Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index
63

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

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Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,073

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Des Plaines, IL $3,073
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,412 in Des Plaines, IL versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Des Plaines, IL $4,412
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,750 in Des Plaines, IL versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Des Plaines, IL $5,750
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Des Plaines, IL is roughly 139% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Des Plaines, IL is 129% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.88 $20.88

$9.98 R$49.83

109.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.5 $89.5

$40.34 R$201

121.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$8.48 R$42.35

51.77%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$2.36 R$11.80

139.41%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$1.63 R$8.13

58.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.01 R$5.06

129.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.95 $6.95

$2.44 R$12.19

184.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$3.69 R$18.43

117.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.15 R$5.72

-17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.07 R$10.34

68.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.29 R$6.42

227.91%

Eggs

$4.16 $4.16

$2.27 R$11.32

83.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.67 $14.67

$11.00 R$54.9

33.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$4.31 R$21.51

202.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.95 $18.95

$9.74 R$48.63

94.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.83 R$14.12

67.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.84 R$9.17

-11.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.60 R$7.96

160.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$1.80 R$9.00

167.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.26 R$6.28

111.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.07 R$5.34

156.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.75 R$3.75

186.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$0.66 R$3.29

265.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 $10.65

$3.05 R$15.21

249.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$8.18 R$40.84

81.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.19 R$5.92

114.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 $3.53

$2.39 R$11.92

47.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.01 R$5.06

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$50.2 R$250

21.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.27 R$6.33

149.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.90 R$4.51

52.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.93 $24.93

$9.44 R$47.13

164.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.33 R$6.65

-21.05%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$23.4K R$117.0K

53.31%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-26.06%

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

$195 $195

$134 R$666

46.01%

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

$60.5 $60.5

$12.23 R$61.0

394.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$22.65 R$113

240.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$31.56 R$158

295.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.72 $40.72

$30.87 R$154

31.91%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$8.23 R$41.07

84.20%

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

$1,545 $1,545

$603 R$3,011

156.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$13.2K R$66.1K

77.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 $65.3

$41.62 R$208

56.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$49.94 R$249

2.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$75.0 R$375

34.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$68.3 R$341

79.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 $2,093

$905 R$4,519

131.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$527 R$2,633

188.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,861 $3,861

$1,346 R$6,720

186.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,536 $2,536

$774 R$3,865

227.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 $3,174

$3,981 R$19.9K

-20.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,521 $2,521

$1,562 R$7,798

61.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,220 $6,220

$643 R$3,210

867.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

11.93

-43.25%

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 4, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 50.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 65.3% $994

Groceries & Markets

Des Plaines, IL

$419 14%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 48.8% $204

Eating Out

Des Plaines, IL

$344 11.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 52.4% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 49.4% $164

Sport & Entertainment

Des Plaines, IL

$155 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 69% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 30.8% $47

Getting Around

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 24% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 867% 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: $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

18:52 6:52 PM

20:52 8:52 PM

2 h ahead of Des Plaines, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,675

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Des Plaines, IL Rio de Janeiro 8,560 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Plaines, IL
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

Des Plaines, IL vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Des Plaines, IL and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 139% in total monthly costs ($3,073 vs $1,285 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 867% higher in Des Plaines, IL, 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: $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 95% higher in Des Plaines, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 139% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.