Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,026 in Fargo, ND, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,026

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,026 per month in Fargo, ND vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Fargo, ND $2,026
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $3,226 per month in Fargo, ND vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Fargo, ND $3,226
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Fargo, ND vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Fargo, ND $4,426
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Fargo, ND costs about 59% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Fargo, ND sits 49% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$9.38 R$47.54

84.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$40.00 R$203

51.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 $11.73

$8.34 R$42.28

40.65%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$2.29 R$11.62

124.89%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$1.59 R$8.05

62.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.01 R$5.10

101.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 $5.34

$2.14 R$10.85

149.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$3.66 R$18.55

149.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.13 R$5.72

12.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.09 R$10.60

68.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$1.25 R$6.36

501.60%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$2.25 R$11.39

79.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$10.92 R$55.3

35.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$4.36 R$22.10

255.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 $21.19

$9.60 R$48.66

120.73%

Apples (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$2.85 R$14.46

268.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.81 R$9.16

30.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$1.58 R$8.02

317.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.83 R$9.28

197.27%

Potato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.20 R$6.10

305.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.06 R$5.35

259.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.75 R$3.81

168.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$0.68 R$3.45

285.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.77 $8.77

$2.94 R$14.90

198.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.54 $18.54

$7.98 R$40.43

132.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.18 R$5.98

115.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.42 R$12.26

124.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.94 R$4.78

56.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 $41.33

$50.3 R$255

-17.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.20 R$6.10

276.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.29 R$6.53

-24.03%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$22.8K R$115.5K

18.39%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-23.81%

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

$136 $136

$134 R$681

1.08%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$10.73 R$54.4

442.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 $57.3

$22.84 R$116

150.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 $57.1

$30.16 R$153

89.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$7.73 R$39.17

78.40%

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

$1,244 $1,244

$584 R$2,960

113.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$41.12 R$208

24.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 $45.99

$49.26 R$250

-6.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$73.7 R$373

14.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$65.9 R$334

56.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 $954

$900 R$4,561

5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$527 R$2,673

30.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 $2,252

$1,332 R$6,754

69.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$748 R$3,790

94.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,898 $1,898

$3,990 R$20.2K

-52.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,673 $1,673

$1,560 R$7,908

7.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,824 $3,824

$640 R$3,246

497.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

11.93

-46.10%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 20, 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

Fargo, ND

$689 34%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 23.5% $162

Groceries & Markets

Fargo, ND

$522 25.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 59.1% $309

Eating Out

Fargo, ND

$299 14.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 47.8% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fargo, ND

$251 12.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 33.2% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Fargo, ND

$128 6.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 19.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Fargo, ND

$85 4.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 46.2% $39

Getting Around

Fargo, ND

$52 * 2.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 14.9% $7.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Fargo, ND 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 497% higher in Fargo, ND, 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 $61.0 in Fargo, ND versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $522 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:12 8:12 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

2 h ahead of Fargo, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,056

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 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

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Between locations

Fargo, ND Rio de Janeiro 9,440 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fargo, ND
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

Fargo, ND vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fargo, ND costs about 59% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,038 per month in Fargo, ND 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Fargo, ND and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,026 in Fargo, ND and $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 59%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Fargo, ND at $2,026. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fargo, ND it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,273 versus $2,026 in Fargo, ND. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

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