Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baton Rouge, LA and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,370 in Baton Rouge, LA, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Baton Rouge, LA
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Baton Rouge, LA Living Index
63

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

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Baton Rouge, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,370

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,370 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Baton Rouge, LA $2,370
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,538 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Baton Rouge, LA $3,538
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,706 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Baton Rouge, LA $4,706
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Baton Rouge, LA is roughly 84% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baton Rouge, LA is 77% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 $14.72

$9.98 R$49.83

47.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.1 $82.1

$40.34 R$201

103.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$8.48 R$42.35

41.75%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$2.36 R$11.80

156.78%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.63 R$8.13

34.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.01 R$5.06

35.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.44 R$12.19

131.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.71 $7.71

$3.69 R$18.43

108.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.15 R$5.72

12.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.07 R$10.34

40.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.29 R$6.42

83.72%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$2.27 R$11.32

30.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 $13.36

$11.00 R$54.9

21.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.10 $14.10

$4.31 R$21.51

227.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.10 $23.10

$9.74 R$48.63

137.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.87 $6.87

$2.83 R$14.12

142.76%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.84 R$9.17

60.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$1.60 R$7.96

284.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.80 R$9.00

140.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.26 R$6.28

188.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.07 R$5.34

148.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.75 R$3.75

214.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.66 R$3.29

174.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$3.05 R$15.21

196.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.29 $19.29

$8.18 R$40.84

135.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.19 R$5.92

56.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.39 R$11.92

-14.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.01 R$5.06

69.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.1 $57.1

$50.2 R$250

13.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.27 R$6.33

216.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.90 R$4.51

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.9 $60.9

$9.44 R$47.13

544.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.33 R$6.65

-29.32%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$23.4K R$117.0K

49.92%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-24.88%

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

$141 $141

$134 R$666

5.49%

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

$43.58 $43.58

$12.23 R$61.0

256.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$22.65 R$113

214.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 $53.2

$31.56 R$158

68.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.89 $9.89

$30.87 R$154

-67.96%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 $11.98

$8.23 R$41.07

45.57%

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

$1,899 $1,899

$603 R$3,011

214.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.0K $10.0K

$13.2K R$66.1K

-24.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.14 $33.14

$41.62 R$208

-20.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.92 $42.92

$49.94 R$249

-14.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$75.0 R$375

17.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 $70.8

$68.3 R$341

3.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 $1,365

$905 R$4,519

50.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 $1,172

$527 R$2,633

122.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 $1,807

$1,346 R$6,720

34.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 $1,756

$774 R$3,865

126.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,753 $1,753

$3,981 R$19.9K

-55.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,716 $1,716

$1,562 R$7,798

9.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,263 $3,263

$643 R$3,210

407.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

11.93

-47.02%

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

Last update for Baton Rouge, LA: October 3, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baton Rouge, LA

$1.2K 48.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 55% $645

Groceries & Markets

Baton Rouge, LA

$441 18.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 51.3% $226

Eating Out

Baton Rouge, LA

$284 11.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 42.4% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baton Rouge, LA

$256 10.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 34.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Baton Rouge, LA

$106 4.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 0.2% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Baton Rouge, LA

$77 3.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 37.7% $29

Getting Around

Baton Rouge, LA

$74 3.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 18.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,365 in Baton Rouge, LA and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baton Rouge, LA pays 407% 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: $82.0 in Baton Rouge, LA vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baton Rouge, LA

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

2 h ahead of Baton Rouge, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

229,493

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Baton Rouge, LA Rio de Janeiro 7,840 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Baton Rouge, LA
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

Baton Rouge, LA vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baton Rouge, LA and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,370 vs $1,285 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 407% higher in Baton Rouge, LA, 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: $1,365 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 14% less than in Baton Rouge, LA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,899 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $603 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,370 in Baton Rouge, LA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Baton Rouge, LA. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Baton Rouge, LA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.