Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Criciuma and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Criciuma: $711 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Criciuma
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Criciuma Living Index
57

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

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Criciuma

🇧🇷 Brazil

$711

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $711 in Criciuma versus $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro.

Criciuma $711
Rio de Janeiro $1,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,060 in Criciuma versus $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro.

Criciuma $1,060
Rio de Janeiro $1,737

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,410 in Criciuma versus $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Criciuma $1,410
Rio de Janeiro $2,289

Living in Criciuma costs roughly 40% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Criciuma 47% lower, Rio de Janeiro 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.38 R$29.39

$8.16 R$44.54

-34.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.36 R$111

$37.20 R$203

-45.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 R$29.92

$7.52 R$41.08

-27.13%

Cappuccino

$1.23 R$6.72

$2.10 R$11.49

-41.43%

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

$1.04 R$5.68

$1.36 R$7.44

-23.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.71

$0.96 R$5.25

-29.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.50 R$8.20

$1.98 R$10.79

-24.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 R$9.97

$3.26 R$17.80

-43.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 R$4.60

$1.09 R$5.93

-22.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 R$7.40

$1.87 R$10.19

-27.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 R$5.58

$1.12 R$6.14

-8.93%

Eggs

$1.90 R$10.36

$2.20 R$12.03

-13.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.59 R$41.47

$9.91 R$54.1

-23.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.38 R$18.46

$4.11 R$22.44

-17.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.00 R$43.66

$9.25 R$50.5

-13.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 R$10.72

$2.59 R$14.15

-24.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.92

$1.69 R$9.21

-36.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 R$5.16

$1.47 R$8.02

-36.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 R$8.11

$1.72 R$9.37

-13.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 R$6.30

$1.16 R$6.31

-0.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.63

$1.00 R$5.45

3.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$4.04

$0.66 R$3.59

12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.31

$0.61 R$3.33

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 R$12.81

$2.69 R$14.70

-12.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.38 R$23.93

$7.20 R$39.33

-39.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 R$5.91

$1.07 R$5.86

0.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 R$7.29

$2.24 R$12.22

-40.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 R$5.17

$0.88 R$4.78

7.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.40 R$199

$52.3 R$286

-30.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R$2.48

$1.18 R$6.44

-61.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.95

$0.68 R$3.69

5.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 R$12.37

$8.71 R$47.56

-73.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 R$6.65

$1.20 R$6.54

1.67%

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

$21.7K R$118.5K

$21.9K R$119.4K

-0.82%

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

$28.5K R$155.6K

$31.0K R$169.3K

-8.14%

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

$66.5 R$363

$126 R$686

-47.07%

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

$11.38 R$62.2

$10.14 R$55.4

12.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.08 R$110

$20.95 R$114

-4.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.76 R$146

$28.51 R$156

-6.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.06 R$202

$28.87 R$158

28.37%

Cinema Ticket

$6.77 R$36.95

$7.40 R$40.43

-8.51%

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

$154 R$842

$537 R$2,932

-71.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,747 R$15.0K

$15.9K R$86.8K

-82.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.99 R$257

$38.68 R$211

21.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.95 R$153

$45.06 R$246

-37.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.9 R$415

$68.6 R$375

10.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.62 R$222

$64.1 R$350

-36.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$222 R$1,210

$768 R$4,192

-71.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 R$1,049

$491 R$2,680

-60.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 R$2,064

$1,458 R$7,964

-74.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 R$1,355

$743 R$4,056

-66.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,096 R$5,985

$3,325 R$18.2K

-67.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$594 R$3,245

$1,552 R$8,475

-61.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$288 R$1,572

$674 R$3,679

-57.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.74

11.93

-9.97%

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

Last update for Criciuma: November 2, 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

Criciuma

$192 27%

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4% 155% $299

Groceries & Markets

Criciuma

$157 22.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7% 25.8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Criciuma

$98 13.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2% 60% $59

Eating Out

Criciuma

$92 13%

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7% 50.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Criciuma

$86 12.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2% 13% $11

Getting Around

Criciuma

$44 6.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1% 36.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Criciuma

$40 5.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7% 7.5% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $222 in Criciuma and $768 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $20 in Criciuma vs $37 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $157 vs $198 per month, with Criciuma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Criciuma

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

Same time as Criciuma

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,493

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

1 BRL = 0.183 USD

1 BRL = 0.164 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Criciuma Rio de Janeiro 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Criciuma
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

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

Criciuma is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Criciuma. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $222 in Criciuma versus $768 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Criciuma runs roughly 30% less than in Rio de Janeiro. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $154 in Criciuma versus $537 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $711 in Criciuma versus $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Criciuma but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Criciuma the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Criciuma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.