For one person, living is cheaper in Brazil: $865 a month against $2,350 in French Guiana, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.
How much you'll spend in French Guiana and in Brazil
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in French Guiana and in Brazil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
A single person spends $2,350 per month in French Guiana vs $865 in Brazil, rent included.
French Guiana $2,350
Brazil $865
A couple spends around $3,835 per month in French Guiana vs $1,373 in Brazil, rent included.
French Guiana $3,835
Brazil $1,373
A family of three spends $5,320 per month in French Guiana vs $1,880 in Brazil, rent included.
French Guiana $5,320
Brazil $1,880
📏
The regional cost range is wider in French Guiana ($175–$2,355) than in Brazil ($569–$1,349), so city choice matters more there.
🌍
The cost of living in French Guiana is about 172% higher than in Brazil on average.
📊
French Guiana sits 73% above the global median, while Brazil is 36% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
French Guiana
Brazil
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.08€11.72
$6.55R$35.66
99.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$110€98.9
$30.71R$167
259.65%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.60€9.49
$7.45R$40.55
42.28%
Cappuccino
$3.92€3.51
$1.91R$10.39
105.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38€3.03
$1.15R$6.28
193.91%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87€2.57
$0.76R$4.11
277.63%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.99€3.58
$1.85R$10.06
115.68%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.49€4.02
$2.86R$15.54
56.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
French Guiana
Brazil
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$4.02€3.60
$1.03R$5.61
290.29%
White Bread(500g)
$4.05€3.62
$1.57R$8.52
157.96%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$2.92€2.62
$1.24R$6.72
135.48%
Eggs
$7.34€6.57
$2.10R$11.44
249.52%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$30.89€27.67
$8.87R$48.24
248.25%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$16.55€14.83
$3.99R$21.72
314.79%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$29.95€26.82
$7.76R$42.19
285.95%
Apples(1kg)
$5.14€4.60
$2.15R$11.72
139.07%
Banana(1kg)
$4.46€3.99
$1.27R$6.91
251.18%
Oranges(1kg)
$5.14€4.60
$1.16R$6.28
343.10%
Tomato(1kg)
$9.52€8.53
$1.53R$8.32
522.22%
Potato(1kg)
$4.92€4.41
$1.16R$6.32
324.14%
Onion(1kg)
$6.86€6.15
$1.02R$5.55
572.55%
Lettuce(1 head)
$3.31€2.97
$0.74R$4.04
347.30%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$2.07€1.86
$0.72R$3.90
187.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$9.62€8.62
$2.25R$12.26
327.56%
Wine(Bottle)
$10.65€9.54
$7.65R$41.62
39.22%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.88€2.58
$1.30R$7.09
121.54%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.14€1.02
$2.16R$11.77
-47.22%
🚌 Getting Around
French Guiana
Brazil
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.20€1.97
$0.94R$5.12
134.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$34.19€30.62
$44.00R$239
-22.30%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$5.69€5.09
$1.23R$6.68
362.60%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$4.01€3.59
$0.96R$5.20
317.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.98€7.14
$7.42R$40.36
7.55%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.18€1.95
$1.21R$6.60
80.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$45.5K€40.8K
$22.1KR$120.5K
105.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$44.5K€39.9K
$31.6KR$171.7K
41.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
French Guiana
Brazil
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$224€201
$77.2R$420
190.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.71€40.05
$12.44R$67.6
259.41%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.2€61.1
$19.80R$108
244.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
French Guiana
Brazil
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$35.78€32.05
$24.36R$133
46.88%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.17€25.23
$25.46R$138
10.64%
Cinema Ticket
$9.27€8.30
$6.98R$37.99
32.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
French Guiana
Brazil
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$664€595
$316R$1,718
110.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$10.3K€9,222
$8,298R$45.1K
24.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
French Guiana
Brazil
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100€89.9
$49.37R$269
103.26%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$67.3€60.3
$45.73R$249
47.19%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$126€113
$83.4R$454
50.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.9€89.5
$65.6R$357
52.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
French Guiana
Brazil
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,098€984
$373R$2,029
194.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$863€773
$251R$1,363
244.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,817€1,628
$719R$3,911
152.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,783€1,597
$490R$2,667
263.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$3,091€2,769
$1,795R$9,764
72.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$3,426€3,068
$1,269R$6,904
169.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
French Guiana
Brazil
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$2,218€1,986
$496R$2,701
346.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
4.5
11.17
-59.71%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for French Guiana: October 24, 2026
Last update for Brazil: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
French Guiana
$863 36.7%
Brazil
$251 29% ↓ 71%$613
🛒Groceries & Markets
French Guiana
$612 26.1%
Brazil
$183 21.2% ↓ 70.1%$429
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
French Guiana
$337 14.4%
Brazil
$109 12.6% ↓ 67.5%$228
🍽Eating Out
French Guiana
$237 10.1%
Brazil
$120 13.9% ↓ 49.3%$117
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
French Guiana
$177 7.5%
Brazil
$110 12.7% ↓ 38%$67
🚌Getting Around
French Guiana
$69 2.9%
Brazil
$54 6.2% ↓ 21.7%$15
🎉Sport & Entertainment
French Guiana
$54 2.3%
Brazil
$38 4.4% ↓ 29.4%$16
🏠Accommodation & Living
French Guiana
$1.8K 33.5%
Brazil
$490 26.1% ↓ 72.5%$1.3K
🛒Groceries & Markets
French Guiana
$1.5K 27.5%
Brazil
$420 22.3% ↓ 71.2%$1K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
French Guiana
$382 7.2%
Brazil
$122 6.5% ↓ 68.1%$260
🍽Eating Out
French Guiana
$1K 19.2%
Brazil
$392 20.9% ↓ 61.6%$630
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
French Guiana
$394 7.4%
Brazil
$244 13% ↓ 38%$149
🚌Getting Around
French Guiana
$142 2.7%
Brazil
$109 5.8% ↓ 22.8%$32
🎉Sport & Entertainment
French Guiana
$137 2.6%
Brazil
$102 5.4% ↓ 25.4%$35
Cost Breakdown
🏠Average rent: $1,192 in French Guiana vs $335 in Brazil. For reference, capital cities sit at $933 in Cayenne and $517 in Brasilia.
💰Average salary: $2,255 in French Guiana vs $468 in Brazil. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 256% higher in French Guiana.
⭐Dining out costs 293% more in French Guiana.
⭐Public transport is 26% more expensive in Brazil.
⭐Salaries are about 4.8 times higher in French Guiana, and purchasing power comes out stronger in French Guiana.
French Guiana→Brazil2,360 km≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
French Guiana
Brazil
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
French Guiana vs Brazil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do Brazil and French Guiana compare in cost of living?
Brazil is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 63% lower on average.
How do rents compare between Brazil and French Guiana?
Housing costs more in French Guiana: a central one-bedroom averages $1,192 versus $335 in Brazil.
How far does $2,000 go in Brazil compared to French Guiana?
$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Brazil, but in French Guiana it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
How do I choose between living in Brazil and in French Guiana?
Brazil is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.
French Guiana vs other spots: cost of living compared