Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cabo Frio and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Frio: $625 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Cabo Frio
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Cabo Frio Living Index
57

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

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Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Brazil

$625

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $625 per month in Cabo Frio vs $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Cabo Frio $625
Rio de Janeiro $1,185

A couple spends around $1,031 per month in Cabo Frio vs $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,031
Rio de Janeiro $1,737

A family of three spends $1,438 per month in Cabo Frio vs $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Cabo Frio $1,438
Rio de Janeiro $2,289

Cabo Frio is about 47% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cabo Frio and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Cabo Frio 54% lower, Rio de Janeiro 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.58 R$30.63

$8.16 R$44.76

-31.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.85 R$153

$37.20 R$204

-25.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$35.46

$7.52 R$41.28

-14.10%

Cappuccino

$1.62 R$8.90

$2.10 R$11.55

-22.86%

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

$1.26 R$6.91

$1.36 R$7.47

-7.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 R$2.75

$0.96 R$5.27

-47.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.13 R$6.20

$1.98 R$10.84

-42.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 R$9.84

$3.26 R$17.89

-45.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 R$4.22

$1.09 R$5.96

-29.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 R$7.72

$1.87 R$10.24

-24.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 R$4.19

$1.12 R$6.17

-32.14%

Eggs

$1.43 R$7.85

$2.20 R$12.09

-35.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 R$39.49

$9.91 R$54.4

-27.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 R$17.47

$4.11 R$22.56

-22.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.19 R$50.4

$9.25 R$50.7

-0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$1.77 R$9.71

$2.59 R$14.22

-31.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 R$6.06

$1.69 R$9.26

-34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.90 R$4.95

$1.47 R$8.06

-38.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.18 R$6.50

$1.72 R$9.42

-31.40%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 R$3.51

$1.16 R$6.34

-44.83%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 R$4.14

$1.00 R$5.48

-25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 R$2.92

$0.66 R$3.60

-19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 R$2.94

$0.61 R$3.34

-11.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.50 R$8.21

$2.69 R$14.77

-44.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.50 R$30.20

$7.20 R$39.53

-23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.81

$1.07 R$5.89

-17.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 R$7.24

$2.24 R$12.29

-41.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.87

$0.88 R$4.81

42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 R$410

$52.3 R$287

42.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.68

$1.18 R$6.47

3.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 R$4.00

$0.68 R$3.71

7.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.24 R$39.72

$8.71 R$47.80

-16.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.91

$1.20 R$6.58

-10.00%

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

$19.7K R$108.2K

$21.9K R$120.0K

-9.86%

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

$28.6K R$156.8K

$31.0K R$170.2K

-7.84%

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

$54.1 R$297

$126 R$689

-56.95%

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

$7.04 R$38.66

$10.14 R$55.6

-30.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.74 R$69.9

$20.95 R$115

-39.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.35 R$112

$28.51 R$156

-28.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 R$24.10

$7.40 R$40.63

-40.68%

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

$135 R$740

$537 R$2,947

-74.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,436 R$13.4K

$15.9K R$87.2K

-84.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.09 R$231

$38.68 R$212

8.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 R$205

$45.06 R$247

-17.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 R$285

$68.6 R$376

-24.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$44.49 R$244

$64.1 R$352

-30.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,295

$768 R$4,213

-45.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 R$594

$491 R$2,693

-77.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$611 R$3,355

$1,458 R$8,004

-58.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$262 R$1,439

$743 R$4,077

-64.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,518

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$256 R$1,407

$674 R$3,698

-61.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

11.93

-10.56%

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

Last update for Cabo Frio: November 2, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cabo Frio

$151 24.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7% 31.5% $47

Accommodation & Living

Cabo Frio

$108 17.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4% 354% $382

Eating Out

Cabo Frio

$100 16%

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7% 39.1% $39

Getting Around

Cabo Frio

$85 13.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1% 28.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Cabo Frio

$79 12.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2% 23.1% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cabo Frio

$74 11.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2% 112% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Cabo Frio

$29 4.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7% 48.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in Cabo Frio versus $768 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 in Rio de Janeiro are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $28 in Cabo Frio versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $151 vs $198 – making Cabo Frio the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Cabo Frio

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

Same time as Cabo Frio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

222,161

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cabo Frio Rio de Janeiro 120 km

From you

Cabo Frio
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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

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

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 90%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $938 per month in Cabo Frio and $1,778 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 Cabo Frio, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $418 there versus $768 in Rio de Janeiro.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $625 in Cabo Frio and $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro. That makes Cabo Frio about 47% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cabo Frio, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,185. In Cabo Frio it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cabo Frio – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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