Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and Brasilia Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Carlos and Brasilia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $969 in Sao Carlos versus $957 in Brasilia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,679 in Sao Carlos versus $1,566 in Brasilia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,389 in Sao Carlos versus $2,176 in Brasilia.

Living in Sao Carlos is roughly 1% more expensive than in Brasilia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Carlos 29% lower, Brasilia 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 R$24.16

$8.61 R$44.14

-45.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.17 R$201

$39.06 R$200

0.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.72 R$34.44

$8.00 R$40.98

-16.00%

Cappuccino

$2.08 R$10.68

$2.55 R$13.04

-18.43%

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

$1.29 R$6.59

$1.45 R$7.44

-11.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R$3.92

$0.96 R$4.94

-20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 R$7.98

$2.26 R$11.57

-30.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.54

$3.89 R$19.94

-32.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 R$6.90

$1.07 R$5.47

26.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 R$9.69

$2.04 R$10.45

-7.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.21

$1.26 R$6.45

42.86%

Eggs

$2.88 R$14.78

$2.44 R$12.51

18.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.06 R$61.8

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 R$26.88

$4.06 R$20.81

29.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.29 R$47.62

$8.24 R$42.24

12.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 R$13.63

$2.34 R$12.01

13.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.33

$1.42 R$7.28

28.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.88

$1.27 R$6.52

36.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 R$9.47

$1.65 R$8.48

12.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.52

$1.16 R$5.93

43.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 R$7.03

$1.01 R$5.18

35.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 R$4.70

$0.83 R$4.25

10.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$5.83

$0.98 R$5.00

16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.16 R$16.21

$2.39 R$12.22

32.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 R$41.25

$7.99 R$40.95

0.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R$7.32

$1.30 R$6.67

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R$15.13

$2.40 R$12.28

22.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.99

$0.92 R$4.69

5.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.38 R$120

$35.15 R$180

-33.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 R$7.65

$1.05 R$5.39

41.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R$4.75

$0.85 R$4.37

9.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 R$18.11

$5.97 R$30.57

-40.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.28

$1.28 R$6.56

-3.91%

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

$19.1K R$97.9K

$22.6K R$115.9K

-15.56%

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

$30.7K R$157.4K

$32.1K R$164.4K

-4.30%

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

$61.2 R$313

$91.1 R$467

-32.82%

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

$13.48 R$69.1

$12.43 R$63.7

8.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.27 R$124

$22.55 R$116

7.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.74 R$168

$31.51 R$161

3.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$46.41 R$238

$26.35 R$135

76.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 R$27.76

$7.86 R$40.25

-31.04%

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

$286 R$1,464

$813 R$4,167

-64.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,914 R$14.9K

$16.3K R$83.6K

-82.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.3 R$411

$52.2 R$268

53.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.1 R$477

$43.67 R$224

113.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 R$704

$82.7 R$424

66.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 R$817

$86.5 R$443

84.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$261 R$1,339

$500 R$2,563

-47.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 R$1,139

$266 R$1,364

-16.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 R$3,393

$1,133 R$5,805

-41.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 R$3,289

$562 R$2,878

14.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$815 R$4,178

$2,411 R$12.4K

-66.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$723 R$3,702

$1,705 R$8,736

-57.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 R$3,351

$876 R$4,488

-25.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.75

11.8

-8.90%

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

Last update for Sao Carlos: August 31, 2026

Last update for Brasilia: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $261 in Sao Carlos and $500 in Brasilia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brasilia pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Sao Carlos vs $39.00 in Brasilia. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $209, 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

Sao Carlos vs Brasilia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Carlos and Brasilia differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($969 vs $957 including rent). Brasilia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% 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: $261 in Sao Carlos versus $500 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 $39.00 in Sao Carlos. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $969 per month in Sao Carlos versus $957 in Brasilia – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $957 in Brasilia versus $969 in Sao Carlos, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasilia but tight or insufficient in Sao Carlos. 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 1% less than in Sao Carlos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.