Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charlottetown and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,185 a month against $1,889 in Charlottetown, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Charlottetown, Canada
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Charlottetown
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,889
/mo nomad
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,185
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,889 per month in Charlottetown vs $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Charlottetown $1,889
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,185

A couple spends around $2,834 per month in Charlottetown vs $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Charlottetown $2,834
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,737

A family of three spends $3,779 per month in Charlottetown vs $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Charlottetown $3,779
  • Rio de Janeiro $2,289

Charlottetown costs about 59% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Charlottetown sits 40% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Charlottetown
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.24 CA$20.02
$8.16 R$44.89
74.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.1 CA$84.5
$37.20 R$205
61.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.78 CA$13.75
$7.52 R$41.40
30.05%
Cappuccino
$3.57 CA$5.01
$2.10 R$11.58
70.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.46
$1.36 R$7.49
28.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 CA$1.92
$0.96 R$5.29
41.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.57 CA$7.84
$1.98 R$10.88
181.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.68 CA$7.98
$3.26 R$17.94
74.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Charlottetown
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.35 CA$3.30
$1.09 R$5.97
115.60%
White Bread (500g)
$3.16 CA$4.45
$1.87 R$10.27
68.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.93 CA$6.93
$1.12 R$6.19
340.18%
Eggs
$3.97 CA$5.59
$2.20 R$12.12
80.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.77 CA$16.55
$9.91 R$54.6
18.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.37 CA$21.62
$4.11 R$22.62
273.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.25 CA$24.26
$9.25 R$50.9
86.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 CA$5.03
$2.59 R$14.26
38.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.49 CA$2.10
$1.69 R$9.28
-11.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 CA$5.46
$1.47 R$8.08
163.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.97 CA$6.99
$1.72 R$9.45
188.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.68 CA$2.36
$1.16 R$6.36
44.83%
Onion (1kg)
$3.21 CA$4.51
$1.00 R$5.50
221.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.80 CA$3.94
$0.66 R$3.61
324.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 CA$2.77
$0.61 R$3.35
222.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$18.20 CA$25.60
$2.69 R$14.81
576.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.77 CA$19.36
$7.20 R$39.64
91.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.26 CA$4.58
$1.07 R$5.90
204.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 CA$4.53
$2.24 R$12.32
43.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Charlottetown
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.46 CA$2.05
$0.88 R$4.82
65.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$14.56 CA$20.47
$52.3 R$288
-72.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.38 CA$10.38
$1.18 R$6.49
525.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 CA$3.10
$0.68 R$3.72
223.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.88 CA$40.61
$8.71 R$47.94
231.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 CA$1.79
$1.20 R$6.59
5.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K CA$39.9K
$21.9K R$120.4K
29.86%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5K CA$30.3K
$31.0K R$170.7K
-30.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Charlottetown
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$127 CA$179
$126 R$691
1.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.64 CA$47.31
$10.14 R$55.8
231.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.8 CA$105
$20.95 R$115
256.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Charlottetown
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.0 CA$84.4
$28.51 R$157
110.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.66 CA$5.15
$28.87 R$159
-87.32%
Cinema Ticket
$10.68 CA$15.02
$7.40 R$40.75
44.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Charlottetown
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$159 CA$223
$537 R$2,955
-70.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,116 CA$11.4K
$15.9K R$87.4K
-48.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Charlottetown
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.30 CA$56.7
$38.68 R$213
4.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.57 CA$47.21
$45.06 R$248
-25.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 CA$119
$68.6 R$378
23.57%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$131 CA$184
$64.1 R$353
104.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Charlottetown
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,003 CA$1,410
$768 R$4,225
30.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$747 CA$1,050
$491 R$2,701
52.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,680 CA$2,363
$1,458 R$8,026
15.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,241 CA$1,745
$743 R$4,088
67.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,976 CA$4,185
$3,325 R$18.3K
-10.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,924 CA$2,706
$1,552 R$8,542
23.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Charlottetown
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,408 CA$3,387
$674 R$3,708
257.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.58
11.93
-61.61%

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

Last update for Charlottetown: November 1, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Charlottetown
$747
Rio de Janeiro
$491 34.3% $256
Groceries & Markets
Charlottetown
$418
Rio de Janeiro
$198 52.7% $220
Eating Out
Charlottetown
$238
Rio de Janeiro
$139 41.6% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Charlottetown
$236
Rio de Janeiro
$157 33.5% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Charlottetown
$130
Rio de Janeiro
$97 25.3% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Charlottetown
$81
Rio de Janeiro
$43 46.8% $38
Getting Around
Charlottetown
$39
Rio de Janeiro
$60 55.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,003 in Charlottetown versus $768 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 in Charlottetown are about 3.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60 in Charlottetown versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $418 vs $198 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Charlottetown
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🕒 Local time
11:34 11:34 AM
12:34 12:34 PM
1 h ahead of Charlottetown
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
38,809
6,211,223
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 5.5 BRL (1 BRL = 0.182 USD). 1 EUR = 6.18 BRL (1 BRL = 0.162 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Charlottetown Rio de Janeiro 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Charlottetown
  • 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
Charlottetown vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Charlottetown or Rio de Janeiro?
Charlottetown costs about 59% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Charlottetown and in Rio de Janeiro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,834 per month in Charlottetown and $1,778 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Charlottetown or Rio de Janeiro?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $768 there versus $1,003 in Charlottetown.
How much does it cost to live in Charlottetown compared to Rio de Janeiro?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,889 in Charlottetown and $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro. That makes Rio de Janeiro about 37% cheaper.
How expensive is transport in Charlottetown compared to Rio de Janeiro?
Public transport costs about 72% less in Charlottetown. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Charlottetown or Rio de Janeiro?
It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro to $1,889 in Charlottetown. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Charlottetown or to Rio de Janeiro?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Charlottetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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