Moving to Washington from Brazil
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Brazil to Washington — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Brazil to Washington, you would find that Washington is 3.0 times more expensive than Brazil overall. A R$391,642 salary in Brazil would need to be roughly $170,093 in Washington to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Olympia averages 60°F vs 80°F in Brasilia, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Brazil to Washington.
What does your salary buy?
R$391,642 → $170,093
To maintain the same standard of living in Washington
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.7 times more
Groceries
pay 2.4 times more
Transportation
pay 56.0% more
Housing
pay 4.8 times more
Childcare
pay 4.8 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 3.2 times more
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Washington cost about 162% more than cities in Brazil.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Brazil to Washington, based on official data.
people moved from Brazil to United States · OECD (latest data available)
Who's moving to United States?
Top countries of origin for United States's foreign-born residents.
- 10,853,105
- 2,723,764
- 2,184,110
- 2,061,178
- 1,829,251
- 1,410,659
- · · ·
-
19.517,519
Brazil
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Brazil to Washington.
How's the healthcare?
share of adults with obesity
Brazil performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
share of households with internet
Washington performs significantly better than Brazil across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Washington generally does better on employment & economy, though Brazil leads in poverty rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
Washington performs significantly better than Brazil across all family life metrics.
Data: The World Factbook
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Brasilia | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 50°/34°F (10°/1°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 78°/59°F (26°/15°C) | 65°/43°F (18°/6°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 80°/58°F (27°/14°C) | 76°/49°F (24°/10°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 80°/64°F (27°/17°C) | 51°/36°F (11°/2°C) |
View all months
| Month | Brasilia | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80°/63°F (26.9°/17.4°C) | 46°/34°F (7.7°/0.9°C) |
| Feb | 80°/63°F (26.7°/17.4°C) | 49°/33°F (9.6°/0.4°C) |
| Mar | 81°/64°F (27.1°/17.5°C) | 54°/35°F (12.2°/1.7°C) |
| Apr | 80°/62°F (26.6°/16.8°C) | 59°/38°F (14.9°/3.2°C) |
| May | 78°/59°F (25.7°/15.0°C) | 65°/43°F (18.5°/6.2°C) |
| Jun | 77°/56°F (25.2°/13.3°C) | 71°/48°F (21.4°/8.7°C) |
| Jul | 77°/55°F (25.1°/12.9°C) | 77°/51°F (24.9°/10.4°C) |
| Aug | 81°/58°F (27.3°/14.6°C) | 78°/51°F (25.4°/10.3°C) |
| Sep | 83°/61°F (28.3°/16.0°C) | 72°/46°F (22.1°/7.8°C) |
| Oct | 82°/63°F (27.5°/17.4°C) | 60°/40°F (15.7°/4.7°C) |
| Nov | 80°/64°F (26.6°/17.5°C) | 50°/36°F (10.1°/2.4°C) |
| Dec | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.5°C) | 44°/33°F (6.8°/0.3°C) |
Data:
Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia,
National Weather Service
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Brazil and United States. To live, work, or study long-term in United States, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check United States's immigration authority.
Brazil passport holder visiting United States
Visa Required
United States passport holder visiting Brazil
Visa Online (e-Visa)Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Washington than Brazil?
No — Washington is on average about 127% more expensive than Brazil. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Washington?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly $42,523 in Washington on a R$391,642 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Washington?
Usually fine from major cities in Washington. The harder questions are legal — digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
How is healthcare in Washington compared to Brazil?
Brazil performs better than Washington across all health & wellbeing metrics.
What's the weather like in Washington compared to Brazil?
The average high temperature in Olympia is 60°F, compared to 80°F in Brasilia. Olympia receives around 50.0 in of rainfall per year, while Brasilia gets 61.1 in.
What language do they speak in Washington?
The official language in Washington is English. In Brazil, the official language is Portuguese.
