Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between David and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in David: $882 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

David

🇵🇦 Panama

$882

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $882 per month in David vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

David $882
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $946 per month in David vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

David $946
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $1,011 per month in David vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

David $1,011
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

David is about 32% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both David and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – David 35% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.52 PAB 5.52

$10.06 R$51.0

-45.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.03 PAB 37.03

$40.44 R$205

-8.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.27 PAB 7.27

$8.55 R$43.35

-14.97%

Cappuccino

$3.13 PAB 3.13

$2.38 R$12.04

31.51%

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

$1.47 PAB 1.47

$1.61 R$8.18

-8.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 PAB 1.52

$1.03 R$5.22

47.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 PAB 1.99

$2.47 R$12.54

-19.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 PAB 2.72

$3.70 R$18.77

-26.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 PAB 1.73

$1.19 R$6.05

45.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 PAB 2.26

$2.05 R$10.38

10.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.46 PAB 2.46

$1.28 R$6.49

92.19%

Eggs

$2.41 PAB 2.41

$2.29 R$11.60

5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 PAB 1.99

$0.77 R$3.92

158.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 PAB 10.18

$8.08 R$40.94

25.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 PAB 0.76

$0.99 R$5.00

-23.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 PAB 2.96

$1.22 R$6.20

142.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 PAB 2.04

$0.92 R$4.66

121.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 PAB 1.07

$1.30 R$6.57

-17.69%

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

$25.0K PAB 25.0K

$23.9K R$121.0K

4.55%

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

$30.6K PAB 30.6K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-7.04%

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

$184 PAB 184

$133 R$676

37.68%

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

$28.48 PAB 28.48

$10.82 R$54.8

163.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.40 PAB 49.40

$22.90 R$116

115.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.21 PAB 31.21

$30.79 R$156

1.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

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

$598 R$3,029

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,091 PAB 6,091

$13.4K R$68.0K

-54.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 PAB 343

$903 R$4,578

-61.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$354 PAB 354

$529 R$2,684

-33.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$604 PAB 604

$640 R$3,242

-5.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-41.32%

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

Last update for David: October 13, 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

David

–

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Groceries & Markets

David

–

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

David

–

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Eating Out

David

–

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Clothing & Footwear

David

–

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Getting Around

David

–

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

David

–

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in David versus $903 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 6% 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 $37.00 in David versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $88.0 vs $215 – making David the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇦 David

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

09:16 9:16 AM

11:16 11:16 AM

2 h ahead of David

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,907

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PAB – Panamanian Balboa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 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).

USD to PAB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

David Rio de Janeiro 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

David
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

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

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 46%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,323 per month in David and $1,933 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 David, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 144% more in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $37.00 in David 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in David, where all-in costs run around $882, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In David it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward David – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with David. 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.