Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brookhaven, NY and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brookhaven, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,722
/mo nomad
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,273
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

  • Brookhaven, NY $2,722
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,065 in Brookhaven, NY versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

  • Brookhaven, NY $4,065
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,408 in Brookhaven, NY versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

  • Brookhaven, NY $5,408
  • Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Brookhaven, NY is roughly 114% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Brookhaven, NY is 101% above, Rio de Janeiro is 6% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brookhaven, NY
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.74 $24.74
$9.38 R$47.54
163.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.9 $98.9
$40.00 R$203
147.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.20 $11.20
$8.34 R$42.28
34.29%
Cappuccino
$5.35 $5.35
$2.29 R$11.62
133.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.59 R$8.05
40.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 $1.54
$1.01 R$5.10
52.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.01 $8.01
$2.14 R$10.85
274.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.20 $8.20
$3.66 R$18.55
124.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brookhaven, NY
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.13 R$5.72
11.50%
White Bread (500g)
$4.31 $4.31
$2.09 R$10.60
106.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.76 $7.76
$1.25 R$6.36
520.80%
Eggs
$5.75 $5.75
$2.25 R$11.39
155.56%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.61 $12.61
$10.92 R$55.3
15.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.62 $11.62
$4.36 R$22.10
166.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.07 $17.07
$9.60 R$48.66
77.81%
Apples (1kg)
$5.54 $5.54
$2.85 R$14.46
94.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.81 R$9.16
-4.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.16 $6.16
$1.58 R$8.02
289.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.14 $6.14
$1.83 R$9.28
235.52%
Potato (1kg)
$5.47 $5.47
$1.20 R$6.10
355.83%
Onion (1kg)
$3.77 $3.77
$1.06 R$5.35
255.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.79 $2.79
$0.75 R$3.81
272.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.94 $2.94
$0.68 R$3.45
332.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.50 $11.50
$2.94 R$14.90
291.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$24.08 $24.08
$7.98 R$40.43
201.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.18 R$5.98
44.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.49 $5.49
$2.42 R$12.26
126.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Brookhaven, NY
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.86 $1.86
$0.94 R$4.78
97.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$50.3 R$255
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.20 R$6.10
144.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.03 $2.03
$0.83 R$4.20
144.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.54 $23.54
$8.97 R$45.48
162.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.10 $1.10
$1.29 R$6.53
-14.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K $27.6K
$22.8K R$115.5K
21.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K $26.7K
$34.0K R$172.1K
-21.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brookhaven, NY
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$211 $211
$134 R$681
56.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$75.6 $75.6
$10.73 R$54.4
604.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.3 $64.3
$22.84 R$116
181.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brookhaven, NY
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.96 $40.96
$30.16 R$153
35.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$31.49 R$160
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.76 $14.76
$7.73 R$39.17
90.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brookhaven, NY
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,237 $2,237
$584 R$2,960
283.15%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.6K $23.6K
$12.8K R$64.9K
83.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brookhaven, NY
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.13 $41.13
$41.12 R$208
0.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$56.5 $56.5
$49.26 R$250
14.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.1 $76.1
$73.7 R$373
3.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$158 $158
$65.9 R$334
139.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brookhaven, NY
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,587 $1,587
$900 R$4,561
76.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,275 $1,275
$527 R$2,673
141.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,527 $2,527
$1,332 R$6,754
89.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,118 $2,118
$748 R$3,790
183.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,099 $3,099
$3,990 R$20.2K
-22.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,127 $2,127
$1,560 R$7,908
36.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brookhaven, NY
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$640 R$3,246
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
11.93
-43.42%

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

Last update for Brookhaven, NY: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brookhaven, NY
$1.3K
Rio de Janeiro
$527 58.7% $748
Groceries & Markets
Brookhaven, NY
$489
Rio de Janeiro
$214 56.3% $275
Eating Out
Brookhaven, NY
$367
Rio de Janeiro
$156 57.5% $211
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brookhaven, NY
$351
Rio de Janeiro
$168 52.1% $183
Clothing & Footwear
Brookhaven, NY
$149
Rio de Janeiro
$103 30.7% $46
Sport & Entertainment
Brookhaven, NY
$70
Rio de Janeiro
$46 35.3% $25
Getting Around
Brookhaven, NY
$21 *
Rio de Janeiro
$59 190% $39

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 $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Brookhaven, NY vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $489 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brookhaven, NY
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🕒 Local time
19:30 7:30 PM
20:30 8:30 PM
1 h ahead of Brookhaven, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
11,674
6,211,223
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brookhaven, NY Rio de Janeiro 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brookhaven, NY
  • 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
Brookhaven, NY vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rio de Janeiro cheaper than Brookhaven, NY?
Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 114% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $4,083 in Brookhaven, NY and $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Brookhaven, NY and Rio de Janeiro?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,587 in Brookhaven, NY versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Brookhaven, NY and in Rio de Janeiro?
Supermarket bills run roughly 129% higher in Brookhaven, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Brookhaven, NY and in Rio de Janeiro?
All in, you'll spend $2,722 per month in Brookhaven, NY versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro – a 114% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Brookhaven, NY or in Rio de Janeiro?
At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,722 in Brookhaven, NY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Brookhaven, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Brookhaven, NY or Rio de Janeiro more family-friendly?
For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Brookhaven, NY, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Brookhaven, NY or Rio de Janeiro?
Safety-wise, Brookhaven, NY 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 114% less than in Brookhaven, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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