Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,713 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
63

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

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Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Cartago versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cartago $1,713
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Cartago versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cartago $2,362
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Cartago versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cartago $3,011
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Cartago is roughly 33% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartago is 27% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 ₡3,882

$10.06 R$50.8

-14.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.53 ₡15.5K

$40.44 R$204

-14.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,458

$8.55 R$43.16

16.02%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$2.38 R$11.99

90.76%

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

$2.13 ₡957

$1.61 R$8.14

32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡611

$1.03 R$5.20

32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡966

$2.47 R$12.49

-12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ₡1,823

$3.70 R$18.69

9.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,075

$1.19 R$6.03

100.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₡1,067

$2.05 R$10.34

15.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,112

$1.28 R$6.46

92.97%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,604

$2.29 R$11.55

55.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,868

$10.76 R$54.3

-19.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,664

$4.41 R$22.26

135.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,265

$9.84 R$49.65

41.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,356

$2.81 R$14.19

86.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.78 R$8.99

-27.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 ₡2,018

$1.60 R$8.10

180.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 ₡1,309

$1.80 R$9.07

61.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,006

$1.22 R$6.14

83.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.04 R$5.24

108.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$0.77 R$3.90

41.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡979

$0.67 R$3.36

225.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,728

$3.01 R$15.21

101.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₡6,810

$8.08 R$40.77

87.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,298

$1.19 R$6.00

142.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₡914

$2.51 R$12.67

-19.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡614

$0.99 R$4.98

38.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$50.1 R$253

46.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₡600

$1.22 R$6.17

9.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡703

$0.92 R$4.64

69.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,023

$8.97 R$45.25

-0.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡679

$1.30 R$6.55

16.15%

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

$21.7K ₡9.7M

$23.9K R$120.5K

-9.14%

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

$35.1K ₡15.8M

$32.9K R$165.9K

6.86%

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

$52.4 ₡23.6K

$133 R$673

-60.70%

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

$35.12 ₡15.8K

$10.82 R$54.6

224.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ₡26.9K

$22.90 R$116

161.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$30.79 R$155

139.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.8 ₡34.9K

$31.85 R$161

144.14%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₡3,268

$8.05 R$40.65

-9.69%

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

$549 ₡246.6K

$598 R$3,016

-8.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 ₡3.5M

$13.4K R$67.7K

-41.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$42.04 R$212

66.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.4K

$49.68 R$251

13.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.5K

$74.5 R$376

62.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ₡39.4K

$68.7 R$347

27.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 ₡415.0K

$903 R$4,558

2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡316.5K

$529 R$2,672

33.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 ₡839.7K

$1,326 R$6,695

40.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₡325.4K

$756 R$3,814

-4.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,875

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,344 ₡604.0K

$640 R$3,228

110.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.93

-27.75%

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

Last update for Cartago: 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

Cartago

$704 41.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 24.8% $175

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$348 20.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 38.4% $134

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 11.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$151 8.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 30% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$147 8.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 13.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$88 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 46.9% $41

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 31.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Cartago and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartago pays 110% 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: $35.00 in Cartago vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $215, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

06:35 6:35 AM

3 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 BRL = 0.198 USD

1 BRL = 0.177 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5.05 BRL (1 BRL = 0.198 USD). 1 EUR = 5.65 BRL (1 BRL = 0.177 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Between locations

Cartago Rio de Janeiro 5,740 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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

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

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 110% higher in Cartago, 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: $923 in Cartago versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 46% less than in Cartago. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $549 in Cartago versus $598 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,713 in Cartago, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Cartago. 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 Cartago, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cartago 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 33% less than in Cartago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.