Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Korea and Brazil

Name: Brazil
Address: BR

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $1,596 in South Korea, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in South Korea
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South Korea Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
Learn more

Brazil Living Index

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🇰🇷 South Korea

$1,596

/mo nomad

🇧🇷 Brazil

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Korea and in Brazil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in South Korea and in Brazil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,596 per month in South Korea vs $865 in Brazil, rent included.

South Korea $1,596
Brazil $865

A couple spends around $2,542 per month in South Korea vs $1,373 in Brazil, rent included.

South Korea $2,542
Brazil $1,373

A family of three spends $3,487 per month in South Korea vs $1,880 in Brazil, rent included.

South Korea $3,487
Brazil $1,880

Cost ranges are similar: South Korea spans $1,044–$1,848, Brazil $569–$1,349. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in South Korea is about 84% higher than in Brazil on average.

South Korea sits 17% above the global median, while Brazil is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.44 ₩9,875

$6.55 R$35.08

13.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.54 ₩59.1K

$30.71 R$164

45.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.51 ₩8,641

$7.45 R$39.89

-12.62%

Cappuccino

$3.83 ₩5,081

$1.91 R$10.22

100.52%

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

$1.59 ₩2,112

$1.15 R$6.18

38.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 ₩1,033

$0.76 R$4.04

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.84 ₩5,091

$1.85 R$9.90

107.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₩5,869

$2.86 R$15.28

54.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 ₩2,919

$1.03 R$5.52

113.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 ₩3,930

$1.57 R$8.38

88.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 ₩4,692

$1.24 R$6.61

185.48%

Eggs

$3.22 ₩4,269

$2.10 R$11.26

53.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 ₩17.7K

$8.87 R$47.45

50.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 ₩11.8K

$3.99 R$21.37

122.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.17 ₩34.7K

$7.76 R$41.51

237.24%

Apples (1kg)

$8.49 ₩11.3K

$2.15 R$11.53

294.88%

Banana (1kg)

$3.39 ₩4,493

$1.27 R$6.80

166.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.42 ₩8,513

$1.16 R$6.18

453.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 ₩7,792

$1.53 R$8.18

283.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 ₩5,164

$1.16 R$6.21

235.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 ₩3,772

$1.02 R$5.46

178.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 ₩3,567

$0.74 R$3.97

263.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 ₩1,532

$0.72 R$3.84

59.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 ₩4,542

$2.25 R$12.06

52.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.56 ₩22.0K

$7.65 R$40.94

116.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 ₩2,820

$1.30 R$6.97

63.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 ₩3,859

$2.16 R$11.58

34.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 ₩1,456

$0.94 R$5.03

17.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.35 ₩64.2K

$44.00 R$235

9.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 ₩4,665

$1.23 R$6.58

186.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₩866

$0.96 R$5.11

-32.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.13 ₩12.1K

$7.42 R$39.70

23.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 ₩1,832

$1.21 R$6.49

14.05%

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

$30.3K ₩40.1M

$22.1K R$118.5K

36.63%

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

$30.0K ₩39.8M

$31.6K R$168.9K

-4.98%

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

$210 ₩278.3K

$77.2 R$413

171.72%

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

$40.27 ₩53.4K

$12.44 R$66.6

223.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 ₩32.1K

$19.80 R$106

22.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.8 ₩71.4K

$24.36 R$130

120.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 ₩22.3K

$25.46 R$136

-33.97%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 ₩15.3K

$6.98 R$37.37

64.76%

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

$985 ₩1.3M

$316 R$1,690

211.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K ₩31.4M

$8,298 R$44.4K

185.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 ₩78.2K

$49.37 R$264

19.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.48 ₩60.3K

$45.73 R$245

-0.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 ₩103.9K

$83.4 R$446

-6.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 ₩129.6K

$65.6 R$351

48.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 ₩855.8K

$373 R$1,996

72.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$446 ₩591.6K

$251 R$1,341

77.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 ₩2.3M

$719 R$3,847

138.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 ₩1.3M

$490 R$2,624

103.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K ₩20.9M

$1,795 R$9,605

778.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,299 ₩11.0M

$1,269 R$6,791

553.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,345 ₩3.1M

$496 R$2,657

372.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.23

11.17

-62.13%

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

Last update for South Korea: October 24, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

South Korea

$451 28.3%

Brazil

$183 21.2% 59.4% $268

Accommodation & Living

South Korea

$446 27.9%

Brazil

$251 29% 43.8% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Korea

$274 17.2%

Brazil

$109 12.6% 60.1% $165

Eating Out

South Korea

$163 10.2%

Brazil

$120 13.9% 26% $42

Clothing & Footwear

South Korea

$126 7.9%

Brazil

$110 12.7% 12.9% $16

Sport & Entertainment

South Korea

$77 4.8%

Brazil

$38 4.4% 50.1% $38

Getting Around

South Korea

$60 3.7%

Brazil

$54 6.2% 9.7% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $493 in South Korea vs $335 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $924 in Seoul and $517 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $2,148 in South Korea vs $468 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 47% higher in South Korea.

Dining out costs 45% more in South Korea.

Salaries are about 4.6 times higher in South Korea, and purchasing power comes out stronger in South Korea.

Good to know

🇰🇷 South Korea

🇧🇷 Brazil

🕒 Local time

16:32 4:32 PM

04:32 4:32 AM

12 h behind South Korea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,466,201

203,062,512

💱 Currency

South Korean Won KRW ₩

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD

10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to KRW – South Korean Won Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇷 South Korean Won (₩)

South Korean Won exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,327 KRW (10,000 KRW = 7.54 USD). 1 EUR = 1,477 KRW (10,000 KRW = 6.77 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.96 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

USD to KRW in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

South Korea Brazil 17,540 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

South Korea
Brazil

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

South Korea vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 46% lower on average.

Housing costs more in South Korea: a central one-bedroom averages $493 versus $335 in Brazil.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Brazil, adding to the overall 84% price gap.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.