Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $3,169 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
63

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

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,169

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,169 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,169
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $4,682 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,682
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $6,196 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,196
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Chicago, IL costs about 147% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Chicago, IL sits 136% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$9.98 R$50.1

116.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$40.34 R$202

126.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.09 $13.09

$8.48 R$42.57

54.36%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$2.36 R$11.86

144.92%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$1.63 R$8.18

61.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.01 R$5.09

125.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$2.44 R$12.25

184.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$3.69 R$18.53

142.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.15 R$5.75

10.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.07 R$10.40

90.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.29 R$6.45

284.50%

Eggs

$4.64 $4.64

$2.27 R$11.38

104.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.97 $13.97

$11.00 R$55.2

27.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.37 $14.37

$4.31 R$21.62

233.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.59 $18.59

$9.74 R$48.88

90.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$2.83 R$14.19

89.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.84 R$9.21

4.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.60 R$8.01

150.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$1.80 R$9.04

174.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.26 R$6.31

122.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.07 R$5.37

157.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.75 R$3.77

188.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 $3.12

$0.66 R$3.31

372.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.71 $15.71

$3.05 R$15.29

415.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$8.18 R$41.05

86.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.19 R$5.95

115.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.39 R$11.98

45.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.01 R$5.08

145.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.4 $74.4

$50.2 R$252

48.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 $3.23

$1.27 R$6.37

154.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.90 R$4.53

58.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.33 $24.33

$9.44 R$47.37

157.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.33 R$6.69

-6.02%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$23.4K R$117.6K

53.12%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$33.6K R$168.5K

-22.61%

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

$195 $195

$134 R$670

45.75%

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

$69.0 $69.0

$12.23 R$61.4

464.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$22.65 R$114

174.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.5 $54.5

$31.56 R$158

72.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.80 $27.80

$30.87 R$155

-9.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$8.23 R$41.29

116.77%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$603 R$3,027

150.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$13.2K R$66.4K

134.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 $68.1

$41.62 R$209

63.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.6 $51.6

$49.94 R$251

3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$75.0 R$377

35.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$68.3 R$343

106.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,437 $2,437

$905 R$4,543

169.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 $1,662

$527 R$2,647

215.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$1,346 R$6,755

244.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$774 R$3,885

255.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,036 $4,036

$3,981 R$20.0K

1.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,677 $2,677

$1,562 R$7,838

71.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,861 $4,861

$643 R$3,227

655.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

11.93

-43.25%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 6, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 68.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$450 14.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 52.3% $235

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$354 11.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 53.7% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 48.3% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$163 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 35.2% $57

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 36.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$90 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 46.7% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,437 in Chicago, IL 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 656% higher in Chicago, IL, 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 $91.0 in Chicago, IL versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $450 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

23:38 11:38 PM

2 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Chicago, IL Rio de Janeiro 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
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

Chicago, IL vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,169 in Chicago, IL, $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 147% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,753 per month in Chicago, IL 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.

Groceries cost about 109% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91.0 in Chicago, IL 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 $1,285, than in Chicago, IL at $3,169. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro to $3,169 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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