Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,554 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
Learn more

Durham, NC Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,554 in Durham, NC versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Durham, NC $2,554
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,914 in Durham, NC versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Durham, NC $3,914
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Durham, NC versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Durham, NC $5,274
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Durham, NC is roughly 98% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Durham, NC is 89% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.60 $15.60

$10.06 R$51.0

55.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 $103

$40.44 R$205

155.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.55 R$43.35

17.66%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$2.38 R$12.04

93.70%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$1.61 R$8.18

95.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.03 R$5.22

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.47 R$12.54

136.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$3.70 R$18.77

88.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.19 R$6.05

-0.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.05 R$10.38

141.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.28 R$6.49

247.66%

Eggs

$3.48 $3.48

$2.29 R$11.60

51.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 $19.27

$10.76 R$54.5

79.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$4.41 R$22.36

280.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 $17.16

$9.84 R$49.86

74.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$2.81 R$14.25

103.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.78 R$9.03

3.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.60 R$8.13

135.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$1.80 R$9.11

155.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.22 R$6.17

87.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.04 R$5.26

274.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$0.77 R$3.92

251.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.67 R$3.38

194.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 $7.98

$3.01 R$15.27

165.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$8.08 R$40.94

86.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.19 R$6.03

24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.51 R$12.73

59.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.99 R$5.00

53.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.28 $25.28

$50.1 R$254

-49.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.22 R$6.20

60.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.92 R$4.66

-34.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.30 R$6.57

-26.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$23.9K R$121.0K

46.79%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-24.61%

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

$224 $224

$133 R$676

67.88%

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

$56.2 $56.2

$10.82 R$54.8

419.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$22.90 R$116

209.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.70 $49.70

$30.79 R$156

61.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 $13.19

$8.05 R$40.83

63.85%

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

$1,542 $1,542

$598 R$3,029

157.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.17 $44.17

$42.04 R$213

5.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 $34.03

$49.68 R$252

-31.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$74.5 R$378

23.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$68.7 R$348

96.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$903 R$4,578

89.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 $1,220

$529 R$2,684

130.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$1,326 R$6,724

91.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$756 R$3,831

192.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,757 $2,757

$4,010 R$20.3K

-31.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,680 $2,680

$1,560 R$7,910

71.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,585 $4,585

$640 R$3,242

616.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

11.93

-42.92%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: October 12, 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

Durham, NC

$1.2K 47.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 56.6% $691

Groceries & Markets

Durham, NC

$459 18%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 53.2% $244

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham, NC

$351 13.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 52.4% $184

Eating Out

Durham, NC

$274 10.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 39.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Durham, NC

$137 5.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 23.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Durham, NC

$76 3%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 38.4% $29

Getting Around

Durham, NC

$36 1.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 64.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in Durham, NC and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays 617% 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: $103 in Durham, NC vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

10:28 10:28 AM

1 h ahead of Durham, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,506

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 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).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Durham, NC Rio de Janeiro 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Durham, NC
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

Durham, NC vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Durham, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 617% higher in Durham, NC, 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: $1,710 in Durham, NC versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 98% less than in Durham, NC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,542 in Durham, NC versus $598 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,554 in Durham, NC, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Durham, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,289 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Durham, NC and Rio de Janeiro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Durham, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.