Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Rio de Janeiro Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuiaba and Rio de Janeiro

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $988 in Cuiaba versus $1,183 in Rio de Janeiro.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,445 in Cuiaba versus $1,716 in Rio de Janeiro.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,903 in Cuiaba versus $2,248 in Rio de Janeiro.

Living in Cuiaba costs roughly 16% less than in Rio de Janeiro, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuiaba 28% lower, Rio de Janeiro 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.86 R$25.25

$7.77 R$40.33

-37.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.50 R$122

$39.09 R$203

-39.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 R$38.24

$7.56 R$39.27

-2.65%

Cappuccino

$1.69 R$8.78

$2.28 R$11.83

-25.88%

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

$1.12 R$5.80

$1.57 R$8.17

-28.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.28

$0.98 R$5.09

-35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$9.11

$2.25 R$11.69

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$13.18

$3.22 R$16.74

-21.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R$6.10

$1.09 R$5.65

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.56 R$8.08

$1.95 R$10.14

-20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.44

$1.41 R$7.33

15.60%

Eggs

$3.06 R$15.88

$2.18 R$11.30

40.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 R$73.1

$10.15 R$52.7

38.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 R$20.08

$4.41 R$22.92

-12.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.40 R$38.44

$9.53 R$49.46

-22.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 R$11.72

$2.61 R$13.58

-13.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 R$11.89

$1.73 R$8.98

32.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 R$12.00

$1.53 R$7.95

50.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 R$13.15

$1.61 R$8.38

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 R$11.33

$1.22 R$6.32

78.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 R$10.98

$1.04 R$5.39

102.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 R$9.21

$0.69 R$3.56

156.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R$6.54

$0.69 R$3.60

82.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 R$11.55

$2.90 R$15.04

-23.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.49 R$49.28

$7.73 R$40.14

22.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 R$9.91

$1.14 R$5.93

67.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 R$14.11

$2.55 R$13.23

6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.81

$0.97 R$5.04

-4.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.78 R$191

$49.64 R$258

-25.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 R$4.54

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$45.21

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R$6.41

$1.30 R$6.76

-5.38%

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

$29.4K R$152.6K

$22.8K R$118.4K

28.85%

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

$32.2K R$167.3K

$31.1K R$161.3K

3.74%

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

$152 R$790

$122 R$633

24.69%

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

$18.48 R$96.0

$11.19 R$58.1

65.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.92 R$135

$20.73 R$108

25.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.93 R$129

$28.33 R$147

-12.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.71 R$108

$29.88 R$155

-30.69%

Cinema Ticket

$5.77 R$29.99

$7.70 R$40.01

-25.06%

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

$418 R$2,169

$551 R$2,864

-24.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,723 R$34.9K

$13.0K R$67.3K

-48.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 R$334

$40.75 R$212

57.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 R$262

$43.76 R$227

15.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 R$652

$69.2 R$359

81.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.4 R$303

$64.1 R$333

-8.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$327 R$1,700

$842 R$4,372

-61.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 R$1,161

$474 R$2,463

-52.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$627 R$3,254

$1,143 R$5,937

-45.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$355 R$1,844

$682 R$3,543

-47.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,237 R$6,423

$3,628 R$18.8K

-65.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$763 R$3,962

$1,517 R$7,876

-49.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$418 R$2,169

$598 R$3,104

-30.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.07

11.93

26.32%

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

Last update for Cuiaba: August 16, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $327 in Cuiaba and $842 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 43% 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: $23.00 in Cuiaba vs $39.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries flip the comparison at $244 vs $207, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Cuiaba wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuiaba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 43% lower in Rio de Janeiro. 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: $327 in Cuiaba versus $842 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuiaba – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $39.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $988 per month in Cuiaba versus $1,183 in Rio de Janeiro – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $988 in Cuiaba versus $1,183 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cuiaba but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Cuiaba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cuiaba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $988 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuiaba hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Cuiaba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.