Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Golden, CO and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $3,466 in Golden, CO, rent and utilities included – about $26,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

167

Cost of Living Index in Golden, CO
Learn more

Golden, CO Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Golden, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,466

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,466 per month in Golden, CO vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Golden, CO $3,466
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $3,184 per month in Golden, CO vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Golden, CO $3,184
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $2,903 per month in Golden, CO vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Golden, CO $2,903
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Golden, CO costs about 172% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Golden, CO sits 156% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$9.38 R$47.54

116.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 $66.4

$40.00 R$203

66.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$8.34 R$42.28

42.33%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$2.29 R$11.62

134.93%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$1.59 R$8.05

69.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.01 R$5.10

95.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.14 R$10.85

175.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.21 $7.21

$3.66 R$18.55

96.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.13 R$5.72

-19.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.09 R$10.60

56.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.25 R$6.36

247.20%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$2.25 R$11.39

34.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.92 R$55.3

38.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$4.36 R$22.10

213.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.39 $17.39

$9.60 R$48.66

81.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$2.85 R$14.46

92.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.81 R$9.16

-26.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.58 R$8.02

184.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$1.83 R$9.28

152.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.20 R$6.10

101.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.06 R$5.35

145.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.75 R$3.81

220.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.68 R$3.45

189.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 $10.09

$2.94 R$14.90

243.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.31 $19.31

$7.98 R$40.43

141.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.18 R$5.98

181.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.42 R$12.26

95.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 $2.68

$0.94 R$4.78

185.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.20 R$6.10

216.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.83 R$4.20

71.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.66 $24.66

$8.97 R$45.48

174.92%

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)

$27.8K $27.8K

$22.8K R$115.5K

22.19%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-20.90%

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

$200 $200

$134 R$681

48.73%

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

$93.5 $93.5

$10.73 R$54.4

771.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$22.84 R$116

210.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$30.16 R$153

100.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$7.73 R$39.17

96.64%

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

$1,520 $1,520

$584 R$2,960

160.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$12.8K R$64.9K

93.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.12 R$208

40.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.77 $24.77

$49.26 R$250

-49.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 $82.3

$73.7 R$373

11.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$65.9 R$334

57.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$900 R$4,561

151.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 $2,119

$527 R$2,673

301.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

11.93

-43.67%

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

Last update for Golden, CO: 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

Golden, CO

$2.1K 61.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 75.1% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Golden, CO

$424 12.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 49.6% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Golden, CO

$364 10.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 53.9% $196

Eating Out

Golden, CO

$326 9.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 52.1% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Golden, CO

$121 3.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 14.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Golden, CO

$91 2.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 49.8% $45

Getting Around

Golden, CO

$22 * 0.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 175% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,266 in Golden, CO 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Golden, CO versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Golden, CO

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

18:20 6:20 PM

21:20 9:20 PM

3 h ahead of Golden, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,399

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Golden, CO Rio de Janeiro 9,480 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Golden, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,466 in Golden, CO, $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 172% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,199 per month in Golden, CO and $1,910 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,466 in Golden, CO and $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 172%.

Kindergarten costs $1,520 per month in Golden, CO and $584 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Golden, CO at $3,466. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Golden, CO 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 $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro to $3,466 in Golden, CO. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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