Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,842 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in Cary, NC versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cary, NC $2,842
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,173 in Cary, NC versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cary, NC $4,173
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,505 in Cary, NC versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Cary, NC $5,505
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 121% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cary, NC is 111% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 $19.35

$10.06 R$51.0

92.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 $99.3

$40.44 R$205

145.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 $10.42

$8.55 R$43.35

21.87%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$2.38 R$12.04

112.61%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$1.61 R$8.18

26.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.03 R$5.22

79.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.47 R$12.54

82.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 $6.39

$3.70 R$18.77

72.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.19 R$6.05

-12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.05 R$10.38

168.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$1.28 R$6.49

382.81%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$2.29 R$11.60

75.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.74 $17.74

$10.76 R$54.5

64.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$4.41 R$22.36

276.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$9.84 R$49.86

82.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$2.81 R$14.25

122.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.78 R$9.03

8.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.60 R$8.13

134.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$1.80 R$9.11

283.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.22 R$6.17

166.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.04 R$5.26

300.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$0.77 R$3.92

285.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.67 R$3.38

255.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$3.01 R$15.27

234.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 $9.71

$8.08 R$40.94

20.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.19 R$6.03

95.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.51 R$12.73

60.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$0.99 R$5.00

155.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 $78.7

$50.1 R$254

57.05%

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)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.30 R$6.57

-28.46%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

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

$28.7K $28.7K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-12.78%

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

$179 $179

$133 R$676

34.08%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$10.82 R$54.8

336.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$22.90 R$116

195.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$30.79 R$156

152.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 $21.88

$31.85 R$161

-31.30%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$8.05 R$40.83

89.57%

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

$1,455 $1,455

$598 R$3,029

143.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$42.04 R$213

56.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 $32.18

$49.68 R$252

-35.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$74.5 R$378

60.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$68.7 R$348

99.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$903 R$4,578

110.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 $1,407

$529 R$2,684

165.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 $2,710

$1,326 R$6,724

104.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$756 R$3,831

186.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,859 $2,859

$4,010 R$20.3K

-28.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$1,560 R$7,910

69.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,032 $6,032

$640 R$3,242

843.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

11.93

-46.19%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 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

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 62.4% $878

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 17.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 55.9% $272

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$298 10.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 44.6% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$294 10.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 43.1% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$160 5.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 33.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$108 3.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 56.7% $61

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 32.6% $29

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 $1,904 in Cary, NC and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 843% 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: $99.0 in Cary, NC vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

08:55 8:55 AM

1 h ahead of Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Cary, NC Rio de Janeiro 7,520 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Cary, NC
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

Cary, NC vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 843% higher in Cary, NC, 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: $1,904 in Cary, NC versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,455 in Cary, NC versus $598 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 127% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,842 in Cary, NC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Cary, NC. 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 Cary, NC, 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 121% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.