Cost of Living Comparison Between Quezon City and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Quezon City and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $906 in Quezon City versus $862 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,375 in Quezon City versus $1,428 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,844 in Quezon City versus $1,993 in Brasilia.

Living in Quezon City is roughly 5% more expensive than Brasilia, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Quezon City 32% lower, Brasilia 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 ₱302

$7.02 R$35.12

-30.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.49 ₱1,325

$38.86 R$194

-44.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.12 ₱192

$6.32 R$31.64

-50.63%

Cappuccino

$2.85 ₱176

$1.96 R$9.80

45.41%

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

$0.92 ₱56.8

$1.18 R$5.89

-22.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.38 ₱23.27

$0.86 R$4.30

-55.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.22 ₱75.3

$1.85 R$9.28

-34.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ₱167

$3.18 R$15.89

-14.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ₱133

$0.99 R$4.98

118.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 ₱74.1

$1.60 R$7.99

-25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 ₱66.4

$1.41 R$7.06

-23.40%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱125

$2.04 R$10.19

-0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 ₱438

$9.45 R$47.31

-24.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 ₱261

$3.40 R$17.01

24.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 ₱456

$7.04 R$35.21

4.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 ₱269

$1.96 R$9.82

122.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₱98.6

$1.40 R$7.02

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 ₱184

$1.20 R$6.02

148.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ₱101

$1.66 R$8.29

-1.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 ₱178

$1.24 R$6.20

133.06%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 ₱256

$1.31 R$6.53

217.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 ₱97.0

$0.81 R$4.03

93.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 ₱64.5

$0.63 R$3.15

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 ₱193

$2.13 R$10.66

46.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 ₱444

$9.02 R$45.16

-20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ₱95.4

$1.10 R$5.53

40.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 ₱125

$2.39 R$11.95

-15.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₱28.17

$1.03 R$5.15

-55.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.41 R$222

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.84 ₱51.6

$0.94 R$4.72

-10.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.25 ₱15.24

$0.81 R$4.03

-69.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 ₱133

$5.57 R$27.88

-61.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱67.1

$1.12 R$5.61

-2.68%

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

$25.3K ₱1.6M

$25.0K R$125.2K

0.98%

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

$20.2K ₱1.2M

$29.1K R$145.7K

-30.50%

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

$161 ₱9,945

$72.2 R$361

123.29%

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

$33.64 ₱2,074

$13.08 R$65.5

157.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.00 ₱1,850

$20.40 R$102

47.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.35 ₱1,501

$24.97 R$125

-2.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 ₱391

$21.29 R$107

-70.22%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 ₱445

$7.08 R$35.42

1.98%

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

$79.8 ₱4,920

$488 R$2,444

-83.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,821 ₱173.9K

$15.0K R$75.0K

-81.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.80 ₱1,961

$58.3 R$292

-45.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 ₱1,795

$41.97 R$210

-30.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 ₱6,085

$69.8 R$349

41.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 ₱5,894

$65.2 R$327

46.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$274 ₱16.9K

$408 R$2,040

-32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 ₱12.2K

$260 R$1,302

-23.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$737 ₱45.5K

$949 R$4,747

-22.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 ₱26.5K

$562 R$2,811

-23.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,363 ₱145.7K

$2,540 R$12.7K

-6.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,479 ₱91.2K

$1,714 R$8,576

-13.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$436 ₱26.9K

$846 R$4,235

-48.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.13

11.87

-31.51%

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

Last update for Quezon City: June 2, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $274 in Quezon City and $408 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 94% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Quezon City vs $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $224 vs $183, 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

Quezon City vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quezon City and Brasilia differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($906 vs $862 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Brasilia earns 94% less. 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: $274 in Quezon City versus $408 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $79.8 in Quezon City versus $488 in Brasilia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brasilia – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $21.00 in Quezon City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.

Safety-wise, Quezon City and Brasilia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brasilia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Quezon City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.