Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro Cost of Living Comparison Between Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $949 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,532 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,748 in Rio de Janeiro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,115 in Belo Horizonte versus $2,292 in Rio de Janeiro.

Living in Belo Horizonte costs roughly 21% less than in Rio de Janeiro, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belo Horizonte 31% lower, Rio de Janeiro 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.72 R$29.16

$8.50 R$43.35

-32.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.36 R$191

$38.02 R$194

-1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.42 R$42.94

$7.62 R$38.85

10.50%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.18

$2.24 R$11.43

-2.23%

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

$1.31 R$6.71

$1.56 R$7.93

-16.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 R$4.06

$1.04 R$5.29

-23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 R$10.24

$2.27 R$11.57

-11.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$17.61

$3.31 R$16.86

4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.11 R$5.65

-14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 R$8.99

$1.96 R$9.99

-10.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.20

$1.33 R$6.77

50.38%

Eggs

$2.14 R$10.91

$2.22 R$11.32

-3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.22 R$47.02

$10.35 R$52.8

-10.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 R$20.56

$4.32 R$22.04

-6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 R$36.44

$9.42 R$48.04

-24.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R$9.64

$2.64 R$13.46

-28.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.73

$1.72 R$8.79

-34.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.94

$1.52 R$7.76

-23.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.82

$1.79 R$9.11

-14.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.59

$1.23 R$6.25

-10.57%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.07

$1.03 R$5.28

-3.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 R$3.90

$0.70 R$3.56

8.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.51

$0.63 R$3.21

39.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 R$12.15

$2.91 R$14.82

-18.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.89 R$40.23

$7.84 R$39.97

0.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$6.78

$1.10 R$5.62

20.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 R$13.48

$2.56 R$13.04

3.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 R$6.21

$1.00 R$5.09

22.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.9 R$341

$48.98 R$250

36.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 R$5.03

$1.19 R$6.06

-16.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.53

$0.88 R$4.47

-21.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 R$32.64

$8.97 R$45.76

-28.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R$6.47

$1.26 R$6.42

0.79%

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

$22.7K R$115.7K

$23.3K R$119.1K

-2.87%

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

$30.7K R$156.6K

$32.2K R$164.3K

-4.70%

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

$74.0 R$377

$132 R$672

-43.83%

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

$10.56 R$53.8

$10.95 R$55.9

-3.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.64 R$105

$21.95 R$112

-5.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.81 R$137

$28.50 R$145

-5.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.51 R$227

$30.26 R$154

47.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.77 R$39.61

$7.80 R$39.80

-0.38%

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

$447 R$2,280

$538 R$2,743

-16.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K R$71.5K

$12.8K R$65.3K

9.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R$298

$40.62 R$207

43.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.88 R$239

$46.36 R$236

1.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$511

$69.7 R$355

43.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.4 R$354

$64.6 R$330

7.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$553 R$2,820

$828 R$4,222

-33.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 R$1,395

$467 R$2,384

-41.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 R$4,305

$1,264 R$6,444

-33.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 R$2,872

$723 R$3,687

-22.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,250 R$11.5K

$4,042 R$20.6K

-44.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,078 R$5,499

$1,511 R$7,707

-28.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 R$3,028

$613 R$3,127

-3.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

11.93

-5.70%

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

Last update for Belo Horizonte: August 30, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $553 in Belo Horizonte and $828 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 3% 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: $37.00 in Belo Horizonte vs $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $207 per month, with Belo Horizonte cheaper across the board.

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

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

Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($949 vs $1,205 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% 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: $553 in Belo Horizonte versus $828 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $447 in Belo Horizonte versus $538 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 10% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $949 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Belo Horizonte but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Belo Horizonte 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 Belo Horizonte gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.