Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garland, TX and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,590 in Garland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Garland, TX
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Garland, TX Living Index
63

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

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Garland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,590 per month in Garland, TX vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Garland, TX $2,590
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $3,751 per month in Garland, TX vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Garland, TX $3,751
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $4,912 per month in Garland, TX vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Garland, TX $4,912
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Garland, TX costs about 102% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Garland, TX sits 93% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.79 $19.79

$9.98 R$49.69

98.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.4 $54.4

$40.34 R$201

34.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$8.48 R$42.23

18.16%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$2.36 R$11.77

140.68%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.63 R$8.11

60.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.01 R$5.05

130.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.53 $5.53

$2.44 R$12.15

126.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 $7.40

$3.69 R$18.38

100.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.15 R$5.70

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.07 R$10.31

83.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$1.29 R$6.40

312.40%

Eggs

$4.53 $4.53

$2.27 R$11.29

99.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.87 $7.87

$11.00 R$54.7

-28.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.68 $11.68

$4.31 R$21.44

171.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 $19.34

$9.74 R$48.49

98.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$2.83 R$14.07

87.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.84 R$9.14

-32.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.60 R$7.94

226.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.80 R$8.97

144.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.26 R$6.26

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.07 R$5.32

94.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.75 R$3.74

184.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.66 R$3.28

119.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$3.05 R$15.16

216.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 $10.90

$8.18 R$40.72

33.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.19 R$5.90

69.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.39 R$11.88

36.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.01 R$5.04

192.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.7 $96.7

$50.2 R$250

92.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.27 R$6.31

134.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.90 R$4.50

91.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.18 $24.18

$9.44 R$46.99

156.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.33 R$6.63

-27.07%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$23.4K R$116.6K

55.49%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$33.6K R$167.1K

-22.48%

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

$202 $202

$134 R$664

51.67%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$12.23 R$60.9

342.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.7 $80.7

$22.65 R$113

256.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.85 $39.85

$31.56 R$157

26.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.24 $16.24

$30.87 R$154

-47.39%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$8.23 R$40.95

83.84%

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

$1,341 $1,341

$603 R$3,002

122.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.6K $28.6K

$13.2K R$65.9K

116.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$41.62 R$207

44.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 $29.52

$49.94 R$249

-40.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$75.0 R$373

12.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$68.3 R$340

75.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,518 $1,518

$905 R$4,506

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,276 $1,276

$527 R$2,625

141.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,344 $2,344

$1,346 R$6,700

74.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 $2,077

$774 R$3,854

168.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,256 $3,256

$3,981 R$19.8K

-18.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,953 $1,953

$1,562 R$7,775

25.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,710 $3,710

$643 R$3,200

476.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

11.93

-44.51%

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

Last update for Garland, TX: October 6, 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

Garland, TX

$1.3K 48.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 58.7% $749

Groceries & Markets

Garland, TX

$378 14.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 43.3% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garland, TX

$337 12.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 50.1% $169

Eating Out

Garland, TX

$319 12.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 48.6% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Garland, TX

$133 5%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 20.2% $27

Getting Around

Garland, TX

$120 4.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 50% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Garland, TX

$70 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 31.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,518 in Garland, TX versus $905 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 477% higher in Garland, TX, 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 $54.0 in Garland, TX versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $378 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Garland, TX

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

23:48 11:48 PM

2 h ahead of Garland, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,035

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.201 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 4.98 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.58 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Garland, TX Rio de Janeiro 8,400 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Garland, TX
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

Garland, TX vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,590 in Garland, TX, $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,885 per month in Garland, TX and $1,927 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,341 per month in Garland, TX and $603 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 76% more in Garland, TX, 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 Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Garland, TX at $2,590. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Garland, TX 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 $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,590 in Garland, TX. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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