Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alfenas and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Alfenas: $731 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Alfenas
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Alfenas Living Index
57

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

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Alfenas

🇧🇷 Brazil

$731

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $731 per month in Alfenas vs $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Alfenas $731
Rio de Janeiro $1,185

A couple spends around $1,297 per month in Alfenas vs $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Alfenas $1,297
Rio de Janeiro $1,737

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Alfenas vs $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Alfenas $1,862
Rio de Janeiro $2,289

Alfenas is about 38% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Alfenas and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Alfenas 46% lower, Rio de Janeiro 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 R$19.61

$8.16 R$44.54

-56.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.35 R$149

$37.20 R$203

-26.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.43 R$29.64

$7.52 R$41.08

-27.79%

Cappuccino

$0.89 R$4.84

$2.10 R$11.49

-57.62%

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

$0.57 R$3.12

$1.36 R$7.44

-58.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 R$2.93

$0.96 R$5.25

-43.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 R$11.83

$1.98 R$10.79

9.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$14.92

$3.26 R$17.80

-16.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$6.29

$1.09 R$5.93

5.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 R$9.06

$1.87 R$10.19

-11.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.63

$1.12 R$6.14

25.00%

Eggs

$2.53 R$13.81

$2.20 R$12.03

15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 R$61.3

$9.91 R$54.1

13.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.97 R$27.16

$4.11 R$22.44

20.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.00 R$54.6

$9.25 R$50.5

8.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 R$13.59

$2.59 R$14.15

-3.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.85

$1.69 R$9.21

-4.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 R$7.51

$1.47 R$8.02

-6.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 R$9.52

$1.72 R$9.37

1.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R$7.15

$1.16 R$6.31

12.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.50

$1.00 R$5.45

19.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 R$6.26

$0.66 R$3.59

74.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R$5.02

$0.61 R$3.33

50.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.82 R$9.94

$2.69 R$14.70

-32.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.29 R$50.8

$7.20 R$39.33

29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 R$9.12

$1.07 R$5.86

56.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 R$12.89

$2.24 R$12.22

5.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 R$6.00

$0.88 R$4.78

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.17 R$258

$52.3 R$286

-9.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.26 R$6.88

$1.18 R$6.44

6.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 R$5.15

$0.68 R$3.69

38.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.02 R$54.7

$8.71 R$47.56

15.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.80

$1.20 R$6.54

3.33%

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

$21.6K R$118.2K

$21.9K R$119.4K

-1.01%

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

$27.5K R$150.0K

$31.0K R$169.3K

-11.44%

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

$55.7 R$304

$126 R$686

-55.70%

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

$15.69 R$85.7

$10.14 R$55.4

54.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 R$102

$20.95 R$114

-11.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.24 R$138

$28.51 R$156

-11.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 R$122

$28.87 R$158

-22.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.58 R$35.93

$7.40 R$40.43

-11.08%

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

$572 R$3,125

$537 R$2,932

6.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,674 R$36.4K

$15.9K R$86.8K

-57.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 R$320

$38.68 R$211

51.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 R$306

$45.06 R$246

24.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 R$509

$68.6 R$375

35.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 R$474

$64.1 R$350

35.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 R$1,842

$768 R$4,192

-56.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 R$622

$491 R$2,680

-76.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,573

$1,458 R$7,964

-55.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 R$2,463

$743 R$4,056

-39.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,784 R$9,744

$3,325 R$18.2K

-46.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,165 R$6,360

$1,552 R$8,475

-24.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$458 R$2,499

$674 R$3,679

-32.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.93

-3.60%

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

Last update for Alfenas: November 3, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Alfenas

$222 30.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7% 10.9% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Alfenas

$133 18.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2% 26.6% $35

Accommodation & Living

Alfenas

$114 15.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4% 331% $377

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alfenas

$90 12.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2% 74.3% $67

Eating Out

Alfenas

$76 10.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7% 81.7% $62

Getting Around

Alfenas

$58 7.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1% 4.9% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Alfenas

$38 5.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7% 12.8% $4.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Alfenas versus $768 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 47% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $27 in Alfenas versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries tell a different story – $222 in Alfenas vs $198 in Rio de Janeiro – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Alfenas

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

Same time as Alfenas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,970

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Alfenas Rio de Janeiro 330 km

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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $731 in Alfenas, $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro – Alfenas comes out roughly 38% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,097 per month in Alfenas and $1,778 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 Alfenas, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $768 in Rio de Janeiro.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27 in Alfenas and $37 in Rio de Janeiro. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $731 in Alfenas to $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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