Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Evanston, IL and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,592 in Evanston, IL, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Evanston, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,592
/mo nomad
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,289
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,592 per month in Evanston, IL vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Evanston, IL $2,592
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $4,449 per month in Evanston, IL vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Evanston, IL $4,449
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $6,305 per month in Evanston, IL vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Evanston, IL $6,305
  • Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Evanston, IL costs about 101% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Evanston, IL sits 92% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Evanston, IL
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.26 $21.26
$10.06 R$51.0
111.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.6 $85.6
$40.44 R$205
111.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.75 $12.75
$8.55 R$43.35
49.12%
Cappuccino
$5.68 $5.68
$2.38 R$12.04
138.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 $2.68
$1.61 R$8.18
66.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.03 R$5.22
120.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.12 $7.12
$2.47 R$12.54
188.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.19 $8.19
$3.70 R$18.77
121.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Evanston, IL
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$1.19 R$6.05
-12.61%
White Bread (500g)
$3.93 $3.93
$2.05 R$10.38
91.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.32 $4.32
$1.28 R$6.49
237.50%
Eggs
$4.82 $4.82
$2.29 R$11.60
110.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.41 $14.41
$10.76 R$54.5
33.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.93 $14.93
$4.41 R$22.36
238.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.11 $20.11
$9.84 R$49.86
104.37%
Apples (1kg)
$5.33 $5.33
$2.81 R$14.25
89.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$1.78 R$9.03
-6.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.03 $4.03
$1.60 R$8.13
151.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$1.80 R$9.11
165.56%
Potato (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$1.22 R$6.17
119.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.85 $2.85
$1.04 R$5.26
174.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.10 $2.10
$0.77 R$3.92
172.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.67 R$3.38
250.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.66 $10.66
$3.01 R$15.27
254.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.98 $14.98
$8.08 R$40.94
85.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.56 $2.56
$1.19 R$6.03
115.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 $3.39
$2.51 R$12.73
35.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Evanston, IL
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.44 $2.44
$0.99 R$5.00
146.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.2 $75.2
$50.1 R$254
50.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.10 $4.10
$1.22 R$6.20
236.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.43 $1.43
$0.92 R$4.66
55.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$43.26 $43.26
$8.97 R$45.45
382.27%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$1.30 R$6.57
-23.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K $35.4K
$23.9K R$121.0K
48.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K $25.0K
$32.9K R$166.6K
-24.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Evanston, IL
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$192 $192
$133 R$676
43.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.6 $61.6
$10.82 R$54.8
469.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.2 $72.2
$22.90 R$116
215.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Evanston, IL
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.1 $76.1
$30.79 R$156
147.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$60.8 $60.8
$31.85 R$161
90.74%
Cinema Ticket
$14.83 $14.83
$8.05 R$40.83
84.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Evanston, IL
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,516 $1,516
$598 R$3,029
153.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.6K $31.6K
$13.4K R$68.0K
135.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Evanston, IL
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.7 $64.7
$42.04 R$213
53.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.8 $50.8
$49.68 R$252
2.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 $108
$74.5 R$378
44.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 $126
$68.7 R$348
83.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Evanston, IL
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,645 $1,645
$903 R$4,578
82.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,118 $1,118
$529 R$2,684
111.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,989 $3,989
$1,326 R$6,724
200.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,954 $2,954
$756 R$3,831
290.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$14.6K $14.6K
$4,010 R$20.3K
263.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$12.8K $12.8K
$1,560 R$7,910
721.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Evanston, IL
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,335 $5,335
$640 R$3,242
734.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.77
11.93
-43.25%

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

Last update for Evanston, IL: 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
Evanston, IL
$1.1K
Rio de Janeiro
$529 52.6% $588
Groceries & Markets
Evanston, IL
$441
Rio de Janeiro
$215 51.3% $226
Eating Out
Evanston, IL
$348
Rio de Janeiro
$165 52.6% $183
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Evanston, IL
$326
Rio de Janeiro
$167 48.7% $159
Clothing & Footwear
Evanston, IL
$157
Rio de Janeiro
$106 32.8% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Evanston, IL
$106
Rio de Janeiro
$47 55.7% $59
Getting Around
Evanston, IL
$96
Rio de Janeiro
$60 37.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,645 in Evanston, IL versus $903 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 734% higher in Evanston, IL, 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 $86.0 in Evanston, IL versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $441 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Evanston, IL
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🕒 Local time
05:42 5:42 AM
07:42 7:42 AM
2 h ahead of Evanston, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,486
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 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Evanston, IL Rio de Janeiro 8,550 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Evanston, IL
  • 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
Evanston, IL vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Evanston, IL and in Rio de Janeiro compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,592 in Evanston, IL, $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 101% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Evanston, IL compared to Rio de Janeiro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,888 per month in Evanston, IL and $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Evanston, IL and Rio de Janeiro?
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.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 106% more in Evanston, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $86.0 in Evanston, IL and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Evanston, IL at $2,592. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Evanston, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Evanston, IL and Rio de Janeiro?
It depends on your priorities. Evanston, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,592 in Evanston, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Evanston, IL or Rio de Janeiro safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Evanston, IL and Rio de Janeiro?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Evanston, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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