Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barreiras and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Barreiras: $849 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Barreiras
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Barreiras Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Barreiras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$849

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $849 in Barreiras versus $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro.

Barreiras $849
Rio de Janeiro $1,182

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,293 in Barreiras versus $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro.

Barreiras $1,293
Rio de Janeiro $1,750

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,737 in Barreiras versus $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro.

Barreiras $1,737
Rio de Janeiro $2,318

Living in Barreiras costs roughly 28% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Barreiras 38% lower, Rio de Janeiro 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.99 R$26.70

$9.08 R$48.58

-45.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.61 R$153

$37.25 R$199

-23.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.28 R$44.30

$8.02 R$42.91

3.24%

Cappuccino

$1.86 R$9.93

$2.19 R$11.72

-15.07%

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

$1.34 R$7.18

$1.46 R$7.83

-8.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.32

$0.99 R$5.28

-37.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 R$8.89

$2.03 R$10.85

-18.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R$16.39

$3.45 R$18.45

-11.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$5.06

$1.06 R$5.67

-10.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 R$7.49

$1.98 R$10.62

-29.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.92

$1.17 R$6.28

10.26%

Eggs

$1.94 R$10.37

$2.21 R$11.81

-12.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R$45.88

$10.11 R$54.1

-15.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 R$22.43

$4.12 R$22.02

1.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 R$47.49

$9.17 R$49.08

-3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 R$10.67

$2.72 R$14.55

-26.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.56

$1.71 R$9.15

-28.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.40

$1.53 R$8.19

-33.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.85

$1.66 R$8.89

-22.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.38

$1.14 R$6.09

4.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.27

$0.99 R$5.32

18.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.67 R$3.58

$0.65 R$3.46

3.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.29

$0.60 R$3.20

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 R$12.67

$2.79 R$14.96

-15.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.28 R$38.95

$7.48 R$40.03

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 R$5.94

$1.09 R$5.84

1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R$11.03

$2.33 R$12.49

-11.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.42

$0.90 R$4.79

12.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.13 R$252

$53.0 R$284

-11.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 R$6.21

$1.17 R$6.24

-0.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.46

$0.78 R$4.18

6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.02 R$37.57

$8.37 R$44.79

-16.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R$6.69

$1.21 R$6.49

3.31%

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

$24.2K R$129.3K

$21.5K R$114.9K

12.54%

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

$31.2K R$167.2K

$31.1K R$166.6K

0.34%

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

$68.8 R$368

$124 R$666

-44.73%

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

$13.01 R$69.6

$10.03 R$53.7

29.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.85 R$95.5

$20.88 R$112

-14.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.91 R$128

$28.35 R$152

-15.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.78 R$133

$29.33 R$157

-15.51%

Cinema Ticket

$5.81 R$31.09

$7.62 R$40.75

-23.75%

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

$241 R$1,287

$563 R$3,012

-57.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,301 R$33.7K

$12.0K R$64.5K

-47.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 R$317

$39.25 R$210

51.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.44 R$216

$46.36 R$248

-12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 R$409

$68.4 R$366

11.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 R$380

$63.4 R$339

11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$372 R$1,990

$776 R$4,153

-52.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$257 R$1,377

$473 R$2,532

-45.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 R$2,882

$1,391 R$7,443

-61.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 R$2,117

$739 R$3,954

-46.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,627 R$8,705

$3,393 R$18.2K

-52.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,048 R$5,608

$1,570 R$8,403

-33.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,194

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-7.80%

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

Last update for Barreiras: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Barreiras

$257 30.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40% 83.9% $216

Groceries & Markets

Barreiras

$180 21.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17% 11.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Barreiras

$111 13.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3% 12% $13

Eating Out

Barreiras

$109 12.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7% 37% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barreiras

$100 11.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1% 55.9% $56

Getting Around

Barreiras

$57 6.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2% 9.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Barreiras

$36 4.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7% 22.7% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $372 in Barreiras and $776 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $29 in Barreiras vs $37 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $180 vs $201 per month, with Barreiras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Barreiras

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:59 8:59 AM

Same time as Barreiras

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

159,734

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Barreiras Rio de Janeiro 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Barreiras
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

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

Barreiras is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,274 in Barreiras and $1,774 in Rio de Janeiro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $372 in Barreiras versus $776 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $241 in Barreiras versus $563 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $849 in Barreiras versus $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Barreiras but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiras 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 Barreiras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.