Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barquisimeto and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Barquisimeto: $796 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

39

Cost of Living Index in Barquisimeto
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Barquisimeto Living Index
63

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

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Barquisimeto

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$796

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $796 in Barquisimeto versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Barquisimeto $796
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,366 in Barquisimeto versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Barquisimeto $1,366
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,936 in Barquisimeto versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Barquisimeto $1,936
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Barquisimeto costs roughly 38% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barquisimeto 41% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.20 VES 8,953

$10.06 R$51.0

1.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.7 VES 44.5K

$40.44 R$205

25.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 VES 10.2K

$8.55 R$43.35

36.49%

Cappuccino

$1.74 VES 1,525

$2.38 R$12.04

-26.89%

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

$1.46 VES 1,282

$1.61 R$8.18

-9.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 VES 974

$1.03 R$5.22

7.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.28 VES 1,128

$2.47 R$12.54

-48.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 VES 2,839

$3.70 R$18.77

-12.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 VES 1,882

$1.19 R$6.05

79.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 VES 1,192

$2.05 R$10.38

-33.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 VES 1,172

$1.28 R$6.49

4.69%

Eggs

$2.22 VES 1,950

$2.29 R$11.60

-3.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 VES 5,630

$10.76 R$54.5

-40.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.79 VES 5,963

$4.41 R$22.36

53.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 VES 6,503

$9.84 R$49.86

-24.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 VES 4,058

$2.81 R$14.25

64.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 VES 1,255

$1.78 R$9.03

-19.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.72 VES 631

$1.60 R$8.13

-55.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.89 VES 782

$1.80 R$9.11

-50.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.96 VES 845

$1.22 R$6.17

-21.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 VES 1,146

$1.04 R$5.26

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 VES 566

$0.77 R$3.92

-16.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 VES 1,402

$0.67 R$3.38

138.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 VES 2,213

$3.01 R$15.27

-16.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 VES 8,918

$8.08 R$40.94

25.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 VES 1,090

$1.19 R$6.03

4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 VES 2,001

$2.51 R$12.73

-9.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 VES 376

$0.99 R$5.00

-56.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.19 VES 35.3K

$50.1 R$254

-19.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 VES 2,926

$1.22 R$6.20

172.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 VES 1,710

$0.92 R$4.66

111.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.10 VES 13.3K

$8.97 R$45.45

68.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 VES 670

$1.30 R$6.57

-41.54%

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

$24.9K VES 21.9M

$23.9K R$121.0K

4.25%

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

$30.3K VES 26.6M

$32.9K R$166.6K

-7.70%

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

$15.23 VES 13.4K

$133 R$676

-88.58%

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

$7.76 VES 6,810

$10.82 R$54.8

-28.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.49 VES 32.0K

$22.90 R$116

59.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.73 VES 28.7K

$30.79 R$156

6.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.51 VES 7,475

$31.85 R$161

-73.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 VES 4,368

$8.05 R$40.83

-38.26%

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

$57.3 VES 50.3K

$598 R$3,029

-90.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$498 VES 437.4K

$13.4K R$68.0K

-96.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.83 VES 41.1K

$42.04 R$213

11.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 VES 35.5K

$49.68 R$252

-18.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 VES 82.8K

$74.5 R$378

26.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 VES 70.5K

$68.7 R$348

16.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$215 VES 188.5K

$903 R$4,578

-76.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 VES 121.3K

$529 R$2,684

-73.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 VES 417.6K

$1,326 R$6,724

-64.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$318 VES 278.9K

$756 R$3,831

-57.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$469 VES 411.3K

$4,010 R$20.3K

-88.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$250 VES 219.2K

$1,560 R$7,910

-84.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$189 VES 166.1K

$640 R$3,242

-70.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

109.56%

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

Last update for Barquisimeto: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Barquisimeto

$222 27.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 3.3% $7.4

Eating Out

Barquisimeto

$161 20.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 2.7% $4.4

Accommodation & Living

Barquisimeto

$138 17.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 283% $391

Clothing & Footwear

Barquisimeto

$118 14.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 10.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barquisimeto

$59 7.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 181% $108

Getting Around

Barquisimeto

$55 6.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 8.9% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Barquisimeto

$43 5.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 9.9% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $215 in Barquisimeto and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 238% 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: $51.0 in Barquisimeto vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Barquisimeto

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

22:05 10:05 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

1 h ahead of Barquisimeto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,240,714

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 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).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Barquisimeto Rio de Janeiro 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Barquisimeto
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

Barquisimeto vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barquisimeto and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($796 vs $1,289 including rent). Barquisimeto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 238% lower in Rio de Janeiro. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $215 in Barquisimeto versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barquisimeto – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $796 per month in Barquisimeto versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $796 in Barquisimeto versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barquisimeto but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Barquisimeto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Barquisimeto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.