Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brades and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Brades: $936 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Brades

🇲🇸 Montserrat

$936

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $936 in Brades versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Brades $936
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,172 in Brades versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Brades $2,172
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,408 in Brades versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Brades $3,408
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Brades costs roughly 27% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Brades 30% lower, Rio de Janeiro 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.33 EC$49.48

$9.98 R$49.83

83.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.76 EC$129

$40.34 R$201

18.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 EC$32.35

$8.48 R$42.35

41.27%

Cappuccino

$7.30 EC$19.72

$2.36 R$11.80

209.32%

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

$2.85 EC$7.70

$1.63 R$8.13

74.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 EC$4.10

$1.01 R$5.06

50.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 EC$8.12

$2.44 R$12.19

23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 EC$12.05

$3.69 R$18.43

20.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.39 EC$9.15

$1.15 R$5.72

194.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 EC$8.20

$2.07 R$10.34

46.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

Eggs

$7.05 EC$19.04

$2.27 R$11.32

210.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.77 EC$15.59

$11.00 R$54.9

-47.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 EC$24.54

$4.31 R$21.51

110.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.46 EC$63.3

$9.74 R$48.63

140.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 EC$8.59

$2.83 R$14.12

12.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 EC$11.95

$1.80 R$9.00

146.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 EC$6.10

$1.07 R$5.34

111.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.16 EC$13.92

$0.75 R$3.75

588.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

Wine (Bottle)

$22.14 EC$59.8

$8.18 R$40.84

170.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 EC$11.65

$2.39 R$11.92

80.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 EC$4.89

$1.01 R$5.06

79.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.73 EC$12.76

$0.90 R$4.51

425.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 EC$5.13

$9.44 R$47.13

-79.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

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

$22.2K EC$59.8K

$23.4K R$117.0K

-5.44%

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

$15.0K EC$40.6K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-55.19%

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

$92.6 EC$250

$134 R$666

-30.61%

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

$40.54 EC$109

$12.23 R$61.0

231.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.80 EC$126

$22.65 R$113

106.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 EC$152

$31.56 R$158

78.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

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

$603 R$3,011

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 EC$3,544

$1,346 R$6,720

-2.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 EC$3,510

$774 R$3,865

67.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,269 EC$3,427

$643 R$3,210

97.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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

Last update for Brades: October 6, 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

Brades

–

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Groceries & Markets

Brades

–

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brades

–

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Eating Out

Brades

–

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Clothing & Footwear

Brades

–

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Getting Around

Brades

–

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Brades

–

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Cost Breakdown

Brades pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Brades vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇸 Brades

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

1 h ahead of Brades

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

400

6,211,223

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brades Rio de Janeiro 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Brades
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

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

Brades wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brades the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 97% higher in Brades, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you'll spend $936 per month in Brades versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 59% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $936 in Brades versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brades but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Brades the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brades delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $936 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brades hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brades and Rio de Janeiro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Brades gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.