Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Caxias do Sul and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Caxias do Sul: $817 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

40

Cost of Living Index in Caxias do Sul
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Caxias do Sul Living Index
63

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

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Caxias do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$817

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $817 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Caxias do Sul $817
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $1,379 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Caxias do Sul $1,379
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $1,941 per month in Caxias do Sul vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Caxias do Sul $1,941
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Caxias do Sul is about 37% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Caxias do Sul and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Caxias do Sul 39% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.97 R$35.32

$10.06 R$51.0

-30.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.56 R$195

$40.44 R$205

-4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 R$35.43

$8.55 R$43.35

-18.25%

Cappuccino

$1.94 R$9.82

$2.38 R$12.04

-18.49%

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

$1.42 R$7.18

$1.61 R$8.18

-11.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.58

$1.03 R$5.22

6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R$11.42

$2.47 R$12.54

-8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 R$15.07

$3.70 R$18.77

-19.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 R$4.51

$1.19 R$6.05

-25.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.66 R$8.40

$2.05 R$10.38

-19.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 R$5.77

$1.28 R$6.49

-10.94%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.12

$2.29 R$11.60

-12.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 R$51.8

$10.76 R$54.5

-5.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 R$24.76

$4.41 R$22.36

10.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 R$51.7

$9.84 R$49.86

3.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.93

$2.81 R$14.25

-44.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.55

$1.78 R$9.03

-38.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.58 R$2.95

$1.60 R$8.13

-63.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.42

$1.80 R$9.11

-7.78%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 R$4.96

$1.22 R$6.17

-19.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 R$3.41

$1.04 R$5.26

-35.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 R$3.99

$0.77 R$3.92

2.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 R$3.71

$0.67 R$3.38

8.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 R$12.91

$3.01 R$15.27

-15.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.96 R$20.09

$8.08 R$40.94

-50.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 R$5.67

$1.19 R$6.03

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$11.35

$2.51 R$12.73

-10.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R$7.11

$0.99 R$5.00

41.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.70 R$222

$50.1 R$254

-12.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.46

$1.22 R$6.20

4.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.12

$0.92 R$4.66

-11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.08 R$40.94

$8.97 R$45.45

-9.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.60

$1.30 R$6.57

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

$23.7K R$120.4K

$23.9K R$121.0K

-0.54%

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

$33.5K R$169.7K

$32.9K R$166.6K

1.89%

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

$71.6 R$363

$133 R$676

-46.36%

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

$12.57 R$63.7

$10.82 R$54.8

16.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.36 R$113

$22.90 R$116

-2.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.54 R$135

$30.79 R$156

-13.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.0 R$299

$31.85 R$161

85.31%

Cinema Ticket

$7.48 R$37.94

$8.05 R$40.83

-7.08%

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

$406 R$2,056

$598 R$3,029

-32.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K R$122.7K

$13.4K R$68.0K

80.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 R$255

$42.04 R$213

19.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.75 R$186

$49.68 R$252

-26.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 R$512

$74.5 R$378

35.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 R$404

$68.7 R$348

15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 R$1,378

$903 R$4,578

-69.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 R$932

$529 R$2,684

-65.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$701 R$3,554

$1,326 R$6,724

-47.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 R$2,173

$756 R$3,831

-43.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,769 R$8,967

$4,010 R$20.3K

-55.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,226 R$6,217

$1,560 R$7,910

-21.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$565 R$2,862

$640 R$3,242

-11.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.93

-3.60%

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

Last update for Caxias do Sul: October 12, 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

Caxias do Sul

$184 22.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 188% $346

Groceries & Markets

Caxias do Sul

$183 22.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 17.3% $32

Eating Out

Caxias do Sul

$127 15.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 29.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Caxias do Sul

$120 14.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 12.2% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Caxias do Sul

$106 13%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 56.9% $61

Getting Around

Caxias do Sul

$55 6.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 9.6% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Caxias do Sul

$42 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 13% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Caxias do Sul versus $903 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 13% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $39.00 in Caxias do Sul versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $215 – making Caxias do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Caxias do Sul

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

Same time as Caxias do Sul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

463,501

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Caxias do Sul Rio de Janeiro 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Caxias do Sul
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

Caxias do Sul vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $817 in Caxias do Sul, $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 58% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,226 per month in Caxias do Sul and $1,933 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 Caxias do Sul, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Caxias do Sul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $406 per month in Caxias do Sul and $598 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 Caxias do Sul, where all-in costs run around $817, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Caxias do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Caxias do Sul to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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