Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Girardeau, MO and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Cape Girardeau, MO
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Cape Girardeau, MO Living Index
63

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

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Cape Girardeau, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,129

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cape Girardeau, MO $2,129
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,277 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cape Girardeau, MO $3,277
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,424 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cape Girardeau, MO $4,424
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Cape Girardeau, MO is roughly 65% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cape Girardeau, MO is 58% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.76 $17.76

$10.06 R$51.0

76.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.6 $58.6

$40.44 R$205

44.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 $7.12

$8.55 R$43.35

-16.73%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$2.38 R$12.04

152.94%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.61 R$8.18

66.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.03 R$5.22

81.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.47 R$12.54

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.71 $7.71

$3.70 R$18.77

108.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.19 R$6.05

-13.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.05 R$10.38

8.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.44 $7.44

$1.28 R$6.49

481.25%

Eggs

$3.06 $3.06

$2.29 R$11.60

33.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$10.76 R$54.5

40.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.63 $18.63

$4.41 R$22.36

322.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.29 $25.29

$9.84 R$49.86

157.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.81 R$14.25

19.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.78 R$9.03

8.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$11.43 $11.43

$1.60 R$8.13

614.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$1.80 R$9.11

393.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.22 R$6.17

75.41%

Onion (1kg)

$6.00 $6.00

$1.04 R$5.26

476.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$0.77 R$3.92

275.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.67 R$3.38

268.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 $7.34

$3.01 R$15.27

143.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$8.08 R$40.94

49.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.19 R$6.03

48.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.09 $8.09

$2.51 R$12.73

222.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.30 R$6.57

-38.46%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.9K R$121.0K

28.06%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-24.59%

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

$201 $201

$133 R$676

50.44%

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

$42.29 $42.29

$10.82 R$54.8

290.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$22.90 R$116

252.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.39 $20.39

$30.79 R$156

-33.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$8.05 R$40.83

86.09%

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

$818 $818

$598 R$3,029

36.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.40 $45.40

$42.04 R$213

7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.35 $39.35

$49.68 R$252

-20.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$74.5 R$378

13.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.98 $39.98

$68.7 R$348

-41.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 $777

$903 R$4,578

-13.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 $861

$529 R$2,684

62.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$1,326 R$6,724

18.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 $1,672

$756 R$3,831

121.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,444 $1,444

$4,010 R$20.3K

-64.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 $1,438

$1,560 R$7,910

-7.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,408 $2,408

$640 R$3,242

276.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.93

-45.93%

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

Last update for Cape Girardeau, MO: October 11, 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

Cape Girardeau, MO

$861 40.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 38.5% $331

Groceries & Markets

Cape Girardeau, MO

$516 24.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 58.4% $302

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Girardeau, MO

$324 15.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 48.4% $157

Eating Out

Cape Girardeau, MO

$284 13.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 42% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Girardeau, MO

$94 4.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 12.3% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Girardeau, MO

$50 2.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 6.9% $3.5

Getting Around

Cape Girardeau, MO

- * 0%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

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 $777 in Cape Girardeau, MO and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cape Girardeau, MO pays 277% 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 Cape Girardeau, MO vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $516 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau, MO

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

22:21 10:21 PM

00:21 12:21 AM

2 h ahead of Cape Girardeau, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,941

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

Cape Girardeau, MO Rio de Janeiro 8,260 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Girardeau, MO
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

Cape Girardeau, MO vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 277% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO, 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: $777 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 141% higher in Cape Girardeau, MO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,129 per month in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,129 in Cape Girardeau, MO, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Cape Girardeau, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cape Girardeau, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Cape Girardeau, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.