Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasilia: $994 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $49,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,142 in New York, NY versus $994 in Brasilia.

New York, NY $5,142
Brasilia $994

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,455 in New York, NY versus $1,593 in Brasilia.

New York, NY $7,455
Brasilia $1,593

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,767 in New York, NY versus $2,193 in Brasilia.

New York, NY $9,767
Brasilia $2,193

Living in New York, NY is roughly 418% more expensive than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: New York, NY is 284% above, Brasilia is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$9.18 R$45.81

188.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$40.43 R$202

193.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$8.44 R$42.12

70.97%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$2.73 R$13.62

139.93%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.51 R$7.55

154.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$0.99 R$4.96

203.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$2.37 R$11.83

248.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$3.95 R$19.72

154.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.11 R$5.52

18.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.06 R$10.27

137.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.34 R$6.68

434.33%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$2.56 R$12.79

131.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$11.60 R$57.9

64.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$4.15 R$20.69

318.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$9.27 R$46.27

104.31%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$2.39 R$11.92

191.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.55 R$7.73

34.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.30 R$6.51

369.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.65 R$8.25

321.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.19 R$5.96

234.45%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.04 R$5.19

326.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.83 R$4.12

238.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.96 R$4.77

161.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$2.43 R$12.11

693.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$8.15 R$40.66

141.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.29 R$6.43

138.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.50 R$12.50

47.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.07 R$5.33

182.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$35.76 R$179

290.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.10 R$5.50

179.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.86 R$4.32

147.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$6.56 R$32.73

528.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.29 R$6.44

-13.95%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.9K R$119.5K

46.18%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-24.35%

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

$217 $217

$97.6 R$487

122.82%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$12.78 R$63.8

479.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$22.79 R$114

218.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$34.48 R$172

249.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$28.17 R$141

137.45%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$7.80 R$38.93

186.15%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$844 R$4,211

306.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$16.8K R$83.6K

265.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$56.7 R$283

34.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$43.89 R$219

26.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$86.3 R$431

38.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$89.3 R$446

46.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$498 R$2,484

805.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$282 R$1,406

1020.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$1,156 R$5,772

662.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$574 R$2,863

864.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$2,497 R$12.5K

676.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,735 R$8,660

289.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$848 R$4,233

523.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

12.12

-43.73%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Brasilia

$282 27.9% 91.1% $2.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Brasilia

$213 21.2% 60.9% $333

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Brasilia

$161 16% 61.8% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Brasilia

$133 13.2% 63.4% $231

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Brasilia

$124 12.3% 27.6% $47

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Brasilia

$45 4.5% 72.5% $120

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Brasilia

$50 5% 69.7% $115

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,506 in New York, NY and $498 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 524% 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: $119 in New York, NY vs $40.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $213 per month, with Brasilia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

09:06 9:06 AM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

New York, NY Brasilia 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

New York, NY vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Brasilia differ by about 418% in total monthly costs ($5,142 vs $994 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 524% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,506 in New York, NY versus $498 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 $40.00 versus $119 in New York, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $5,142 per month in New York, NY versus $994 in Brasilia – a 418% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $994 in Brasilia versus $5,142 in New York, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. 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 418% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.