Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, NY and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,595 in Amherst, NY, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, NY
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Amherst, NY Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Amherst, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,595

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,595 per month in Amherst, NY vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Amherst, NY $2,595
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $3,768 per month in Amherst, NY vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Amherst, NY $3,768
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $4,940 per month in Amherst, NY vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Amherst, NY $4,940
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Amherst, NY costs about 101% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Amherst, NY sits 92% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.34 $18.34

$10.06 R$51.0

82.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$40.44 R$205

87.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$8.55 R$43.35

42.81%

Cappuccino

$5.97 $5.97

$2.38 R$12.04

150.84%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.61 R$8.18

63.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.03 R$5.22

100.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$2.47 R$12.54

185.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 $7.67

$3.70 R$18.77

107.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.19 R$6.05

-19.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.05 R$10.38

61.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$1.28 R$6.49

239.84%

Eggs

$4.09 $4.09

$2.29 R$11.60

78.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 $11.17

$10.76 R$54.5

3.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$4.41 R$22.36

128.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.07 $16.07

$9.84 R$49.86

63.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.81 R$14.25

74.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.78 R$9.03

-23.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.60 R$8.13

188.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$1.80 R$9.11

188.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.22 R$6.17

120.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.04 R$5.26

190.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.77 R$3.92

212.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.67 R$3.38

259.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.28 $14.28

$3.01 R$15.27

374.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$8.08 R$40.94

86.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.19 R$6.03

72.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.51 R$12.73

63.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.99 R$5.00

106.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.22 R$6.20

209.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.92 R$4.66

136.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.49 $30.49

$8.97 R$45.45

239.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.30 R$6.57

-14.62%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$23.9K R$121.0K

45.84%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-22.90%

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

$230 $230

$133 R$676

72.65%

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

$51.5 $51.5

$10.82 R$54.8

375.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.4 $67.4

$22.90 R$116

194.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.68 $40.68

$30.79 R$156

32.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.95 $19.95

$31.85 R$161

-37.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$8.05 R$40.83

60.99%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$598 R$3,029

149.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$13.4K R$68.0K

32.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 $52.9

$42.04 R$213

25.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 $44.32

$49.68 R$252

-10.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 $97.2

$74.5 R$378

30.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$68.7 R$348

66.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$903 R$4,578

77.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 $1,306

$529 R$2,684

146.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,483 $2,483

$1,326 R$6,724

87.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 $2,117

$756 R$3,831

180.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,696 $2,696

$4,010 R$20.3K

-32.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,376 $2,376

$1,560 R$7,910

52.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,054 $4,054

$640 R$3,242

533.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

11.93

-45.35%

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

Last update for Amherst, NY: October 11, 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

Amherst, NY

$1.3K 50.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 59.5% $777

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, NY

$387 14.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 44.5% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, NY

$349 13.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 52.1% $182

Eating Out

Amherst, NY

$324 12.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 49.2% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, NY

$139 5.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 23.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, NY

$67 2.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 29.6% $20

Getting Around

Amherst, NY

$23 * 0.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 162% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,601 in Amherst, NY versus $903 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 534% higher in Amherst, NY, 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 $76.0 in Amherst, NY versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, NY

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

04:01 4:01 AM

05:01 5:01 AM

1 h ahead of Amherst, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 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 →

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Between locations

Amherst, NY Rio de Janeiro 8,180 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, NY
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

Amherst, NY vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Amherst, NY costs about 101% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,893 per month in Amherst, NY and $1,933 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Amherst, NY and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 80% more in Amherst, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Amherst, NY at $2,595. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amherst, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,289 versus $2,595 in Amherst, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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