Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petrolina and Brasilia

For one person, living is cheaper in Petrolina: $736 a month against $907 in Brasilia, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Petrolina
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Petrolina Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Brasilia
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Brasilia Living Index

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Petrolina

🇧🇷 Brazil

$736

/mo nomad

Brasilia

🇧🇷 Brazil

$907

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $736 in Petrolina versus $907 in Brasilia.

Petrolina $736
Brasilia $907

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,155 in Petrolina versus $1,501 in Brasilia.

Petrolina $1,155
Brasilia $1,501

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in Petrolina versus $2,094 in Brasilia.

Petrolina $1,574
Brasilia $2,094

Living in Petrolina costs roughly 19% less than in Brasilia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Petrolina 46% lower, Brasilia 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 R$29.61

$8.23 R$44.99

-34.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.35 R$160

$37.50 R$205

-21.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 R$39.90

$8.00 R$43.73

-8.75%

Cappuccino

$1.86 R$10.16

$2.44 R$13.31

-23.77%

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

$1.23 R$6.72

$1.37 R$7.50

-10.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 R$3.83

$0.97 R$5.31

-27.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.81 R$9.90

$2.27 R$12.38

-20.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 R$15.58

$3.58 R$19.58

-20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 R$5.69

$0.94 R$5.14

10.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 R$4.64

$1.93 R$10.56

-55.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 R$6.04

$1.22 R$6.65

-9.02%

Eggs

$1.54 R$8.44

$2.25 R$12.28

-31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.60 R$46.97

$10.96 R$59.9

-21.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.48 R$19.02

$3.68 R$20.12

-5.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.45 R$40.72

$8.16 R$44.59

-8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 R$12.34

$2.28 R$12.46

-0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 R$4.60

$1.37 R$7.46

-38.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.87

$1.24 R$6.78

-13.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.89

$1.50 R$8.17

-4.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.14

$1.09 R$5.94

2.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 R$3.98

$1.02 R$5.60

-28.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 R$3.92

$0.76 R$4.15

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 R$2.44

$0.94 R$5.14

-52.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 R$12.76

$2.34 R$12.78

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 R$35.41

$7.68 R$41.97

-15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R$6.75

$1.24 R$6.75

-0.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 R$10.64

$2.22 R$12.15

-12.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.46

$0.77 R$4.22

29.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.15 R$230

$30.34 R$166

38.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 R$6.73

$1.20 R$6.55

2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 R$4.70

$0.84 R$4.61

2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 R$40.58

$7.22 R$39.46

2.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.74

$1.20 R$6.54

2.50%

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

$19.5K R$106.6K

$21.4K R$116.9K

-8.82%

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

$24.6K R$134.3K

$31.7K R$173.0K

-22.35%

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

$62.7 R$342

$87.9 R$480

-28.69%

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

$8.18 R$44.67

$11.11 R$60.7

-26.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.37 R$62.1

$20.19 R$110

-43.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.51 R$95.7

$30.40 R$166

-42.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.72 R$141

$25.58 R$140

0.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.76 R$20.54

$7.23 R$39.50

-47.99%

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

$226 R$1,236

$765 R$4,182

-70.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,623 R$36.2K

$16.6K R$90.9K

-60.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.43 R$101

$53.1 R$290

-65.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.58 R$254

$41.52 R$227

12.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.9 R$278

$78.7 R$430

-35.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.2 R$427

$81.4 R$444

-3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$256 R$1,399

$508 R$2,773

-49.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 R$1,207

$246 R$1,346

-10.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$556 R$3,035

$1,132 R$6,184

-50.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 R$2,072

$584 R$3,193

-35.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,587 R$8,673

$2,281 R$12.5K

-30.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,139 R$6,222

$1,623 R$8,869

-29.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$558 R$3,048

$859 R$4,695

-35.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.12

-9.24%

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

Last update for Petrolina: 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

Petrolina

$221 30%

Brasilia

$246 27.2% 11.5% $25

Groceries & Markets

Petrolina

$159 21.6%

Brasilia

$196 21.6% 23.3% $37

Eating Out

Petrolina

$110 15%

Brasilia

$147 16.2% 33.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Petrolina

$87 11.9%

Brasilia

$115 12.6% 31.1% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petrolina

$82 11.2%

Brasilia

$119 13.1% 45% $37

Getting Around

Petrolina

$52 7%

Brasilia

$39 4.3% 24.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Petrolina

$25 3.4%

Brasilia

$45 5% 79.2% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $256 in Petrolina and $508 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $29 in Petrolina vs $38 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $196 per month, with Petrolina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Petrolina

🇧🇷 Brasilia

🕒 Local time

17:04 5:04 PM

Same time as Petrolina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

386,791

2,817,381 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Petrolina Brasilia 1,070 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Petrolina
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

Petrolina vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $736 in Petrolina and $907 in Brasilia, so Petrolina is about 19% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Petrolina. 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: $256 in Petrolina versus $508 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Petrolina – a meal for two runs $29 versus $38 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 Petrolina versus $907 in Brasilia – Petrolina is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Petrolina wins on affordability, Brasilia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.