Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth, NJ and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
Learn more

Elizabeth, NJ Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Elizabeth, NJ is roughly 150% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elizabeth, NJ is 135% above, Rio de Janeiro is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$9.38 R$47.54

110.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$40.00 R$203

101.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$8.34 R$42.28

42.57%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$2.29 R$11.62

137.99%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.59 R$8.05

52.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.01 R$5.10

47.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$2.14 R$10.85

263.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$3.66 R$18.55

95.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.13 R$5.72

12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.09 R$10.60

115.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.25 R$6.36

376.80%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$2.25 R$11.39

189.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$10.92 R$55.3

40.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$4.36 R$22.10

171.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$9.60 R$48.66

105.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$2.85 R$14.46

108.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.81 R$9.16

96.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.58 R$8.02

165.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.83 R$9.28

196.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.20 R$6.10

149.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.06 R$5.35

178.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$0.75 R$3.81

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.68 R$3.45

270.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$2.94 R$14.90

397.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$7.98 R$40.43

91.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.18 R$5.98

128.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.42 R$12.26

40.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$0.94 R$4.78

206.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$50.3 R$255

50.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.20 R$6.10

143.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.83 R$4.20

154.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$8.97 R$45.48

372.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.29 R$6.53

-15.50%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$22.8K R$115.5K

22.68%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-22.56%

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

$247 $247

$134 R$681

84.16%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$10.73 R$54.4

375.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$22.84 R$116

119.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$30.16 R$153

-17.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$7.73 R$39.17

159.12%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$584 R$2,960

244.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$12.8K R$64.9K

26.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$41.12 R$208

20.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$49.26 R$250

57.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$73.7 R$373

19.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$65.9 R$334

84.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$900 R$4,561

142.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$527 R$2,673

225.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$1,332 R$6,754

100.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$748 R$3,790

233.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$3,990 R$20.2K

-67.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$1,560 R$7,908

-26.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$640 R$3,246

524.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

11.93

-44.09%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 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

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 69.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 55% $261

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 51.8% $181

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 52.4% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 31.7% $48

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 41.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 29.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elizabeth, NJ pays 524% 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: $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

21:51 9:51 PM

1 h ahead of Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Elizabeth, NJ Rio de Janeiro 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth, NJ
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

Elizabeth, NJ vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elizabeth, NJ and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 150% in total monthly costs ($3,186 vs $1,273 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 524% higher in Elizabeth, NJ, 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: $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $584 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Elizabeth, NJ. 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 150% less than in Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.