Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alpharetta, GA and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index
63

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

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Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Alpharetta, GA $3,015
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Alpharetta, GA $4,418
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Alpharetta, GA $5,822
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Alpharetta, GA is roughly 134% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Alpharetta, GA is 123% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.92 $25.92

$10.06 R$51.0

157.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$40.44 R$205

100.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 $9.82

$8.55 R$43.35

14.85%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$2.38 R$12.04

104.62%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$1.61 R$8.18

56.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.03 R$5.22

104.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 $5.78

$2.47 R$12.54

134.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$3.70 R$18.77

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.19 R$6.05

-21.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.05 R$10.38

107.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$1.28 R$6.49

347.66%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$2.29 R$11.60

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$10.76 R$54.5

6.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$4.41 R$22.36

97.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$9.84 R$49.86

107.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.81 R$14.25

64.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.78 R$9.03

20.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.60 R$8.13

164.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.80 R$9.11

145.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.22 R$6.17

199.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.04 R$5.26

256.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.77 R$3.92

210.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$0.67 R$3.38

313.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.94 $8.94

$3.01 R$15.27

197.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$8.08 R$40.94

83.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.19 R$6.03

44.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.51 R$12.73

56.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.99 R$5.00

196.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 $94.2

$50.1 R$254

87.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.22 R$6.20

152.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.92 R$4.66

157.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 $40.78

$8.97 R$45.45

354.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.30 R$6.57

-30.77%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$23.9K R$121.0K

35.94%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-20.03%

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

$252 $252

$133 R$676

88.88%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$10.82 R$54.8

395.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.4 $87.4

$22.90 R$116

281.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 $34.02

$30.79 R$156

10.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 $22.25

$31.85 R$161

-30.14%

Cinema Ticket

$16.81 $16.81

$8.05 R$40.83

108.82%

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

$1,298 $1,298

$598 R$3,029

117.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$13.4K R$68.0K

19.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$42.04 R$213

83.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.98 $44.98

$49.68 R$252

-9.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$74.5 R$378

71.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$68.7 R$348

102.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,105 $2,105

$903 R$4,578

133.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 $1,488

$529 R$2,684

180.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,000 $3,000

$1,326 R$6,724

126.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,491 $2,491

$756 R$3,831

229.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,659 $7,659

$4,010 R$20.3K

91.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,366 $5,366

$1,560 R$7,910

243.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,390 $6,390

$640 R$3,242

899.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

11.93

-42.67%

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

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: 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

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 64.4% $958

Groceries & Markets

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 48.2% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 57.5% $226

Eating Out

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 53.8% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 39.5% $69

Getting Around

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 50.4% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 30.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 899% 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: $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

1 h ahead of Alpharetta, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

65,799

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Alpharetta, GA Rio de Janeiro 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Alpharetta, GA
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

Alpharetta, GA vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 134% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 899% higher in Alpharetta, GA, 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: $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 88% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA versus $598 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Alpharetta, GA. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Alpharetta, GA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 134% less than in Alpharetta, GA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.