Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carbondale, IL and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,764 in Carbondale, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Carbondale, IL
Learn more

Carbondale, IL Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,764

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,764 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Carbondale, IL $1,764
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,118 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Carbondale, IL $2,118
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,473 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Carbondale, IL $2,473
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Carbondale, IL is roughly 37% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carbondale, IL is 32% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$9.98 R$49.83

83.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.75 $38.75

$40.34 R$201

-3.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.87 $8.87

$8.48 R$42.35

4.60%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$2.36 R$11.80

116.10%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$1.63 R$8.13

36.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.01 R$5.06

93.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.44 R$12.19

79.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$3.69 R$18.43

117.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.15 R$5.72

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.07 R$10.34

46.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.29 R$6.42

222.48%

Eggs

$3.80 $3.80

$2.27 R$11.32

67.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.12 $13.12

$11.00 R$54.9

19.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$4.31 R$21.51

165.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.75 $18.75

$9.74 R$48.63

92.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.83 R$14.12

102.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.84 R$9.17

-6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$1.60 R$7.96

276.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.80 R$9.00

173.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.26 R$6.28

31.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.07 R$5.34

124.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 $2.60

$0.75 R$3.75

246.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.66 R$3.29

224.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.66 $10.66

$3.05 R$15.21

249.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 $13.16

$8.18 R$40.84

60.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.19 R$5.92

42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.39 R$11.92

-30.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.27 R$6.33

60.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.90 R$4.51

54.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.08 $20.08

$9.44 R$47.13

112.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.33 R$6.65

-25.56%

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

$37.9K $37.9K

$23.4K R$117.0K

61.67%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-19.82%

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

$189 $189

$134 R$666

41.51%

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

$86.1 $86.1

$12.23 R$61.0

604.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$22.65 R$113

229.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 $11.95

$8.23 R$41.07

45.20%

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

$1,731 $1,731

$603 R$3,011

186.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$13.2K R$66.1K

84.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.38 $46.38

$41.62 R$208

11.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.29 $33.29

$49.94 R$249

-33.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 $81.7

$75.0 R$375

8.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$68.3 R$341

119.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 $658

$905 R$4,519

-27.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$557 $557

$527 R$2,633

5.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$840 $840

$3,981 R$19.9K

-78.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$836 $836

$1,562 R$7,798

-46.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,856 $3,856

$643 R$3,210

499.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

11.93

-44.68%

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

Last update for Carbondale, IL: October 5, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carbondale, IL

$557 31.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 5.4% $30

Groceries & Markets

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 45.8% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carbondale, IL

$350 19.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 51.9% $181

Eating Out

Carbondale, IL

$289 16.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 43.3% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Carbondale, IL

$140 7.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 24.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 101% $24

Getting Around

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 566% $51

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 $658 in Carbondale, IL and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 500% 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: $39.00 in Carbondale, IL vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries flip the comparison at $396 vs $215, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

16:00 4:00 PM

2 h ahead of Carbondale, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,881

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Carbondale, IL Rio de Janeiro 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Carbondale, IL
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

Carbondale, IL vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Carbondale, IL. 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 500% higher in Carbondale, IL, 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: $658 in Carbondale, IL versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Carbondale, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,764 per month in Carbondale, IL versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,764 in Carbondale, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Carbondale, IL. 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 $1,285 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Carbondale, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.