Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albert Lea, MN and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Albert Lea, MN
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Albert Lea, MN Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Albert Lea, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,944

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albert Lea, MN 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 Albert Lea, MN and in Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Albert Lea, MN $1,944
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,969 in Albert Lea, MN versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Albert Lea, MN $2,969
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,995 in Albert Lea, MN versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Albert Lea, MN $3,995
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Albert Lea, MN is roughly 53% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Albert Lea, MN is 43% above, Rio de Janeiro is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.02 $20.02

$9.38 R$47.54

113.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$40.00 R$203

154.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.92 $11.92

$8.34 R$42.28

42.93%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$2.29 R$11.62

174.67%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$1.59 R$8.05

92.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.01 R$5.10

153.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.14 R$10.85

128.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.66 R$18.55

55.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.13 R$5.72

-18.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.09 R$10.60

40.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.25 R$6.36

73.60%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$2.25 R$11.39

73.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 $8.84

$10.92 R$55.3

-19.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.56 $16.56

$4.36 R$22.10

279.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.96 $18.96

$9.60 R$48.66

97.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.85 R$14.46

89.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.81 R$9.16

-17.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.58 R$8.02

209.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.83 R$9.28

103.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.20 R$6.10

127.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.06 R$5.35

109.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$0.75 R$3.81

260.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.68 R$3.45

238.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.92 $9.92

$2.94 R$14.90

237.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$7.98 R$40.43

90.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.18 R$5.98

47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.42 R$12.26

40.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.94 R$4.78

122.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.20 R$6.10

62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.83 R$4.20

54.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.31 $20.31

$8.97 R$45.48

126.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.29 R$6.53

-27.13%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$22.8K R$115.5K

17.10%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-24.62%

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

$185 $185

$134 R$681

37.47%

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

$53.4 $53.4

$10.73 R$54.4

397.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 $79.6

$22.84 R$116

248.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.66 $39.66

$30.16 R$153

31.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$9.82 $9.82

$7.73 R$39.17

27.04%

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

$1,350 $1,350

$584 R$2,960

131.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$12.8K R$64.9K

-6.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.76 $45.76

$41.12 R$208

11.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.54 $24.54

$49.26 R$250

-50.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.6 $50.6

$73.7 R$373

-31.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 $59.6

$65.9 R$334

-9.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,030 $1,030

$900 R$4,561

14.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 $739

$527 R$2,673

40.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$1,332 R$6,754

19.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 $1,188

$748 R$3,790

58.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,942 $2,942

$3,990 R$20.2K

-26.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,028 $2,028

$1,560 R$7,908

29.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,957 $2,957

$640 R$3,246

361.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.93

-44.93%

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

Last update for Albert Lea, MN: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albert Lea, MN

$739 38%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 28.7% $212

Groceries & Markets

Albert Lea, MN

$400 20.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 46.6% $186

Eating Out

Albert Lea, MN

$330 17%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 52.7% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albert Lea, MN

$318 16.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 47.1% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Albert Lea, MN

$81 4.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 27.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Albert Lea, MN

$59 3.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 23.1% $14

Getting Around

Albert Lea, MN

$17 * 0.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 256% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albert Lea, MN pays 362% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $102 in Albert Lea, MN vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albert Lea, MN

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

2 h ahead of Albert Lea, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,758

6,211,223

💱 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Albert Lea, MN Rio de Janeiro 8,990 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Albert Lea, MN
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

Albert Lea, MN vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albert Lea, MN and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,944 vs $1,273 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 362% higher in Albert Lea, MN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,030 in Albert Lea, MN versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,350 in Albert Lea, MN versus $584 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $102 in Albert Lea, MN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,944 in Albert Lea, MN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Albert Lea, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Albert Lea, MN and Rio de Janeiro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Albert Lea, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.