Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $862 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,428 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,993 in Brasilia.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 11% more expensive than Brasilia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Brasilia 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$36.43

$7.02 R$35.50

2.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$180

$38.86 R$197

-8.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$32.61

$6.32 R$31.99

1.90%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$9.99

$1.96 R$9.91

0.51%

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

$1.27 R$6.45

$1.18 R$5.96

7.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.54

$0.86 R$4.35

4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.93

$1.85 R$9.38

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.58

$3.18 R$16.07

-15.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.88

$0.99 R$5.03

17.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.59

$1.60 R$8.08

6.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.14

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.11

$2.04 R$10.30

-1.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$40.72

$9.45 R$47.83

-14.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.31

$3.40 R$17.19

6.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$41.49

$7.04 R$35.60

16.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.13

$1.96 R$9.92

22.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$7.99

$1.40 R$7.10

12.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.56

$1.20 R$6.08

24.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.89

$1.66 R$8.38

-6.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.24 R$6.27

4.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.31 R$6.60

-16.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.46

$0.81 R$4.08

-16.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.93

$0.63 R$3.19

-7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.86

$2.13 R$10.78

-8.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.17

$9.02 R$45.65

-3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.10 R$5.59

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.89

$2.39 R$12.08

-10.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.23

$1.03 R$5.21

19.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$199

$44.41 R$225

-11.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.63

$0.94 R$4.77

18.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.61

$0.81 R$4.07

-12.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.30

$5.57 R$28.19

32.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.43

$1.12 R$5.68

-4.46%

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

$20.4K R$103.0K

$25.0K R$126.5K

-18.61%

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

$27.1K R$137.1K

$29.1K R$147.3K

-6.93%

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

$104 R$525

$72.2 R$365

43.72%

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

$12.18 R$61.6

$13.08 R$66.2

-6.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$94.6

$20.40 R$103

-8.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$130

$24.97 R$126

2.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$123

$21.29 R$108

14.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$33.41

$7.08 R$35.81

-6.78%

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

$542 R$2,742

$488 R$2,471

10.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$59.7K

$15.0K R$75.8K

-21.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$224

$58.3 R$295

-24.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$212

$41.97 R$212

-0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$389

$69.8 R$353

10.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$314

$65.2 R$330

-4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,218

$408 R$2,062

7.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,672

$260 R$1,317

27.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,242

$949 R$4,799

-11.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,881

$562 R$2,842

1.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.0K

$2,540 R$12.9K

32.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,026

$1,714 R$8,671

-18.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,773

$846 R$4,281

-35.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

11.87

-4.55%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $408 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 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

Rio de Janeiro vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($960 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 54% 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: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $408 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 $39.00 versus $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $960 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $862 in Brasilia – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $862 in Brasilia versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. 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 11% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.