OBJECTIVES: Chron's disease and ulcerative colitis are clinically similar diseases, classified as serious inflammatory diseases mainly in the intestinal region. A cost minimization analysis was conducted in order to compare the costs of treatment of infliximab versus adalimumab in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and Chron´s disease. METHODS: Considering published data on network meta-analysis providing similar results on the efficacy of both treatments, a cost-minimization analysis was developed under  the public and private healthcare system perspective . Comparator prices were obtained from public available sources (government centralized purchased contracts in the Public Perspective and factory prices including taxes (PF18%) in the Private Perspective). Annual costs were calculated according to the dose described on drugs’ respective labels. The average weight per patient was 64 kg, based on the only local clinical study in Chron´s Disease patients reporting weight found in a literature review.  RESULTS: Annual costs were divided between induction (1^st year) and maintenance (2^ndyear and so forth) regimens. Annual cumulative costs for induction regimen were R$ 24,041.98 and R$ 22,874.32 on the public perspective and R$ 80,527.36 and R$ 88,007.36 on private perspective for infliximab and adalimumab, respectively. Maintenance regimen costs were R$ 18,031.49 and R$ 19,606.56 on the public perspective and R$ 60,395.52 and R$ 75,434.88 on the private perpective for infliximab and adalimumab, respectively. Incremental costs on a 2-year time horizon was -R$ 407.41, in the public perspective, and -R$ 22,519.36, in the private perspective (infliximab is less costly than adalimumab). CONCLUSIONS: In the public perspective, although showing higher costs on the first year of treatment, infliximab is less costly on longer treatment duration. On the private perspective, infliximab is less costly regardless of time horizon or treatment regimen.