Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bridgetown and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,359 in Bridgetown, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Bridgetown
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Bridgetown Living Index
63

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

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Bridgetown

🇧🇧 Barbados

$2,359

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Bridgetown versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Bridgetown $2,359
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,591 in Bridgetown versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Bridgetown $3,591
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,823 in Bridgetown versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Bridgetown $4,823
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Bridgetown is roughly 84% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bridgetown is 76% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.70 BBD 39.40

$9.98 R$49.83

97.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.2 BBD 140

$40.34 R$201

73.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 BBD 20.09

$8.48 R$42.35

18.40%

Cappuccino

$5.73 BBD 11.47

$2.36 R$11.80

142.80%

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

$2.36 BBD 4.73

$1.63 R$8.13

44.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 BBD 2.97

$1.01 R$5.06

46.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 BBD 5.06

$2.44 R$12.19

3.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 BBD 12.26

$3.69 R$18.43

66.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.16 BBD 8.32

$1.15 R$5.72

261.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 BBD 7.49

$2.07 R$10.34

80.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 BBD 5.93

$1.29 R$6.42

130.23%

Eggs

$6.25 BBD 12.51

$2.27 R$11.32

175.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.01 BBD 18.02

$11.00 R$54.9

-18.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 BBD 19.24

$4.31 R$21.51

123.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.64 BBD 15.28

$9.74 R$48.63

-21.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.53 BBD 11.05

$2.83 R$14.12

95.41%

Banana (1kg)

$3.15 BBD 6.29

$1.84 R$9.17

71.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.18 BBD 10.36

$1.60 R$7.96

223.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 BBD 10.08

$1.80 R$9.00

180.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 BBD 3.68

$1.26 R$6.28

46.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 BBD 4.60

$1.07 R$5.34

114.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 BBD 5.54

$0.75 R$3.75

269.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 BBD 6.41

$0.66 R$3.29

386.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

Wine (Bottle)

$10.16 BBD 20.31

$8.18 R$40.84

24.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 BBD 3.61

$1.19 R$5.92

51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 BBD 3.83

$2.39 R$11.92

-19.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 BBD 3.57

$1.01 R$5.06

77.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.30 BBD 14.59

$1.27 R$6.33

474.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.53 BBD 79.1

$9.44 R$47.13

318.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 BBD 4.18

$1.33 R$6.65

57.14%

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

$37.1K BBD 74.2K

$23.4K R$117.0K

58.26%

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

$34.8K BBD 69.6K

$33.6K R$167.6K

3.67%

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

$197 BBD 394

$134 R$666

47.56%

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

$56.6 BBD 113

$12.23 R$61.0

363.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.4 BBD 165

$22.65 R$113

263.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 BBD 129

$31.56 R$158

103.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$15.18 BBD 30.36

$8.23 R$41.07

84.45%

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)

$53.5 BBD 107

$41.62 R$208

28.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.80 BBD 67.6

$49.94 R$249

-32.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 BBD 253

$75.0 R$375

68.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.3 BBD 165

$68.3 R$341

20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,166 BBD 2,333

$905 R$4,519

28.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 BBD 2,306

$527 R$2,633

118.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 BBD 4,303

$1,346 R$6,720

59.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 BBD 3,978

$774 R$3,865

156.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,433 BBD 6,866

$3,981 R$19.9K

-13.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,464 BBD 6,929

$1,562 R$7,798

121.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,011 BBD 4,023

$643 R$3,210

212.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

11.93

-42.58%

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

Last update for Bridgetown: October 5, 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

Bridgetown

$1.2K 47.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 54.2% $625

Groceries & Markets

Bridgetown

$399 16.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 46.2% $185

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bridgetown

$336 13.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 49.9% $168

Eating Out

Bridgetown

$297 12.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 44.8% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Bridgetown

$133 5.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 20.7% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Bridgetown

$95 3.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 49.3% $47

Getting Around

Bridgetown

$14 * 0.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 315% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,166 in Bridgetown and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgetown pays 213% 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: $70.0 in Bridgetown vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇧 Bridgetown

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

11:04 11:04 AM

12:04 12:04 PM

1 h ahead of Bridgetown

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000 Capital

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Barbados Dollar BBD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.446 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to BBD – Barbados Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇧 Barbados Dollar ($)

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BBD (1 BBD = 0.446 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 BBD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bridgetown Rio de Janeiro 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bridgetown
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

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

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Bridgetown. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 213% higher in Bridgetown, 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: $1,166 in Bridgetown versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,359 per month in Bridgetown versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Bridgetown. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,359 in Bridgetown, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Bridgetown. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,285 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bridgetown 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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Bridgetown. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.