Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nova Iguacu and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Nova Iguacu: $736 a month against $1,000 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Nova Iguacu
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Nova Iguacu Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$736

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,000

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $736 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,000 in Brasilia.

Nova Iguacu $736
Brasilia $1,000

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,212 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,614 in Brasilia.

Nova Iguacu $1,212
Brasilia $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,687 in Nova Iguacu versus $2,228 in Brasilia.

Nova Iguacu $1,687
Brasilia $2,228

Living in Nova Iguacu costs roughly 26% less than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nova Iguacu 46% lower, Brasilia 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 R$17.92

$8.80 R$44.59

-59.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.13 R$153

$39.84 R$202

-24.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.87 R$39.92

$8.26 R$41.87

-4.72%

Cappuccino

$1.89 R$9.59

$2.72 R$13.81

-30.51%

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

$1.20 R$6.11

$1.57 R$7.96

-23.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.94

$1.00 R$5.07

-42.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 R$8.50

$2.33 R$11.81

-27.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R$8.15

$3.92 R$19.85

-58.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.09 R$5.53

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 R$8.19

$2.07 R$10.52

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 R$5.71

$1.36 R$6.87

-16.91%

Eggs

$1.97 R$9.96

$2.43 R$12.33

-18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 R$41.75

$11.64 R$59.0

-29.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.31

$4.07 R$20.62

-30.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.08 R$35.90

$8.80 R$44.60

-19.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.95

$2.49 R$12.64

-44.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.15

$1.48 R$7.48

-4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.95 R$4.82

$1.34 R$6.79

-29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R$8.84

$1.63 R$8.29

6.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.19

$1.23 R$6.25

-17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.04 R$5.27

-0.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 R$2.08

$0.86 R$4.34

-52.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 R$2.13

$0.95 R$4.80

-55.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.82 R$9.25

$2.52 R$12.77

-27.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$8.39 R$42.54

-30.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R$4.92

$1.31 R$6.65

-25.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 R$6.94

$2.41 R$12.23

-43.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.01 R$5.13

46.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$35.30 R$179

41.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 R$6.77

$1.10 R$5.58

20.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 R$6.98

$0.93 R$4.73

48.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 R$46.94

$6.17 R$31.25

50.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 R$5.96

$1.29 R$6.54

-8.53%

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

$23.8K R$120.8K

$23.4K R$118.8K

1.71%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$33.7K R$170.9K

0.75%

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

$42.49 R$215

$96.3 R$488

-55.89%

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

$11.82 R$59.9

$12.59 R$63.8

-6.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.90 R$90.7

$22.58 R$114

-20.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.75 R$120

$33.65 R$171

-29.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.25 R$199

$27.87 R$141

40.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 R$30.80

$7.78 R$39.43

-21.85%

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

$73.3 R$371

$815 R$4,133

-91.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,935 R$9,808

$17.2K R$87.3K

-88.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 R$275

$55.4 R$281

-2.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.22 R$189

$44.23 R$224

-15.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 R$331

$85.0 R$431

-23.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 R$296

$87.8 R$445

-33.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 R$1,627

$494 R$2,506

-35.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 R$1,086

$282 R$1,427

-23.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,318

$1,127 R$5,711

-41.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 R$2,250

$593 R$3,004

-25.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$972 R$4,926

$2,522 R$12.8K

-61.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,753 R$8,885

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$244 R$1,238

$850 R$4,310

-71.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

12.12

-8.25%

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

Last update for Nova Iguacu: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nova Iguacu

$214 29.1%

Brasilia

$282 28.2% 31.4% $67

Groceries & Markets

Nova Iguacu

$160 21.7%

Brasilia

$212 21.2% 32.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Nova Iguacu

$97 13.1%

Brasilia

$123 12.3% 26.7% $26

Eating Out

Nova Iguacu

$93 12.7%

Brasilia

$158 15.8% 68.8% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nova Iguacu

$72 9.8%

Brasilia

$131 13.2% 82.1% $59

Getting Around

Nova Iguacu

$64 8.7%

Brasilia

$45 4.5% 29.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Nova Iguacu

$36 4.9%

Brasilia

$49 4.9% 37.1% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $321 in Nova Iguacu and $494 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 248% 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 Nova Iguacu vs $40.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $160 vs $212 per month, with Nova Iguacu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Nova Iguacu

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

07:20 7:20 AM

Same time as Nova Iguacu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

785,867

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

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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

Nova Iguacu vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nova Iguacu and Brasilia differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($736 vs $1,000 including rent). Nova Iguacu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 248% 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: $321 in Nova Iguacu versus $494 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nova Iguacu – 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 $736 per month in Nova Iguacu versus $1,000 in Brasilia – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $736 in Nova Iguacu versus $1,000 in Brasilia, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Nova Iguacu but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Nova Iguacu 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 Nova Iguacu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.