Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East Chicago, IN and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,544 in East Chicago, IN, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in East Chicago, IN
Learn more

East Chicago, IN Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

East Chicago, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,544

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,544 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $2,544
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $3,746 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $3,746
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $4,947 per month in East Chicago, IN vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

East Chicago, IN $4,947
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

East Chicago, IN costs about 100% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

East Chicago, IN sits 88% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 $20.94

$9.38 R$47.54

123.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$40.00 R$203

99.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 $10.63

$8.34 R$42.28

27.46%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$2.29 R$11.62

145.41%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$1.59 R$8.05

77.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.01 R$5.10

124.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.14 R$10.85

186.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.66 R$18.55

90.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.13 R$5.72

-10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.09 R$10.60

55.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.25 R$6.36

243.20%

Eggs

$4.41 $4.41

$2.25 R$11.39

96.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.51 $13.51

$10.92 R$55.3

23.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.16 $13.16

$4.36 R$22.10

201.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$9.60 R$48.66

54.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$2.85 R$14.46

77.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.81 R$9.16

-7.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$1.58 R$8.02

168.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.83 R$9.28

121.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.20 R$6.10

125.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.06 R$5.35

183.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.75 R$3.81

168.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.68 R$3.45

223.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.89 $10.89

$2.94 R$14.90

270.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.64 $13.64

$7.98 R$40.43

70.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.18 R$5.98

83.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.42 R$12.26

37.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 $2.27

$0.94 R$4.78

141.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.20 R$6.10

185.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.83 R$4.20

126.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.32 $27.32

$8.97 R$45.48

204.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.29 R$6.53

-28.68%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$22.8K R$115.5K

17.21%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-29.02%

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

$200 $200

$134 R$681

48.94%

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

$58.1 $58.1

$10.73 R$54.4

441.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$22.84 R$116

202.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.78 $38.78

$30.16 R$153

28.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$12.56 $12.56

$7.73 R$39.17

62.48%

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

$1,575 $1,575

$584 R$2,960

169.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$12.8K R$64.9K

89.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.67 $45.67

$41.12 R$208

11.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 $40.79

$49.26 R$250

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$73.7 R$373

20.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$65.9 R$334

65.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$900 R$4,561

79.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$527 R$2,673

142.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 $2,510

$1,332 R$6,754

88.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,125 $2,125

$748 R$3,790

184.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,782 $2,782

$3,990 R$20.2K

-30.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,636 $2,636

$1,560 R$7,908

68.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,143 $4,143

$640 R$3,246

546.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.93

-44.93%

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

Last update for East Chicago, IN: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East Chicago, IN

$1.3K 50.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 58.7% $749

Groceries & Markets

East Chicago, IN

$394 15.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 45.8% $180

Eating Out

East Chicago, IN

$332 13.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 53% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East Chicago, IN

$327 12.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 48.7% $159

Clothing & Footwear

East Chicago, IN

$128 5%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 19.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

East Chicago, IN

$64 2.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 28.6% $18

Getting Around

East Chicago, IN

$22 * 0.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 171% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,611 in East Chicago, IN versus $900 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 547% higher in East Chicago, IN, 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 $80.0 in East Chicago, IN versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $394 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 East Chicago, IN

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

12:14 12:14 PM

14:14 2:14 PM

2 h ahead of East Chicago, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,370

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 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

East Chicago, IN Rio de Janeiro 8,500 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

East Chicago, IN
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

East Chicago, IN vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – East Chicago, IN is pricier by about 100%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,815 per month in East Chicago, IN and $1,910 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 Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,544 in East Chicago, IN and $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 100%.

Kindergarten costs $1,575 per month in East Chicago, IN and $584 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in East Chicago, IN at $2,544. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in East Chicago, IN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, East Chicago, IN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.