Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajax, ON and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,482 in Ajax, ON, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Ajax, ON
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Ajax, ON Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Ajax, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,482

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ajax, ON and in Rio de Janeiro

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

A single person spends $2,482 per month in Ajax, ON vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Ajax, ON $2,482
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $3,526 per month in Ajax, ON vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Ajax, ON $3,526
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $4,571 per month in Ajax, ON vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Ajax, ON $4,571
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Ajax, ON costs about 93% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ajax, ON sits 84% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 CA$25.18

$10.06 R$51.0

77.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 CA$75.0

$40.44 R$205

31.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 CA$14.73

$8.55 R$43.35

21.87%

Cappuccino

$3.49 CA$4.94

$2.38 R$12.04

46.64%

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

$1.73 CA$2.45

$1.61 R$8.18

7.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 CA$2.13

$1.03 R$5.22

45.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 CA$4.90

$2.47 R$12.54

40.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 CA$7.68

$3.70 R$18.77

47.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 CA$2.75

$1.19 R$6.05

63.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.80 CA$3.97

$2.05 R$10.38

36.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 CA$4.70

$1.28 R$6.49

160.16%

Eggs

$3.01 CA$4.26

$2.29 R$11.60

31.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.91 CA$12.60

$10.76 R$54.5

-17.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 CA$15.89

$4.41 R$22.36

154.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.83 CA$23.79

$9.84 R$49.86

71.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.64

$2.81 R$14.25

41.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CA$2.30

$1.78 R$9.03

-8.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.79

$1.60 R$8.13

156.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.63

$1.80 R$9.11

81.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.14

$1.22 R$6.17

140.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.73

$1.04 R$5.26

85.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 CA$4.20

$0.77 R$3.92

285.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.67

$0.67 R$3.38

182.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.08 CA$19.90

$3.01 R$15.27

367.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.78

$8.08 R$40.94

55.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 CA$2.82

$1.19 R$6.03

67.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$2.51 R$12.73

4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$0.99 R$5.00

137.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 CA$121

$50.1 R$254

70.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 CA$4.63

$1.22 R$6.20

168.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.92 CA$35.23

$8.97 R$45.45

177.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.57

$1.30 R$6.57

-14.62%

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

$27.2K CA$38.5K

$23.9K R$121.0K

14.04%

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

$18.6K CA$26.2K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-43.52%

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

$126 CA$178

$133 R$676

-5.58%

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

$26.46 CA$37.41

$10.82 R$54.8

144.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 CA$80.6

$22.90 R$116

148.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.60 CA$47.50

$30.79 R$156

9.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.32 CA$14.59

$31.85 R$161

-67.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.94 CA$14.05

$8.05 R$40.83

23.48%

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

$885 CA$1,251

$598 R$3,029

48.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K CA$24.8K

$13.4K R$68.0K

30.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.32 CA$69.7

$42.04 R$213

17.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 CA$53.3

$49.68 R$252

-24.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.4 CA$118

$74.5 R$378

11.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$148

$68.7 R$348

52.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,522 CA$2,152

$903 R$4,578

68.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 CA$1,956

$529 R$2,684

161.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,245 CA$3,173

$1,326 R$6,724

69.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 CA$3,017

$756 R$3,831

182.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,935 CA$4,149

$640 R$3,242

358.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

11.93

-59.77%

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

Last update for Ajax, ON: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ajax, ON

$1.4K 55.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 61.7% $854

Groceries & Markets

Ajax, ON

$356 14.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 39.8% $142

Eating Out

Ajax, ON

$257 10.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 35.8% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ajax, ON

$209 8.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 20.2% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Ajax, ON

$124 5%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 14.6% $18

Getting Around

Ajax, ON

$98 * 4%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 39% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Ajax, ON

$53 2.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 12.3% $6.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,522 in Ajax, ON versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 359% higher in Ajax, ON, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $53.0 in Ajax, ON versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Ajax, ON

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

18:11 6:11 PM

1 h ahead of Ajax, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,677

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Ajax, ON Rio de Janeiro 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ajax, ON
Rio de Janeiro

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

Ajax, ON vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ajax, ON is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,723 per month in Ajax, ON and $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,482 in Ajax, ON and $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 93%.

Public transport costs about 70% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Ajax, ON at $2,482. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ajax, ON it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio de Janeiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ajax, ON makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.