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: $844 in Belo Horizonte versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,306 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,769 in Belo Horizonte versus $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro.

Living in Belo Horizonte costs roughly 12% less than in Rio de Janeiro, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Belo Horizonte 37% lower, Rio de Janeiro 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 R$32.74

$7.20 R$36.46

-10.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.04 R$167

$35.52 R$180

-6.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 R$33.83

$6.44 R$32.63

3.73%

Cappuccino

$1.55 R$7.85

$1.97 R$9.99

-21.32%

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

$0.93 R$4.69

$1.27 R$6.45

-26.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R$3.26

$0.90 R$4.55

-28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.92

$1.76 R$8.94

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 R$15.24

$2.68 R$13.59

12.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 R$4.52

$1.16 R$5.89

-23.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.64

$1.70 R$8.60

-11.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 R$8.03

$1.41 R$7.15

12.77%

Eggs

$1.94 R$9.84

$2.00 R$10.12

-3.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 R$39.97

$8.05 R$40.75

-1.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 R$17.10

$3.62 R$18.32

-6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.19 R$36.43

$8.20 R$41.53

-12.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 R$10.98

$2.40 R$12.14

-9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.52

$1.58 R$8.00

-18.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.52

$1.49 R$7.56

-26.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.56 R$7.90

-16.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 R$5.12

$1.30 R$6.60

-22.31%

Onion (1kg)

$0.85 R$4.33

$1.10 R$5.58

-22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.56

$0.68 R$3.46

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.41

$0.58 R$2.93

15.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.11 R$10.67

$1.95 R$9.87

8.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 R$43.99

$8.73 R$44.20

-0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.42

$1.21 R$6.15

-11.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 R$10.82

$2.15 R$10.90

-0.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.23 R$6.23

-21.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.86 R$207

$39.30 R$199

3.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R$4.69

$1.11 R$5.63

-16.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 R$5.78

$0.71 R$3.61

60.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.33 R$42.19

$7.37 R$37.33

13.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 R$5.31

$1.07 R$5.43

-1.87%

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

$25.5K R$129.0K

$20.4K R$103.1K

25.13%

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

$28.9K R$146.1K

$27.1K R$137.2K

6.50%

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

$66.0 R$334

$104 R$526

-36.45%

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

$14.58 R$73.8

$12.18 R$61.7

19.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$106

$18.70 R$94.7

11.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.00 R$122

$25.68 R$130

-6.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.35 R$199

$24.37 R$123

61.47%

Cinema Ticket

$7.15 R$36.19

$6.60 R$33.44

8.33%

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

$368 R$1,861

$542 R$2,744

-32.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,826 R$34.6K

$11.8K R$59.8K

-42.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 R$266

$44.23 R$224

18.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.80 R$191

$41.91 R$212

-9.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.7 R$368

$76.8 R$389

-5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$62.0 R$314

6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 R$2,045

$438 R$2,220

-7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 R$1,341

$331 R$1,674

-19.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 R$3,529

$838 R$4,246

-16.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 R$2,302

$569 R$2,883

-20.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,309 R$11.7K

$3,356 R$17.0K

-31.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,109 R$5,617

$1,389 R$7,032

-20.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 R$3,165

$548 R$2,775

14.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.83

11.33

-4.41%

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

Last update for Belo Horizonte: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $404 in Belo Horizonte and $438 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belo Horizonte pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Belo Horizonte vs $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $188 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 14% in total monthly costs ($844 vs $960 including rent). Belo Horizonte is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Belo Horizonte pays 14% more on average, 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: $404 in Belo Horizonte versus $438 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $368 in Belo Horizonte versus $542 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 9% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $844 in Belo Horizonte versus $960 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 14% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.