Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, IA and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $1,769 in Burlington, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,769 in Burlington, IA versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Burlington, IA $1,769
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,675 in Burlington, IA versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Burlington, IA $2,675
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Burlington, IA versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Burlington, IA $3,580
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Burlington, IA is roughly 39% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burlington, IA is 31% above, Rio de Janeiro is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.35 $11.35

$9.38 R$47.54

21.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$40.00 R$203

47.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.34 R$42.28

6.00%

Cappuccino

$4.74 $4.74

$2.29 R$11.62

106.99%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$1.59 R$8.05

22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.01 R$5.10

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.14 R$10.85

59.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.66 R$18.55

25.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.13 R$5.72

-28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.09 R$10.60

34.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.25 R$6.36

247.20%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$2.25 R$11.39

29.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 $11.37

$10.92 R$55.3

4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 $11.93

$4.36 R$22.10

173.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 $14.20

$9.60 R$48.66

47.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.85 R$14.46

41.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.81 R$9.16

9.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.58 R$8.02

191.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$1.83 R$9.28

154.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.20 R$6.10

128.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.06 R$5.35

145.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.75 R$3.81

105.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.68 R$3.45

202.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 $8.16

$2.94 R$14.90

177.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 $16.29

$7.98 R$40.43

104.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.18 R$5.98

60.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.42 R$12.26

-6.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.94 R$4.78

106.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.76 $15.76

$50.3 R$255

-68.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 $4.67

$1.20 R$6.10

289.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.83 R$4.20

22.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.19 $22.19

$8.97 R$45.48

147.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.29 R$6.53

-27.13%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$22.8K R$115.5K

-0.20%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-26.43%

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

$184 $184

$134 R$681

37.06%

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

$47.16 $47.16

$10.73 R$54.4

339.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 $59.2

$22.84 R$116

159.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 $42.42

$30.16 R$153

40.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$7.73 R$39.17

54.20%

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

$1,210 $1,210

$584 R$2,960

107.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K $13.3K

$12.8K R$64.9K

3.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.72 $44.72

$41.12 R$208

8.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.53 $30.53

$49.26 R$250

-38.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$73.7 R$373

18.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.90 $37.90

$65.9 R$334

-42.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 $754

$900 R$4,561

-16.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 $707

$527 R$2,673

34.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 $1,172

$1,332 R$6,754

-12.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$748 R$3,790

71.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,026 $1,026

$3,990 R$20.2K

-74.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,033 $1,033

$1,560 R$7,908

-33.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,446 $4,446

$640 R$3,246

594.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

11.93

-45.18%

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

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 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

Burlington, IA

$707 40%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 25.4% $180

Groceries & Markets

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 41.6% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 42.2% $123

Eating Out

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 27.9% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 14.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 31.2% $21

Getting Around

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 78.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $754 in Burlington, IA and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 594% 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: $59.0 in Burlington, IA vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

19:21 7:21 PM

21:21 9:21 PM

2 h ahead of Burlington, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,743

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Burlington, IA Rio de Janeiro 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Burlington, IA
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

Burlington, IA vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Burlington, IA. 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 594% higher in Burlington, IA, 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: $754 in Burlington, IA versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,210 in Burlington, IA versus $584 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Burlington, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Burlington, IA. 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 $1,273 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Burlington, IA 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 39% less than in Burlington, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.