Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,933 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
Learn more

Escazu Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,933 in Escazu versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Escazu $1,933
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,966 in Escazu versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Escazu $2,966
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,999 in Escazu versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Escazu $3,999
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Escazu is roughly 50% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Escazu is 43% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 ₡5,486

$10.06 R$51.0

21.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 ₡27.9K

$40.44 R$205

53.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 ₡5,146

$8.55 R$43.35

34.27%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₡2,045

$2.38 R$12.04

91.60%

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

$2.72 ₡1,218

$1.61 R$8.18

68.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡828

$1.03 R$5.22

79.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,505

$2.47 R$12.54

36.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,006

$3.70 R$18.77

20.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,040

$1.19 R$6.05

94.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,397

$2.05 R$10.38

52.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,117

$1.28 R$6.49

94.53%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,611

$2.29 R$11.60

56.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,757

$10.76 R$54.5

-1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,581

$4.41 R$22.36

131.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,252

$9.84 R$49.86

41.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 ₡2,301

$2.81 R$14.25

82.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡726

$1.78 R$9.03

-8.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 ₡1,416

$1.60 R$8.13

97.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,378

$1.80 R$9.11

70.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,698

$1.22 R$6.17

210.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$1.04 R$5.26

258.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡465

$0.77 R$3.92

35.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡762

$0.67 R$3.38

153.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 ₡2,479

$3.01 R$15.27

83.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 ₡8,249

$8.08 R$40.94

127.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₡745

$1.19 R$6.03

39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,202

$2.51 R$12.73

6.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₡491

$0.99 R$5.00

10.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₡923

$1.22 R$6.20

68.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$0.92 R$4.66

70.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,927

$8.97 R$45.45

-2.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$1.30 R$6.57

13.85%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$23.9K R$121.0K

-6.10%

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

$35.2K ₡15.8M

$32.9K R$166.6K

7.06%

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

$94.6 ₡42.4K

$133 R$676

-29.12%

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

$29.81 ₡13.4K

$10.82 R$54.8

175.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 ₡27.0K

$22.90 R$116

162.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 ₡48.6K

$30.79 R$156

251.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₡4,550

$31.85 R$161

-68.13%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,502

$8.05 R$40.83

-2.98%

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

$457 ₡204.9K

$598 R$3,029

-23.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$13.4K R$68.0K

25.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 ₡31.9K

$42.04 R$213

69.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$49.68 R$252

12.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.6K

$74.5 R$378

75.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.4K

$68.7 R$348

89.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 ₡373.9K

$903 R$4,578

-7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ₡378.8K

$529 R$2,684

59.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 ₡879.3K

$1,326 R$6,724

47.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 ₡676.4K

$756 R$3,831

99.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,407 ₡630.8K

$4,010 R$20.3K

-64.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 ₡435.7K

$1,560 R$7,910

-37.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 ₡782.8K

$640 R$3,242

172.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.93

-27.75%

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

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 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

Escazu

$845 43.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 37.3% $315

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$361 18.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 40.5% $146

Eating Out

Escazu

$231 12%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 28.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$184 9.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 9.4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 39.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$124 6.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 62.2% $77

Getting Around

Escazu

$14 * 0.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 319% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $834 in Escazu and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 173% 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: $62.0 in Escazu vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

09:28 9:28 AM

3 h ahead of Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Escazu Rio de Janeiro 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Escazu
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

Escazu vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 173% higher in Escazu, 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: $834 in Escazu versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,933 per month in Escazu versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,933 in Escazu, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Escazu. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Escazu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Escazu 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 50% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.