend $1,000 per month in Curitiba versus $907 in Brasilia – Brasilia is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $1,200 go in Curitiba compared to Brasilia?
Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Brasilia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Where should digital nomads live: Curitiba or Brasilia?
Both work as nomad bases, but Brasilia delivers better value at $907 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brasilia hard to pass up.

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