Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazil and Puerto Rico

Name: Puerto Rico
Address: PR

For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $915 a month against $1,938 in Puerto Rico, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Brazil
Learn more

Brazil Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Rico
Learn more

Puerto Rico Living Index

Jump to prices

🇧🇷 Brazil

$915

/mo nomad

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brazil and in Puerto Rico

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Brazil and in Puerto Rico actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $915 per month in Brazil vs $1,938 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Brazil $915
Puerto Rico $1,938

A couple spends around $1,462 per month in Brazil vs $2,984 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Brazil $1,462
Puerto Rico $2,984

A family of three spends $2,009 per month in Brazil vs $4,029 in Puerto Rico, rent included.

Brazil $2,009
Puerto Rico $4,029

The cost of living in Brazil is roughly 53% lower than in Puerto Rico on average.

Brazil sits 32% below the global median, while Puerto Rico is 44% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.73 R$34.09

$15.20 $15.20

-55.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.26 R$174

$79.4 $79.4

-56.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 R$40.47

$9.96 $9.96

-19.88%

Cappuccino

$2.16 R$10.97

$3.48 $3.48

-37.93%

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

$1.30 R$6.61

$1.71 $1.71

-23.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.80

$1.41 $1.41

-46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 R$9.95

$2.94 $2.94

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 R$15.52

$4.58 $4.58

-33.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.54

$2.17 $2.17

-49.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 R$8.54

$3.40 $3.40

-50.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.50

$2.31 $2.31

-44.59%

Eggs

$2.28 R$11.54

$5.89 $5.89

-61.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.90 R$50.2

$11.29 $11.29

-12.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 R$22.21

$8.33 $8.33

-47.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 R$43.78

$12.31 $12.31

-29.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 R$12.04

$4.44 $4.44

-46.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R$6.95

$2.67 $2.67

-48.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.54

$4.38 $4.38

-70.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R$8.37

$4.40 $4.40

-62.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.04

$3.55 $3.55

-66.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.78

$3.16 $3.16

-63.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 R$4.15

$2.92 $2.92

-71.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 R$3.91

$1.86 $1.86

-58.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 R$12.31

$11.98 $11.98

-79.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.06 R$40.84

$15.36 $15.36

-47.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 R$7.00

$2.35 $2.35

-41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$11.80

$3.62 $3.62

-35.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.03

$1.23 $1.23

-19.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.39 R$240

$30.45 $30.45

55.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 R$6.78

$2.55 $2.55

-47.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$5.00

$1.54 $1.54

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.82 R$39.66

$42.38 $42.38

-81.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.08 $1.08

20.37%

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

$23.6K R$119.6K

$40.1K $40.1K

-41.13%

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

$33.5K R$169.9K

$29.5K $29.5K

13.73%

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

$84.8 R$430

$294 $294

-71.11%

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

$12.97 R$65.8

$66.9 $66.9

-80.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.05 R$107

$72.4 $72.4

-70.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.33 R$133

$28.95 $28.95

-9.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.36 R$139

$14.06 $14.06

94.59%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 R$36.87

$10.07 $10.07

-27.81%

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

$342 R$1,732

$725 $725

-52.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,086 R$46.1K

$11.5K $11.5K

-20.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 R$276

$57.0 $57.0

-4.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 R$254

$48.49 $48.49

3.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 R$456

$92.4 $92.4

-2.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 R$366

$99.4 $99.4

-27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 R$1,939

$1,087 $1,087

-64.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 R$1,269

$667 $667

-62.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$742 R$3,761

$2,091 $2,091

-64.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$501 R$2,540

$1,289 $1,289

-61.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,935 R$9,811

$5,538 $5,538

-65.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,294 R$6,558

$2,484 $2,484

-47.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$537 R$2,722

$2,751 $2,751

-80.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.17

6.51

71.58%

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

Last update for Brazil: October 11, 2026

Last update for Puerto Rico: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brazil

$250 27.4%

Puerto Rico

$667 34.5% 167% $417

Groceries & Markets

Brazil

$199 21.8%

Puerto Rico

$379 19.6% 90.5% $180

Eating Out

Brazil

$128 14%

Puerto Rico

$230 11.9% 79.5% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Brazil

$120 13.1%

Puerto Rico

$134 6.9% 11.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazil

$119 13%

Puerto Rico

$433 22.3% 264% $314

Getting Around

Brazil

$58 6.3%

Puerto Rico

$46 2.4% 20.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Brazil

$41 4.5%

Puerto Rico

$49 2.5% 20.1% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $353 in Brazil vs $316 in Puerto Rico. For reference, capital cities sit at $507 in Brasilia and $1,802 in San Juan.

Average salary: $503 in Brazil vs $2,566 in Puerto Rico. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 12% higher in Brazil.

Dining out costs 126% more in Puerto Rico.

Public transport is 720% more expensive in Brazil.

Salaries are 410% higher in Puerto Rico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Puerto Rico.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Brazil

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

13:28 1:28 PM

1 h behind Brazil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

203,062,512

3,285,874

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Brazil Puerto Rico 4,300 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazil
Puerto Rico

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

Brazil vs Puerto Rico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 112% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, Puerto Rico costs about 112% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in Puerto Rico. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in Puerto Rico it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.