Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between College Station, TX and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,108 in College Station, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in College Station, TX
Learn more

College Station, TX Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

College Station, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,108

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,108 in College Station, TX versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

College Station, TX $2,108
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,162 in College Station, TX versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

College Station, TX $3,162
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,216 in College Station, TX versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

College Station, TX $4,216
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in College Station, TX is roughly 64% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: College Station, TX is 56% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.08 $15.08

$10.06 R$51.0

49.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 $76.5

$40.44 R$205

89.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.24 $12.24

$8.55 R$43.35

43.16%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$2.38 R$12.04

126.47%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$1.61 R$8.18

76.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.03 R$5.22

70.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.47 R$12.54

108.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 $7.63

$3.70 R$18.77

106.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.19 R$6.05

-36.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.05 R$10.38

62.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.28 R$6.49

204.69%

Eggs

$2.88 $2.88

$2.29 R$11.60

25.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 $12.11

$10.76 R$54.5

12.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 $9.47

$4.41 R$22.36

114.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$9.84 R$49.86

33.84%

Apples (1kg)

$6.37 $6.37

$2.81 R$14.25

126.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.78 R$9.03

-13.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$1.60 R$8.13

305.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$1.80 R$9.11

168.89%

Potato (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.22 R$6.17

233.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.04 R$5.26

180.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.77 R$3.92

128.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.67 R$3.38

168.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.80 $8.80

$3.01 R$15.27

192.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.12 $14.12

$8.08 R$40.94

74.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.19 R$6.03

48.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.51 R$12.73

55.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.99 R$5.00

3.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.08 $20.08

$50.1 R$254

-59.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.13 $10.13

$1.22 R$6.20

730.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.92 R$4.66

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.6 $59.6

$8.97 R$45.45

564.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.30 R$6.57

-30.00%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$23.9K R$121.0K

53.38%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-23.86%

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

$175 $175

$133 R$676

31.47%

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

$39.25 $39.25

$10.82 R$54.8

262.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 $55.6

$22.90 R$116

142.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.63 $25.63

$30.79 R$156

-16.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.43 $17.43

$31.85 R$161

-45.27%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 $11.57

$8.05 R$40.83

43.73%

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

$747 $747

$598 R$3,029

24.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.7K $17.7K

$13.4K R$68.0K

31.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 $60.1

$42.04 R$213

42.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.42 $38.42

$49.68 R$252

-22.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 $83.8

$74.5 R$378

12.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$68.7 R$348

79.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,128 $1,128

$903 R$4,578

24.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$952 $952

$529 R$2,684

79.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,951 $1,951

$1,326 R$6,724

47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 $1,595

$756 R$3,831

111.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,161 $2,161

$4,010 R$20.3K

-46.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,178 $2,178

$1,560 R$7,910

39.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,241 $4,241

$640 R$3,242

563.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.93

-44.93%

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

Last update for College Station, TX: 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

College Station, TX

$952 45.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 44.4% $423

Groceries & Markets

College Station, TX

$374 17.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 42.6% $159

Eating Out

College Station, TX

$281 13.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 41.4% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

College Station, TX

$270 12.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 38.2% $103

Clothing & Footwear

College Station, TX

$138 6.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 23.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

College Station, TX

$49 2.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 3.9% $1.9

Getting Around

College Station, TX

$43 2.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 37.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,128 in College Station, TX and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

College Station, TX pays 563% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $77.0 in College Station, TX vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 College Station, TX

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

21:05 9:05 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

2 h ahead of College Station, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

120,511

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 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

College Station, TX Rio de Janeiro 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

College Station, TX
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

College Station, TX vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in College Station, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 563% higher in College Station, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,128 in College Station, TX versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 150% less than in College Station, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $747 in College Station, TX versus $598 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,108 in College Station, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in College Station, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,289 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in College Station, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.