Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Contagem and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Contagem: $776 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Contagem
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Contagem Living Index
62

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

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Contagem

🇧🇷 Brazil

$776

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $776 per month in Contagem vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Contagem $776
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $1,248 per month in Contagem vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Contagem $1,248
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $1,719 per month in Contagem vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Contagem $1,719
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Contagem is about 39% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Contagem and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Contagem 43% lower, Rio de Janeiro 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 R$29.69

$9.38 R$47.54

-37.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.09 R$153

$40.00 R$203

-24.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 R$35.84

$8.34 R$42.28

-15.23%

Cappuccino

$1.69 R$8.58

$2.29 R$11.62

-26.20%

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

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.59 R$8.05

-15.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$1.01 R$5.10

-38.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 R$6.41

$2.14 R$10.85

-41.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.72

$3.66 R$18.55

-31.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.84

$1.13 R$5.72

-15.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 R$9.30

$2.09 R$10.60

-12.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.35 R$6.85

$1.25 R$6.36

8.00%

Eggs

$2.01 R$10.20

$2.25 R$11.39

-10.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 R$49.00

$10.92 R$55.3

-11.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.39 R$17.16

$4.36 R$22.10

-22.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 R$38.41

$9.60 R$48.66

-21.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R$9.51

$2.85 R$14.46

-34.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 R$6.14

$1.81 R$9.16

-33.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.87

$1.58 R$8.02

-39.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R$8.31

$1.83 R$9.28

-10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.49

$1.20 R$6.10

-10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 R$4.86

$1.06 R$5.35

-9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 R$4.25

$0.75 R$3.81

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.68 R$3.45

22.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.60 R$8.12

$2.94 R$14.90

-45.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.80 R$29.41

$7.98 R$40.43

-27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R$4.79

$1.18 R$5.98

-20.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 R$7.17

$2.42 R$12.26

-41.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.44 R$7.31

$0.94 R$4.78

53.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.3 R$402

$50.3 R$255

57.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R$5.74

$1.20 R$6.10

-5.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.63

$0.83 R$4.20

-13.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 R$31.82

$8.97 R$45.48

-29.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.48

$1.29 R$6.53

-0.78%

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

$23.4K R$118.8K

$22.8K R$115.5K

2.90%

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

$32.2K R$163.0K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-5.31%

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

$77.6 R$393

$134 R$681

-42.25%

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

$10.12 R$51.3

$10.73 R$54.4

-5.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.31 R$97.9

$22.84 R$116

-15.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.80 R$136

$30.16 R$153

-11.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.87 R$121

$31.49 R$160

-24.20%

Cinema Ticket

$7.02 R$35.59

$7.73 R$39.17

-9.18%

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

$143 R$725

$584 R$2,960

-75.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,614 R$13.2K

$12.8K R$64.9K

-79.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 R$304

$41.12 R$208

45.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.09 R$249

$49.26 R$250

-0.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.1 R$340

$73.7 R$373

-8.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.13 R$244

$65.9 R$334

-27.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 R$1,132

$900 R$4,561

-75.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 R$779

$527 R$2,673

-70.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 R$2,391

$1,332 R$6,754

-64.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 R$1,617

$748 R$3,790

-57.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,016 R$10.2K

$3,990 R$20.2K

-49.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 R$5,087

$1,560 R$7,908

-35.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$263 R$1,331

$640 R$3,246

-58.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.67

11.93

-10.56%

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

Last update for Contagem: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Contagem

$176 22.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 21.2% $37

Accommodation & Living

Contagem

$154 19.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 243% $374

Eating Out

Contagem

$108 13.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 44.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Contagem

$107 13.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 56.9% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Contagem

$101 13%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 2.6% $2.6

Getting Around

Contagem

$90 11.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 33.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Contagem

$41 5.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 11.7% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Contagem versus $900 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 144% 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 $30.00 in Contagem versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $214 – making Contagem the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Contagem

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

Same time as Contagem

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

621,863

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

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Contagem
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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

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

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 64%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,164 per month in Contagem and $1,910 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 Contagem, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 58% less in Contagem. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Contagem and $584 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Contagem, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,273. In Contagem it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Contagem – 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 Contagem. 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.