Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charlotte Amalie and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,340 in Charlotte Amalie, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Charlotte Amalie

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,340

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,340 per month in Charlotte Amalie vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Charlotte Amalie $2,340
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $4,152 per month in Charlotte Amalie vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Charlotte Amalie $4,152
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $5,964 per month in Charlotte Amalie vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Charlotte Amalie $5,964
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Charlotte Amalie costs about 82% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Charlotte Amalie sits 73% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.03 $25.03

$10.06 R$51.0

148.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$40.44 R$205

202.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.92 $12.92

$8.55 R$43.35

51.11%

Cappuccino

$7.37 $7.37

$2.38 R$12.04

209.66%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$1.61 R$8.18

83.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.03 R$5.22

147.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.47 R$12.54

129.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$3.70 R$18.77

92.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.19 R$6.05

128.57%

White Bread (500g)

$8.91 $8.91

$2.05 R$10.38

334.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

Eggs

$7.19 $7.19

$2.29 R$11.60

213.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.01 R$15.27

63.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.12 $20.12

$8.08 R$40.94

149.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$2.51 R$12.73

186.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.09 $6.09

$0.99 R$5.00

515.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$19.69 $19.69

$1.22 R$6.20

1513.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.30 R$6.57

-0.77%

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

$45.6K $45.6K

$23.9K R$121.0K

91.10%

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

$48.6K $48.6K

$32.9K R$166.6K

47.83%

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

$292 $292

$133 R$676

118.81%

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

$59.0 $59.0

$10.82 R$54.8

445.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.9 $98.9

$22.90 R$116

331.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$197 $197

$30.79 R$156

539.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$8.05 R$40.83

50.56%

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

$598 R$3,029

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 $88.6

$74.5 R$378

18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 $1,225

$903 R$4,578

35.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 $993

$529 R$2,684

87.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,538 $3,538

$1,326 R$6,724

166.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,975 $2,975

$756 R$3,831

293.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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

Last update for Charlotte Amalie: 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

Charlotte Amalie

–

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Groceries & Markets

Charlotte Amalie

–

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charlotte Amalie

–

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Eating Out

Charlotte Amalie

–

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Charlotte Amalie

–

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Getting Around

Charlotte Amalie

–

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Charlotte Amalie

–

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,225 in Charlotte Amalie 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Charlotte Amalie versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries tell a different story – $200 in Charlotte Amalie vs $215 in Rio de Janeiro – so Charlotte Amalie wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Charlotte Amalie

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

19:33 7:33 PM

1 h ahead of Charlotte Amalie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,477 Capital

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Charlotte Amalie Rio de Janeiro 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Charlotte Amalie
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

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

Yes – Charlotte Amalie is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,510 per month in Charlotte Amalie 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 Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 7% cheaper in Charlotte Amalie – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Charlotte Amalie and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Charlotte Amalie at $2,340. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charlotte Amalie it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio de Janeiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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