Cost of Living Comparison Between Recife and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Recife and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $873 in Recife versus $957 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,454 in Recife versus $1,566 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,036 in Recife versus $2,176 in Brasilia.

Living in Recife costs roughly 9% less than in Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Recife 36% lower, Brasilia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.30 R$27.02

$8.61 R$43.93

-38.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.33 R$185

$39.06 R$199

-6.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 R$49.22

$8.00 R$40.79

20.63%

Cappuccino

$2.45 R$12.48

$2.55 R$12.98

-3.92%

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

$1.02 R$5.19

$1.45 R$7.40

-29.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.92

$0.96 R$4.92

-40.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 R$7.94

$2.26 R$11.52

-30.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 R$15.88

$3.89 R$19.85

-20.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 R$7.18

$1.07 R$5.45

31.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 R$8.00

$2.04 R$10.40

-23.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.25

$1.26 R$6.42

28.57%

Eggs

$1.81 R$9.22

$2.44 R$12.45

-25.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.96 R$35.49

$12.06 R$61.5

-42.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.48 R$22.83

$4.06 R$20.72

10.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R$39.05

$8.24 R$42.05

-7.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 R$6.75

$2.34 R$11.96

-43.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.56

$1.42 R$7.24

-9.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.78 R$3.96

$1.27 R$6.49

-38.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.24

$1.65 R$8.44

-26.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 R$6.95

$1.16 R$5.90

17.24%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.47

$1.01 R$5.15

5.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 R$2.52

$0.83 R$4.23

-40.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 R$4.18

$0.98 R$4.98

-16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.71 R$8.73

$2.39 R$12.16

-28.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 R$40.23

$7.99 R$40.75

-1.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.60

$1.30 R$6.64

-15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 R$7.75

$2.40 R$12.22

-36.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 R$4.30

$0.92 R$4.67

-8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.18 R$190

$35.15 R$179

5.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$5.96

$1.05 R$5.36

11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.64

$0.85 R$4.35

-16.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 R$16.86

$5.97 R$30.43

-44.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.24

$1.28 R$6.53

-4.69%

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

$22.9K R$116.8K

$22.6K R$115.4K

1.25%

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

$32.3K R$164.8K

$32.1K R$163.7K

0.71%

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

$114 R$580

$91.1 R$464

24.93%

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

$13.00 R$66.3

$12.43 R$63.4

4.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.83 R$85.8

$22.55 R$115

-25.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.36 R$104

$31.51 R$161

-35.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$33.69 R$172

$26.35 R$134

27.86%

Cinema Ticket

$8.34 R$42.51

$7.86 R$40.06

6.11%

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

$266 R$1,354

$813 R$4,147

-67.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.8K

$16.3K R$83.2K

-28.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.59 R$222

$52.2 R$266

-16.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.35 R$247

$43.67 R$223

10.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 R$377

$82.7 R$422

-10.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 R$411

$86.5 R$441

-6.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 R$2,554

$500 R$2,551

0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 R$1,310

$266 R$1,357

-3.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$858 R$4,375

$1,133 R$5,778

-24.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$603 R$3,075

$562 R$2,865

7.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,946 R$9,922

$2,411 R$12.3K

-19.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,027 R$5,236

$1,705 R$8,695

-39.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 R$2,140

$876 R$4,467

-52.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.75

11.8

-0.42%

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

Last update for Recife: September 1, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $501 in Recife and $500 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 109% 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: $36.00 in Recife vs $39.00 in Brasilia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $209 per month, with Recife cheaper across the board.

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

Recife vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Recife and Brasilia differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($873 vs $957 including rent). Recife is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 109% 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: $501 in Recife versus $500 in Brasilia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Recife – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $39.00 in Brasilia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $873 per month in Recife versus $957 in Brasilia – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $873 in Recife versus $957 in Brasilia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Recife but tight or insufficient in Brasilia. The gap between the two cities makes Recife 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 Recife gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Brasilia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.