Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabethton, TN and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,752 in Elizabethton, TN, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Elizabethton, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,752
/mo nomad
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,273
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,752 per month in Elizabethton, TN vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Elizabethton, TN $2,752
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $3,990 per month in Elizabethton, TN vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Elizabethton, TN $3,990
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $5,229 per month in Elizabethton, TN vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Elizabethton, TN $5,229
  • Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Elizabethton, TN costs about 116% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Elizabethton, TN sits 103% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Elizabethton, TN
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.32 $20.32
$9.38 R$47.54
116.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.1 $69.1
$40.00 R$203
72.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.67 $11.67
$8.34 R$42.28
39.93%
Cappuccino
$5.31 $5.31
$2.29 R$11.62
131.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.65 $2.65
$1.59 R$8.05
66.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 $2.02
$1.01 R$5.10
100.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.11 $6.11
$2.14 R$10.85
185.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.13 $7.13
$3.66 R$18.55
94.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Elizabethton, TN
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.13 R$5.72
-10.62%
White Bread (500g)
$3.61 $3.61
$2.09 R$10.60
72.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.23 $4.23
$1.25 R$6.36
238.40%
Eggs
$4.20 $4.20
$2.25 R$11.39
86.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.34 $12.34
$10.92 R$55.3
13.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.73 $11.73
$4.36 R$22.10
169.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.90 $16.90
$9.60 R$48.66
76.04%
Apples (1kg)
$5.04 $5.04
$2.85 R$14.46
76.84%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.81 R$9.16
-9.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.42 $4.42
$1.58 R$8.02
179.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.69 $4.69
$1.83 R$9.28
156.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.76 $2.76
$1.20 R$6.10
130.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.96 $2.96
$1.06 R$5.35
179.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.07 $2.07
$0.75 R$3.81
176.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$0.68 R$3.45
222.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$2.94 R$14.90
236.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.78 $14.78
$7.98 R$40.43
85.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.18 R$5.98
66.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 $3.42
$2.42 R$12.26
41.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Elizabethton, TN
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.96 $1.96
$0.94 R$4.78
108.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$50.3 R$255
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.20 R$6.10
143.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.57 $1.57
$0.83 R$4.20
89.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$27.75 $27.75
$8.97 R$45.48
209.36%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.29 R$6.53
-18.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.2K $31.2K
$22.8K R$115.5K
37.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.9K $29.9K
$34.0K R$172.1K
-11.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elizabethton, TN
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$210 $210
$134 R$681
56.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.3 $51.3
$10.73 R$54.4
378.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.3 $75.3
$22.84 R$116
229.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Elizabethton, TN
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.85 $46.85
$30.16 R$153
55.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$31.49 R$160
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.87 $14.87
$7.73 R$39.17
92.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Elizabethton, TN
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,470 $1,470
$584 R$2,960
151.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.0K $26.0K
$12.8K R$64.9K
103.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Elizabethton, TN
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.03 $47.03
$41.12 R$208
14.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.11 $42.11
$49.26 R$250
-14.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.5 $91.5
$73.7 R$373
24.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$127 $127
$65.9 R$334
92.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Elizabethton, TN
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,472 $1,472
$900 R$4,561
63.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,459 $1,459
$527 R$2,673
176.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,462 $2,462
$1,332 R$6,754
84.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,425 $2,425
$748 R$3,790
224.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,800 $2,800
$3,990 R$20.2K
-29.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,168 $2,168
$1,560 R$7,908
38.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Elizabethton, TN
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$640 R$3,246
-
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 Elizabethton, TN: 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
Elizabethton, TN
$1.5K
Rio de Janeiro
$527 63.9% $932
Groceries & Markets
Elizabethton, TN
$398
Rio de Janeiro
$214 46.2% $184
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Elizabethton, TN
$336
Rio de Janeiro
$168 50.1% $168
Eating Out
Elizabethton, TN
$325
Rio de Janeiro
$156 52% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Elizabethton, TN
$138
Rio de Janeiro
$103 25.3% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Elizabethton, TN
$77
Rio de Janeiro
$46 40.4% $31
Getting Around
Elizabethton, TN
$19 *
Rio de Janeiro
$59 219% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,472 in Elizabethton, TN 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Elizabethton, TN versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Elizabethton, TN
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🕒 Local time
14:55 2:55 PM
15:55 3:55 PM
1 h ahead of Elizabethton, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
14,546
6,211,223
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Elizabethton, TN Rio de Janeiro 7,760 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Elizabethton, TN
  • 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
Elizabethton, TN vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rio de Janeiro cheaper than Elizabethton, TN?
Yes – Elizabethton, TN is pricier by about 116%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,127 per month in Elizabethton, TN and $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Elizabethton, TN and in Rio de Janeiro?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,752 in Elizabethton, TN and $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 116%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,470 per month in Elizabethton, TN and $584 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Elizabethton, TN or in Rio de Janeiro?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Elizabethton, TN at $2,752. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Elizabethton, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Elizabethton, TN or Rio de Janeiro more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Elizabethton, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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