Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Brazil

Name: Brazil
Address: BR

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $915 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
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Brazil Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

🇧🇷 Brazil

$915

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States 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 the United States and in Brazil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,701 per month in the United States vs $915 in Brazil, rent included.

United States $2,701
Brazil $915

A couple spends around $3,980 per month in the United States vs $1,462 in Brazil, rent included.

United States $3,980
Brazil $1,462

A family of three spends $5,258 per month in the United States vs $2,009 in Brazil, rent included.

United States $5,258
Brazil $2,009

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($980–$5,162) than in Brazil ($611–$1,451), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 195% higher than in Brazil on average.

The United States sits 100% above the global median, while Brazil is 32% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$6.73 R$34.09

195.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$34.26 R$174

136.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.98 R$40.47

51.25%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.16 R$10.97

156.94%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$1.30 R$6.61

105.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.75 R$3.80

178.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.96 R$9.95

204.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$3.06 R$15.52

153.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.09 R$5.54

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.69 R$8.54

110.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.28 R$6.50

262.50%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$2.28 R$11.54

83.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$9.90 R$50.2

28.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$4.38 R$22.21

188.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$8.64 R$43.78

99.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$2.38 R$12.04

116.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.37 R$6.95

19.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.29 R$6.54

245.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.65 R$8.37

201.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.19 R$6.04

138.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.14 R$5.78

171.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.82 R$4.15

167.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.77 R$3.91

194.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$2.43 R$12.31

336.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$8.06 R$40.84

82.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.38 R$7.00

52.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.33 R$11.80

63.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.99 R$5.03

137.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$47.39 R$240

35.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.34 R$6.78

166.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.99 R$5.00

86.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$7.82 R$39.66

286.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.30 R$6.60

-17.69%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$23.6K R$119.6K

49.63%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$33.5K R$169.9K

-22.70%

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

$217 $217

$84.8 R$430

155.46%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$12.97 R$65.8

373.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$21.05 R$107

253.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$26.33 R$133

71.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 $23.07

$27.36 R$139

-15.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$7.27 R$36.87

103.44%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$342 R$1,732

333.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$9,086 R$46.1K

180.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$54.5 R$276

-2.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$50.1 R$254

-14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$90.0 R$456

4.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$72.2 R$366

59.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$383 R$1,939

338.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$250 R$1,269

424.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$742 R$3,761

257.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$501 R$2,540

335.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

$1,935 R$9,811

74.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$1,294 R$6,558

105.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 $4,404

$537 R$2,722

720.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.17

-41.36%

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

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Last update for Brazil: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.6%

Brazil

$250 27.4% 80.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$411 15.2%

Brazil

$199 21.8% 51.5% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

Brazil

$119 13% 66.3% $234

Eating Out

United States

$327 12.1%

Brazil

$128 14% 60.8% $199

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

Brazil

$120 13.1% 12.6% $17

Getting Around

United States

$86 3.2%

Brazil

$58 6.3% 33.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Brazil

$41 4.5% 45.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,609 in the United States vs $353 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,730 in Washington, DC and $507 in Brasilia.

Average salary: $4,533 in the United States vs $503 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 356% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 142% more in the United States.

Public transport is 52% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 801% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇧🇷 Brazil

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

17:45 5:45 PM

1 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

203,062,512

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Brazil 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 195% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 versus $353 in Brazil.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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