Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fayetteville, NC and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,452 in Fayetteville, NC, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Fayetteville, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,452
/mo nomad
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,273
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,452 per month in Fayetteville, NC vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Fayetteville, NC $2,452
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $3,217 per month in Fayetteville, NC vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Fayetteville, NC $3,217
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $3,983 per month in Fayetteville, NC vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Fayetteville, NC $3,983
  • Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Fayetteville, NC costs about 93% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Fayetteville, NC sits 81% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Fayetteville, NC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.48 $18.48
$9.38 R$47.54
97.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.7 $60.7
$40.00 R$203
51.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.90 $11.90
$8.34 R$42.28
42.69%
Cappuccino
$5.02 $5.02
$2.29 R$11.62
119.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.59 R$8.05
38.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.01 R$5.10
62.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.85 $4.85
$2.14 R$10.85
126.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.47 $6.47
$3.66 R$18.55
76.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Fayetteville, NC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.81 $0.81
$1.13 R$5.72
-28.32%
White Bread (500g)
$3.68 $3.68
$2.09 R$10.60
76.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.29 $3.29
$1.25 R$6.36
163.20%
Eggs
$3.72 $3.72
$2.25 R$11.39
65.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.16 $10.16
$10.92 R$55.3
-6.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.72 $8.72
$4.36 R$22.10
100.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.32 $17.32
$9.60 R$48.66
80.42%
Apples (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$2.85 R$14.46
47.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$1.81 R$9.16
22.10%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.05 $4.05
$1.58 R$8.02
156.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$1.83 R$9.28
148.63%
Potato (1kg)
$2.30 $2.30
$1.20 R$6.10
91.67%
Onion (1kg)
$3.24 $3.24
$1.06 R$5.35
205.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.81 $1.81
$0.75 R$3.81
141.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$0.68 R$3.45
192.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.71 $8.71
$2.94 R$14.90
196.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.67 $12.67
$7.98 R$40.43
58.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.18 R$5.98
42.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 $2.99
$2.42 R$12.26
23.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Fayetteville, NC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.94 R$4.78
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$50.3 R$255
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.20 R$6.10
67.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 $2.27
$0.83 R$4.20
173.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.83 $49.83
$8.97 R$45.48
455.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.29 R$6.53
-20.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K $26.5K
$22.8K R$115.5K
16.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$34.0K R$172.1K
-24.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fayetteville, NC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$182 $182
$134 R$681
35.85%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$71.1 $71.1
$10.73 R$54.4
563.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.9 $62.9
$22.84 R$116
175.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Fayetteville, NC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.15 $33.15
$30.16 R$153
9.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.29 $40.29
$31.49 R$160
27.95%
Cinema Ticket
$13.25 $13.25
$7.73 R$39.17
71.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Fayetteville, NC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$774 $774
$584 R$2,960
32.50%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.1K $25.1K
$12.8K R$64.9K
95.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Fayetteville, NC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$41.12 R$208
24.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.58 $36.58
$49.26 R$250
-25.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.4 $70.4
$73.7 R$373
-4.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$116 $116
$65.9 R$334
75.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Fayetteville, NC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,198 $1,198
$900 R$4,561
33.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,286 $1,286
$527 R$2,673
144.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,609 $1,609
$1,332 R$6,754
20.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,407 $1,407
$748 R$3,790
88.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,876 $1,876
$3,990 R$20.2K
-52.98%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,521 $1,521
$1,560 R$7,908
-2.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Fayetteville, NC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,982 $2,982
$640 R$3,246
365.59%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.32
11.93
-47.02%

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

Last update for Fayetteville, NC: October 17, 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
Fayetteville, NC
$1.3K
Rio de Janeiro
$527 59% $759
Groceries & Markets
Fayetteville, NC
$356
Rio de Janeiro
$214 40% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Fayetteville, NC
$316
Rio de Janeiro
$168 47% $149
Eating Out
Fayetteville, NC
$296
Rio de Janeiro
$156 47.4% $140
Clothing & Footwear
Fayetteville, NC
$123
Rio de Janeiro
$103 16.1% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Fayetteville, NC
$60
Rio de Janeiro
$46 23.5% $14
Getting Around
Fayetteville, NC
$13 *
Rio de Janeiro
$59 345% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,198 in Fayetteville, NC 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 366% higher in Fayetteville, NC, 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 Fayetteville, NC versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Fayetteville, NC
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🕒 Local time
19:48 7:48 PM
20:48 8:48 PM
1 h ahead of Fayetteville, NC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
93,949
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
  • Fayetteville, NC Rio de Janeiro 7,460 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Fayetteville, NC
  • 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
Fayetteville, NC vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Fayetteville, NC or Rio de Janeiro?
Fayetteville, NC costs about 93% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fayetteville, NC and in Rio de Janeiro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,678 per month in Fayetteville, NC and $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Fayetteville, NC or 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.
How do dining costs compare in Fayetteville, NC and in Rio de Janeiro?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Fayetteville, NC and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Fayetteville, NC or in Rio de Janeiro?
Groceries cost about 67% more in Fayetteville, NC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Fayetteville, NC 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 Fayetteville, NC at $2,452. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fayetteville, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Fayetteville, NC or Rio de Janeiro?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,273 versus $2,452 in Fayetteville, NC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Fayetteville, NC or to Rio de Janeiro?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fayetteville, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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