Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, TX and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,439 in Arlington, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
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Arlington, TX Living Index
63

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

Jump to prices

Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,439

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,439 in Arlington, TX versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Arlington, TX $2,439
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,647 in Arlington, TX versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Arlington, TX $3,647
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,855 in Arlington, TX versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Arlington, TX $4,855
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Arlington, TX is roughly 89% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arlington, TX is 81% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$10.06 R$51.0

102.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$40.44 R$205

36.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$8.55 R$43.35

18.25%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$2.38 R$12.04

104.20%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.61 R$8.18

59.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.03 R$5.22

122.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.47 R$12.54

117.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 $6.68

$3.70 R$18.77

80.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.19 R$6.05

-34.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.05 R$10.38

77.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.28 R$6.49

310.94%

Eggs

$2.67 $2.67

$2.29 R$11.60

16.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 $10.60

$10.76 R$54.5

-1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$4.41 R$22.36

197.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 $18.02

$9.84 R$49.86

83.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.81 R$14.25

58.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.78 R$9.03

49.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.60 R$8.13

220.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.80 R$9.11

123.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.22 R$6.17

107.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.04 R$5.26

186.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.77 R$3.92

146.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.67 R$3.38

207.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$3.01 R$15.27

216.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 $12.03

$8.08 R$40.94

48.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.19 R$6.03

68.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.51 R$12.73

33.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.09 $6.09

$0.99 R$5.00

515.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$50.1 R$254

-19.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.22 R$6.20

140.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.92 R$4.66

84.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.81 $23.81

$8.97 R$45.45

165.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.30 R$6.57

-27.69%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$23.9K R$121.0K

49.92%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-21.73%

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

$211 $211

$133 R$676

58.13%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$10.82 R$54.8

513.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$22.90 R$116

180.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 $40.87

$30.79 R$156

32.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$8.05 R$40.83

83.11%

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

$1,332 $1,332

$598 R$3,029

122.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K $28.4K

$13.4K R$68.0K

111.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$42.04 R$213

46.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$49.68 R$252

2.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$74.5 R$378

13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$68.7 R$348

47.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$903 R$4,578

70.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$529 R$2,684

110.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$1,326 R$6,724

90.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 $2,031

$756 R$3,831

168.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 $2,173

$4,010 R$20.3K

-45.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 $2,217

$1,560 R$7,910

42.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,699 $3,699

$640 R$3,242

478.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.93

-45.43%

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

Last update for Arlington, TX: 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

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 45.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 52.4% $583

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, TX

$393 16.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 45.3% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, TX

$341 14%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 51.1% $174

Eating Out

Arlington, TX

$311 12.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 47% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, TX

$135 5.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 21.4% $29

Getting Around

Arlington, TX

$76 3.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 21.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, TX

$70 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 33.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Arlington, TX and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, TX pays 478% 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: $55.0 in Arlington, TX vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

07:42 7:42 AM

2 h ahead of Arlington, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Arlington, TX Rio de Janeiro 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, TX
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

Arlington, TX vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Arlington, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 478% higher in Arlington, TX, 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: $1,536 in Arlington, TX versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,439 per month in Arlington, TX versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 24% less than in Arlington, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Arlington, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,289 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Arlington, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.