Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Collins, CO and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,758 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
Learn more

Fort Collins, CO Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,758

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,758 in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Fort Collins, CO $2,758
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,111 in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Fort Collins, CO $4,111
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,464 in Fort Collins, CO versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Fort Collins, CO $5,464
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Fort Collins, CO is roughly 115% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Collins, CO is 106% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.70 $22.70

$9.98 R$49.83

127.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$40.34 R$201

100.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.26 $11.26

$8.48 R$42.35

32.78%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$2.36 R$11.80

161.44%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.63 R$8.13

49.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.01 R$5.06

104.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$2.44 R$12.19

184.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.69 R$18.43

89.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.15 R$5.72

-14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.07 R$10.34

44.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.29 R$6.42

112.40%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$2.27 R$11.32

86.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 $10.88

$11.00 R$54.9

-1.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

$4.31 R$21.51

121.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.30 $19.30

$9.74 R$48.63

98.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.83 R$14.12

74.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.84 R$9.17

-15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.60 R$7.96

191.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$1.80 R$9.00

195.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.26 R$6.28

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.07 R$5.34

326.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.75 R$3.75

210.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.66 R$3.29

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$3.05 R$15.21

226.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.52 $16.52

$8.18 R$40.84

101.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.19 R$5.92

110.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.39 R$11.92

13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.27 R$6.33

91.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.90 R$4.51

112.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.40 $25.40

$9.44 R$47.13

169.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.33 R$6.65

-24.06%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$23.4K R$117.0K

53.63%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-25.36%

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

$213 $213

$134 R$666

59.69%

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

$57.2 $57.2

$12.23 R$61.0

367.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$22.65 R$113

204.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$31.56 R$158

76.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 $29.66

$30.87 R$154

-3.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 $11.98

$8.23 R$41.07

45.57%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$603 R$3,011

114.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K $12.7K

$13.2K R$66.1K

-4.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$41.62 R$208

43.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 $69.9

$49.94 R$249

39.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$75.0 R$375

5.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$68.3 R$341

71.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 $1,851

$905 R$4,519

104.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 $1,427

$527 R$2,633

170.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 $2,733

$1,346 R$6,720

102.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,484 $2,484

$774 R$3,865

220.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,012 $3,012

$3,981 R$19.9K

-24.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,034 $3,034

$1,562 R$7,798

94.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,352 $4,352

$643 R$3,210

576.77%

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 Fort Collins, CO: October 5, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Fort Collins, CO

$1.4K 52%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 63% $900

Groceries & Markets

Fort Collins, CO

$386 14.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 44.4% $171

Eating Out

Fort Collins, CO

$356 13%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 54% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Collins, CO

$339 12.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 50.4% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Collins, CO

$147 5.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 28% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Collins, CO

$80 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 39.6% $32

Getting Around

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 401% $48

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 $1,851 in Fort Collins, CO and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Collins, CO pays 577% 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: $81.0 in Fort Collins, CO vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

3 h ahead of Fort Collins, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,612

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Fort Collins, CO Rio de Janeiro 9,520 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Collins, CO
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

Fort Collins, CO vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in Fort Collins, CO. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 577% higher in Fort Collins, CO, 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: $1,851 in Fort Collins, CO versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Fort Collins, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,758 per month in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 115% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,758 in Fort Collins, CO, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Fort Collins, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,285 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fort Collins, CO 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 115% less than in Fort Collins, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.