Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Billings, MT and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,260 in Billings, MT, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Billings, MT
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Billings, MT Living Index
63

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

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Billings, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,260

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,260 per month in Billings, MT vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Billings, MT $2,260
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $3,500 per month in Billings, MT vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Billings, MT $3,500
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $4,739 per month in Billings, MT vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Billings, MT $4,739
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Billings, MT costs about 75% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Billings, MT sits 67% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.42 $26.42

$10.06 R$51.0

162.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.7 $74.7

$40.44 R$205

84.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.32 $13.32

$8.55 R$43.35

55.79%

Cappuccino

$6.18 $6.18

$2.38 R$12.04

159.66%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$1.61 R$8.18

52.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.03 R$5.22

54.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.47 R$12.54

64.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.70 R$18.77

31.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.19 R$6.05

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.05 R$10.38

72.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.28 R$6.49

142.19%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$2.29 R$11.60

34.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.84 $11.84

$10.76 R$54.5

10.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$4.41 R$22.36

164.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.45 $17.45

$9.84 R$49.86

77.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.81 R$14.25

27.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.78 R$9.03

-19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.60 R$8.13

86.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.80 R$9.11

149.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.22 R$6.17

-3.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.04 R$5.26

94.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.77 R$3.92

198.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.67 R$3.38

111.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.45 $9.45

$3.01 R$15.27

213.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.92 $10.92

$8.08 R$40.94

35.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.19 R$6.03

84.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.51 R$12.73

101.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.99 R$5.00

97.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.77 $27.77

$50.1 R$254

-44.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.22 R$6.20

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$0.92 R$4.66

46.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.1 $59.1

$8.97 R$45.45

559.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.30 R$6.57

-20.77%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$23.9K R$121.0K

38.43%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-25.92%

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

$176 $176

$133 R$676

31.76%

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

$49.08 $49.08

$10.82 R$54.8

353.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.9 $85.9

$22.90 R$116

275.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.69 $48.69

$30.79 R$156

58.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.19 $15.19

$31.85 R$161

-52.31%

Cinema Ticket

$13.57 $13.57

$8.05 R$40.83

68.57%

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

$1,074 $1,074

$598 R$3,029

79.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$13.4K R$68.0K

42.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 $61.2

$42.04 R$213

45.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.0 $67.0

$49.68 R$252

34.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 $97.5

$74.5 R$378

30.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$68.7 R$348

76.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,262 $1,262

$903 R$4,578

39.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$947 $947

$529 R$2,684

78.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,110 $2,110

$1,326 R$6,724

59.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,818 $1,818

$756 R$3,831

140.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,393 $2,393

$4,010 R$20.3K

-40.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 $2,096

$1,560 R$7,910

34.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,936 $3,936

$640 R$3,242

515.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

11.93

-46.35%

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

Last update for Billings, MT: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Billings, MT

$947 41.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 44.1% $417

Eating Out

Billings, MT

$372 16.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 55.6% $207

Groceries & Markets

Billings, MT

$354 15.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 39.4% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Billings, MT

$311 13.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 46.2% $144

Clothing & Footwear

Billings, MT

$156 6.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 32.2% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Billings, MT

$76 3.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 38.2% $29

Getting Around

Billings, MT

$45 2%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 33.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,262 in Billings, MT versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 515% higher in Billings, MT, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in Billings, MT versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $354 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Billings, MT

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

14:15 2:15 PM

3 h ahead of Billings, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,116

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Billings, MT Rio de Janeiro 10,070 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Billings, MT
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

Billings, MT vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Billings, MT costs about 75% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,390 per month in Billings, MT and $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 80% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,074 per month in Billings, MT and $598 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Billings, MT at $2,260. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Billings, MT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,289 versus $2,260 in Billings, MT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Billings, MT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.