Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brownsville, TX and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,057 in Brownsville, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Brownsville, TX
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Brownsville, TX Living Index
63

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

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Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,057

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,057 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $2,057
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $3,104 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $3,104
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $4,150 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Brownsville, TX $4,150
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Brownsville, TX costs about 60% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Brownsville, TX sits 52% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$10.06 R$51.0

97.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$40.44 R$205

82.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 $11.31

$8.55 R$43.35

32.28%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.38 R$12.04

129.83%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$1.61 R$8.18

67.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.03 R$5.22

91.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.47 R$12.54

144.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$3.70 R$18.77

97.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.19 R$6.05

-25.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.05 R$10.38

6.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.28 R$6.49

233.59%

Eggs

$2.83 $2.83

$2.29 R$11.60

23.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.46 $9.46

$10.76 R$54.5

-12.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.74 $11.74

$4.41 R$22.36

166.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.61 $16.61

$9.84 R$49.86

68.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.81 R$14.25

74.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.78 R$9.03

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.60 R$8.13

167.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.80 R$9.11

163.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.22 R$6.17

127.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.04 R$5.26

188.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.77 R$3.92

171.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$0.67 R$3.38

229.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$3.01 R$15.27

200.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.57 $14.57

$8.08 R$40.94

80.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.19 R$6.03

73.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.51 R$12.73

35.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.99 R$5.00

79.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.22 R$6.20

140.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.92 R$4.66

85.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.81 $32.81

$8.97 R$45.45

265.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.30 R$6.57

-34.62%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$23.9K R$121.0K

30.22%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-24.55%

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

$201 $201

$133 R$676

50.67%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$10.82 R$54.8

587.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.8 $77.8

$22.90 R$116

239.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.21 $41.21

$30.79 R$156

33.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$8.05 R$40.83

80.75%

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

$1,400 $1,400

$598 R$3,029

134.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$13.4K R$68.0K

66.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$42.04 R$213

32.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.23 $38.23

$49.68 R$252

-23.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$74.5 R$378

17.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$68.7 R$348

59.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$958 $958

$903 R$4,578

6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$796 $796

$529 R$2,684

50.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$1,326 R$6,724

27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,396 $1,396

$756 R$3,831

84.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,858 $1,858

$4,010 R$20.3K

-53.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,819 $1,819

$1,560 R$7,910

16.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,198 $3,198

$640 R$3,242

400.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

11.93

-43.34%

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

Last update for Brownsville, TX: 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

Brownsville, TX

$796 38.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 33.5% $267

Groceries & Markets

Brownsville, TX

$366 17.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 41.4% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brownsville, TX

$353 17.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 52.7% $186

Eating Out

Brownsville, TX

$322 15.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 48.7% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Brownsville, TX

$131 6.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 19.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Brownsville, TX

$70 3.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 33.3% $23

Getting Around

Brownsville, TX

$19 * 0.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 222% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $958 in Brownsville, TX 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 400% higher in Brownsville, TX, 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 $74.0 in Brownsville, TX versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $366 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

02:19 2:19 AM

2 h ahead of Brownsville, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

186,738

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Brownsville, TX Rio de Janeiro 7,980 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Brownsville, TX
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

Brownsville, TX vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,057 in Brownsville, TX, $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,086 per month in Brownsville, TX 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,057 in Brownsville, TX and $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 60%.

Kindergarten costs $1,400 per month in Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX at $2,057. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brownsville, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,057 in Brownsville, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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