Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castries and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,413 in Castries, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. The total is higher in Castries despite lower rent and utilities.

70

Cost of Living Index in Castries
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Castries Living Index
63

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

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Castries

🇱🇨 Saint Lucia

$1,413

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,413 per month in Castries vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Castries $1,413
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $2,371 per month in Castries vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Castries $2,371
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $3,330 per month in Castries vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Castries $3,330
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Castries costs about 10% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Castries sits 5% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.42 EC$25.43

$9.98 R$49.83

-5.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 EC$201

$40.34 R$201

84.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.41 EC$22.72

$8.48 R$42.35

-0.83%

Cappuccino

$3.67 EC$9.90

$2.36 R$11.80

55.51%

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

$1.97 EC$5.31

$1.63 R$8.13

20.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 EC$2.73

$1.01 R$5.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 EC$7.72

$2.44 R$12.19

17.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 EC$8.86

$3.69 R$18.43

-11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 EC$5.46

$1.15 R$5.72

75.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 EC$4.99

$2.07 R$10.34

-10.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 EC$4.65

$1.29 R$6.42

33.33%

Eggs

$4.51 EC$12.19

$2.27 R$11.32

98.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 EC$30.47

$11.00 R$54.9

2.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 EC$24.51

$4.31 R$21.51

110.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.92 EC$40.29

$9.74 R$48.63

53.18%

Apples (1kg)

$8.61 EC$23.25

$2.83 R$14.12

204.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 EC$4.38

$1.84 R$9.17

-11.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.09 EC$21.84

$1.60 R$7.96

405.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$14.83 EC$40.04

$1.80 R$9.00

723.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 EC$9.44

$1.26 R$6.28

177.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 EC$5.56

$1.07 R$5.34

92.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 EC$5.94

$0.75 R$3.75

193.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 EC$3.46

$0.66 R$3.29

93.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.35 EC$25.25

$3.05 R$15.21

206.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 EC$29.57

$8.18 R$40.84

33.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 EC$6.23

$1.19 R$5.92

94.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 EC$15.38

$2.39 R$11.92

138.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 EC$2.91

$1.01 R$5.06

6.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 EC$25.63

$1.27 R$6.33

647.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 EC$4.11

$1.33 R$6.65

14.29%

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

$26.3K EC$70.9K

$23.4K R$117.0K

12.12%

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

$36.5K EC$98.6K

$33.6K R$167.6K

8.72%

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

$124 EC$334

$134 R$666

-7.29%

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

$89.6 EC$242

$12.23 R$61.0

632.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.85 EC$129

$22.65 R$113

111.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.35 EC$114

$31.56 R$158

34.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 EC$15.33

$8.23 R$41.07

-30.98%

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

$211 EC$570

$603 R$3,011

-65.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.9 EC$226

$41.62 R$208

101.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.2 EC$135

$49.94 R$249

0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 EC$299

$75.0 R$375

47.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 EC$299

$68.3 R$341

62.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$450 EC$1,216

$905 R$4,519

-50.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$340 EC$918

$527 R$2,633

-35.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,184 EC$3,195

$1,346 R$6,720

-12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 EC$1,912

$774 R$3,865

-8.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$101 EC$273

$3,981 R$19.9K

-97.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$63.4 EC$171

$1,562 R$7,798

-95.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,122 EC$3,028

$643 R$3,210

74.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.75

11.93

-35.04%

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

Last update for Castries: October 4, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Castries

$431 30%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 50.2% $216

Accommodation & Living

Castries

$340 23.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 55.2% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castries

$261 18.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 35.5% $93

Eating Out

Castries

$177 12.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 7.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Castries

$160 11.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 33.9% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Castries

$54 3.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 10.6% $5.7

Getting Around

Castries

$14 * 1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 335% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $450 in Castries versus $905 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 run about 74% higher in Castries, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Castries versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇨 Castries

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

1 h ahead of Castries

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,000 Capital

6,211,223

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 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).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Castries Rio de Janeiro 4,540 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Castries
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

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

Castries costs about 10% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,119 per month in Castries and $1,927 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 Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,413 in Castries and $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 10%.

Kindergarten costs $211 per month in Castries and $603 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Castries at $1,413. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Castries it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,285 versus $1,413 in Castries. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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