Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Governador Valadares and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Governador Valadares: $762 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

37

Cost of Living Index in Governador Valadares
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Governador Valadares Living Index
62

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

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Governador Valadares

🇧🇷 Brazil

$762

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $762 in Governador Valadares versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Governador Valadares $762
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,274 in Governador Valadares versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Governador Valadares $1,274
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,786 in Governador Valadares versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Governador Valadares $1,786
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Governador Valadares costs roughly 40% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Governador Valadares 44% lower, Rio de Janeiro 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.11 R$25.91

$9.38 R$47.54

-45.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.15 R$133

$40.00 R$203

-34.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.35 R$47.37

$8.34 R$42.28

12.11%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R$10.13

$2.29 R$11.62

-12.66%

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

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.59 R$8.05

-34.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 R$1.97

$1.01 R$5.10

-61.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 R$8.21

$2.14 R$10.85

-24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 R$11.45

$3.66 R$18.55

-38.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 R$4.32

$1.13 R$5.72

-24.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 R$7.36

$2.09 R$10.60

-30.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.41

$1.25 R$6.36

0.80%

Eggs

$2.12 R$10.74

$2.25 R$11.39

-5.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.14 R$36.17

$10.92 R$55.3

-34.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 R$19.46

$4.36 R$22.10

-11.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.05 R$30.69

$9.60 R$48.66

-36.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 R$13.40

$2.85 R$14.46

-7.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.81 R$9.16

-29.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.74

$1.58 R$8.02

-15.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 R$10.64

$1.83 R$9.28

14.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.75

$1.20 R$6.10

10.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.36

$1.06 R$5.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 R$3.65

$0.75 R$3.81

-4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.68 R$3.45

22.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.55 R$12.91

$2.94 R$14.90

-13.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.21 R$31.50

$7.98 R$40.43

-22.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 R$6.29

$1.18 R$5.98

5.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 R$13.51

$2.42 R$12.26

9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.55

$0.94 R$4.78

-4.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.23 R$224

$50.3 R$255

-12.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 R$5.59

$1.20 R$6.10

-8.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.83 R$4.20

14.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.12 R$41.18

$8.97 R$45.48

-9.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.69

$1.29 R$6.53

-13.18%

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

$23.8K R$120.5K

$22.8K R$115.5K

4.36%

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

$25.2K R$127.7K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-25.84%

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

$76.7 R$389

$134 R$681

-42.88%

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

$12.29 R$62.3

$10.73 R$54.4

14.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.29 R$108

$22.84 R$116

-6.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.27 R$123

$30.16 R$153

-19.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.98 R$142

$31.49 R$160

-11.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 R$42.58

$7.73 R$39.17

8.67%

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

$282 R$1,431

$584 R$2,960

-51.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,642 R$38.7K

$12.8K R$64.9K

-40.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.74 R$110

$41.12 R$208

-47.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 R$255

$49.26 R$250

2.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 R$445

$73.7 R$373

19.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.8 R$349

$65.9 R$334

4.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$240 R$1,218

$900 R$4,561

-73.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 R$851

$527 R$2,673

-68.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 R$3,333

$1,332 R$6,754

-50.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 R$2,358

$748 R$3,790

-37.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,352 R$6,856

$3,990 R$20.2K

-66.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,419 R$7,195

$1,560 R$7,908

-9.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$327 R$1,658

$640 R$3,246

-48.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-7.80%

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

Last update for Governador Valadares: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Governador Valadares

$175 23%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 22.2% $39

Accommodation & Living

Governador Valadares

$168 22%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 214% $359

Eating Out

Governador Valadares

$111 14.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 40.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Governador Valadares

$110 14.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 52.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Governador Valadares

$103 13.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 0.6% $0.6

Getting Around

Governador Valadares

$54 7.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 10.7% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Governador Valadares

$41 5.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 11.1% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $240 in Governador Valadares and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 96% 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: $26.00 in Governador Valadares vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $214 per month, with Governador Valadares cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Governador Valadares

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

Same time as Governador Valadares

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

257,171

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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Governador Valadares vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Governador Valadares is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Rio de Janeiro. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $240 in Governador Valadares versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Governador Valadares – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $762 in Governador Valadares versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Governador Valadares but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Governador Valadares the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Governador Valadares is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Governador Valadares gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.