Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alexandra, Barbados and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandra: $278 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Alexandra

🇧🇧 Barbados

$278

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $278 in Alexandra versus $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro.

Alexandra $278
Rio de Janeiro $1,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $455 in Alexandra versus $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro.

Alexandra $455
Rio de Janeiro $1,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $633 in Alexandra versus $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro.

Alexandra $633
Rio de Janeiro $2,318

Living in Alexandra costs roughly 77% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Alexandra 80% lower, Rio de Janeiro 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.36 BBD 60.7

$9.08 R$48.86

234.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$200

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$43.15

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.78

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

$1.46 R$7.87

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.55

Milk (1 liter)

$3.47 BBD 6.95

$1.06 R$5.70

227.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.68

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.32

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.88

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.4

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.15

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.36

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.63

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.21

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.23

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.94

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.13

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.48

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$15.04

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$40.25

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$285

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.28

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$45.05

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.53

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

$21.5K R$115.5K

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

$31.1K R$167.6K

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

$124 R$670

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

$10.03 R$54.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$153

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$158

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.99

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

$563 R$3,029

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$211

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$250

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$368

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$341

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,177

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,547

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,485

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,977

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,450

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,212

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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

Last update for Alexandra: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alexandra

–

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Groceries & Markets

Alexandra

–

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alexandra

–

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Eating Out

Alexandra

–

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Alexandra

–

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Getting Around

Alexandra

–

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Alexandra

–

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Good to know

🇧🇧 Alexandra

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

03:59 3:59 AM

04:59 4:59 AM

1 h ahead of Alexandra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,382

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

1 BRL = 0.186 USD

1 BRL = 0.167 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to BBD – Barbados Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.167 EUR).

USD to BBD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Alexandra Rio de Janeiro 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Alexandra
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

Alexandra vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandra is about 77% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $416 in Alexandra and $1,774 in Rio de Janeiro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 478% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $278 per month in Alexandra versus $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro – Alexandra is about 77% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $278 in Alexandra versus $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandra but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandra 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.