Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alton, IL and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $1,895 in Alton, IL, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Alton, IL
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Alton, IL Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Alton, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,895 per month in Alton, IL vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Alton, IL $1,895
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $2,862 per month in Alton, IL vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Alton, IL $2,862
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $3,829 per month in Alton, IL vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Alton, IL $3,829
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Alton, IL costs about 49% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Alton, IL sits 40% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.38 R$47.54

121.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$40.00 R$203

38.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$8.34 R$42.28

33.93%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$2.29 R$11.62

116.16%

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

$1.46 $1.46

$1.59 R$8.05

-8.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.01 R$5.10

72.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.14 R$10.85

81.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.66 R$18.55

60.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.13 R$5.72

-28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.09 R$10.60

23.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.25 R$6.36

150.40%

Eggs

$3.16 $3.16

$2.25 R$11.39

40.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.32 $9.32

$10.92 R$55.3

-14.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.36 R$22.10

54.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.42 $23.42

$9.60 R$48.66

143.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.85 R$14.46

49.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.81 R$9.16

-34.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$1.58 R$8.02

227.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.83 R$9.28

167.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.20 R$6.10

84.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.06 R$5.35

158.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.75 R$3.81

180.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.68 R$3.45

208.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 $11.08

$2.94 R$14.90

276.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.05 $12.05

$7.98 R$40.43

51.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.18 R$5.98

55.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.42 R$12.26

10.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.20 R$6.10

146.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.83 R$4.20

103.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.29 R$6.53

-24.03%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$22.8K R$115.5K

22.33%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-23.46%

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

$331 $331

$134 R$681

146.53%

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

$43.44 $43.44

$10.73 R$54.4

304.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.7 $77.7

$22.84 R$116

240.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.07 $27.07

$30.16 R$153

-10.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$7.73 R$39.17

54.59%

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

$279 $279

$584 R$2,960

-52.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.36 $40.36

$41.12 R$208

-1.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$49.26 R$250

-13.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.4 $65.4

$73.7 R$373

-11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 $76.1

$65.9 R$334

15.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$900 R$4,561

-15.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 $627

$527 R$2,673

18.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 $1,099

$1,332 R$6,754

-17.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$748 R$3,790

70.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,513 $1,513

$3,990 R$20.2K

-62.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,455 $1,455

$1,560 R$7,908

-6.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,813 $3,813

$640 R$3,246

495.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-49.71%

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

Last update for Alton, IL: October 18, 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

Alton, IL

$627 33.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 15.9% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alton, IL

$452 23.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 62.9% $284

Groceries & Markets

Alton, IL

$349 18.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 38.8% $135

Eating Out

Alton, IL

$303 16%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 48.5% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Alton, IL

$101 5.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 2.4% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Alton, IL

$51 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 10.5% $5.4

Getting Around

Alton, IL

$11 * 0.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 420% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in Alton, IL versus $900 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 495% higher in Alton, IL, 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 $56.0 in Alton, IL versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $349 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alton, IL

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

14:37 2:37 PM

16:37 4:37 PM

2 h ahead of Alton, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,676

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Alton, IL Rio de Janeiro 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Alton, IL
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

Alton, IL vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alton, IL costs about 49% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,842 per month in Alton, IL and $1,910 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 $1,895 in Alton, IL and $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 49%.

Kindergarten costs $279 per month in Alton, IL and $584 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Alton, IL at $1,895. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alton, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,273 versus $1,895 in Alton, IL. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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