Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foz do Iguaçu and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu: $910 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Foz do Iguaçu
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Foz do Iguaçu Living Index
63

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

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Foz do Iguaçu

🇧🇷 Brazil

$910

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $910 per month in Foz do Iguaçu vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Foz do Iguaçu $910
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $1,390 per month in Foz do Iguaçu vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Foz do Iguaçu $1,390
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $1,870 per month in Foz do Iguaçu vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Foz do Iguaçu $1,870
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Foz do Iguaçu is about 29% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Foz do Iguaçu and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Foz do Iguaçu 33% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.08 R$30.80

$10.06 R$51.0

-39.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.68 R$206

$40.44 R$205

0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.11 R$36.04

$8.55 R$43.35

-16.84%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.65

$2.38 R$12.04

-20.17%

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

$1.38 R$6.98

$1.61 R$8.18

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.94

$1.03 R$5.22

-43.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 R$8.32

$2.47 R$12.54

-33.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 R$15.15

$3.70 R$18.77

-19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 R$4.81

$1.19 R$6.05

-20.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 R$7.64

$2.05 R$10.38

-26.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R$8.62

$1.28 R$6.49

32.81%

Eggs

$2.69 R$13.66

$2.29 R$11.60

17.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.04 R$40.74

$10.76 R$54.5

-25.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$20.85

$4.41 R$22.36

-6.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.43 R$42.72

$9.84 R$49.86

-14.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 R$10.90

$2.81 R$14.25

-23.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.02

$1.78 R$9.03

-33.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.92

$1.60 R$8.13

-39.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 R$5.91

$1.80 R$9.11

-35.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 R$4.94

$1.22 R$6.17

-20.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.04 R$5.26

4.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 R$4.47

$0.77 R$3.92

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 R$4.47

$0.67 R$3.38

31.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 R$14.94

$3.01 R$15.27

-1.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.03 R$40.72

$8.08 R$40.94

-0.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 R$9.56

$1.19 R$6.03

58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 R$15.18

$2.51 R$12.73

19.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R$4.92

$0.99 R$5.00

-2.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.4 R$266

$50.1 R$254

4.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 R$5.16

$1.22 R$6.20

-16.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 R$7.28

$0.92 R$4.66

56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.30

$1.30 R$6.57

-4.62%

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

$20.3K R$103.1K

$23.9K R$121.0K

-14.80%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

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

$72.2 R$366

$133 R$676

-45.90%

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

$19.15 R$97.1

$10.82 R$54.8

76.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.40 R$103

$22.90 R$116

-10.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.97 R$101

$30.79 R$156

-35.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.98 R$30.33

$31.85 R$161

-81.22%

Cinema Ticket

$9.29 R$47.09

$8.05 R$40.83

15.40%

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

$242 R$1,227

$598 R$3,029

-59.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.64 R$242

$42.04 R$213

13.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.75 R$90.0

$49.68 R$252

-64.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 R$255

$74.5 R$378

-32.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.21 R$199

$68.7 R$348

-42.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 R$1,912

$903 R$4,578

-58.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 R$1,622

$529 R$2,684

-39.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$711 R$3,603

$1,326 R$6,724

-46.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$508 R$2,573

$756 R$3,831

-32.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,279 R$6,485

$4,010 R$20.3K

-68.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$897 R$4,547

$1,560 R$7,910

-42.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$397 R$2,015

$640 R$3,242

-37.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.16

11.93

-31.60%

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

Last update for Foz do Iguaçu: 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

Foz do Iguaçu

$320 35.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 65.5% $210

Groceries & Markets

Foz do Iguaçu

$190 20.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 12.7% $24

Eating Out

Foz do Iguaçu

$115 12.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 43.7% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foz do Iguaçu

$112 12.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 49.6% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Foz do Iguaçu

$70 7.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 51.6% $36

Getting Around

Foz do Iguaçu

$64 7.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 7.1% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Foz do Iguaçu

$39 4.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 21.7% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $377 in Foz do Iguaçu 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 61% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $41.00 in Foz do Iguaçu versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Foz do Iguaçu vs $215 in Rio de Janeiro – so Foz do Iguaçu wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Foz do Iguaçu

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

21:16 9:16 PM

Same time as Foz do Iguaçu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,415

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Foz do Iguaçu Rio de Janeiro 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Foz do Iguaçu
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

Foz do Iguaçu vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $910 in Foz do Iguaçu, $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 42% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,364 per month in Foz do Iguaçu and $1,933 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 Foz do Iguaçu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $242 per month in Foz do Iguaçu and $598 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Rio de Janeiro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Foz do Iguaçu, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Foz do Iguaçu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $910 in Foz do Iguaçu to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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