Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, OH and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,644 in Athens, OH, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Athens, OH
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Athens, OH Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Athens, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,644

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,644 in Athens, OH versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Athens, OH $1,644
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,493 in Athens, OH versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Athens, OH $2,493
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,342 in Athens, OH versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Athens, OH $3,342
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Athens, OH is roughly 28% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Athens, OH is 22% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.15 $15.15

$10.06 R$51.0

50.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.45 $49.45

$40.44 R$205

22.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.80 $9.80

$8.55 R$43.35

14.62%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$2.38 R$12.04

111.34%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$1.61 R$8.18

39.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.03 R$5.22

40.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.47 R$12.54

102.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$3.70 R$18.77

94.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.19 R$6.05

-37.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.05 R$10.38

2.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.28 R$6.49

133.59%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$2.29 R$11.60

82.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$10.76 R$54.5

21.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.94 $8.94

$4.41 R$22.36

102.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$9.84 R$49.86

61.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.81 R$14.25

31.67%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.78 R$9.03

-46.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.60 R$8.13

71.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.80 R$9.11

72.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.22 R$6.17

31.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.04 R$5.26

104.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.77 R$3.92

112.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.67 R$3.38

186.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.97 $8.97

$3.01 R$15.27

198.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$8.08 R$40.94

82.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.19 R$6.03

78.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.51 R$12.73

18.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.99 R$5.00

2.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.22 R$6.20

213.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.92 R$4.66

33.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.28 $25.28

$8.97 R$45.45

181.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.30 R$6.57

-31.54%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$23.9K R$121.0K

51.45%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-22.67%

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

$148 $148

$133 R$676

10.72%

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

$30.29 $30.29

$10.82 R$54.8

179.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.65 $47.65

$22.90 R$116

108.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 $11.84

$8.05 R$40.83

47.08%

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

$1,453 $1,453

$598 R$3,029

143.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K $19.7K

$13.4K R$68.0K

46.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.49 $45.49

$42.04 R$213

8.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.13 $45.13

$49.68 R$252

-9.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.9 $63.9

$74.5 R$378

-14.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$68.7 R$348

56.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 $1,282

$903 R$4,578

42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 $674

$529 R$2,684

27.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$1,326 R$6,724

9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 $1,228

$756 R$3,831

62.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,674 $1,674

$4,010 R$20.3K

-58.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,664 $1,664

$1,560 R$7,910

6.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,467 $3,467

$640 R$3,242

442.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

11.93

-44.76%

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

Last update for Athens, OH: October 10, 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

Athens, OH

$674 41%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 21.4% $144

Groceries & Markets

Athens, OH

$324 19.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 33.8% $110

Eating Out

Athens, OH

$265 16.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 37.8% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, OH

$226 13.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 25.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, OH

$118 7.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 10.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, OH

$24 * 1.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 98.1% $23

Getting Around

Athens, OH

$14 * 0.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 327% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,282 in Athens, OH and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Athens, OH pays 442% 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: $49.00 in Athens, OH vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, OH

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

14:46 2:46 PM

1 h ahead of Athens, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

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 →

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Between locations

Athens, OH Rio de Janeiro 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens, OH
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

Athens, OH vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 442% higher in Athens, OH, 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: $1,282 in Athens, OH versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Athens, OH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,644 per month in Athens, OH versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,644 in Athens, OH, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Athens, OH. 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 Athens, OH, 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 28% less than in Athens, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.