Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guayaquil and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Guayaquil: $1,140 a month against $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Guayaquil
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Guayaquil Living Index
63

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

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Guayaquil

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$1,140

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,140 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,140
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $1,766 per month in Guayaquil vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Guayaquil $1,766
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $2,392 per month in Guayaquil vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Guayaquil $2,392
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Guayaquil is about 11% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Guayaquil and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Guayaquil 15% lower, Rio de Janeiro 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.90 $3.90

$9.98 R$49.83

-60.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$40.34 R$201

28.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 $9.25

$8.48 R$42.35

9.08%

Cappuccino

$2.80 $2.80

$2.36 R$11.80

18.64%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$1.63 R$8.13

-46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.01 R$5.06

-29.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.44 R$12.19

25.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.69 R$18.43

13.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.15 R$5.72

0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.07 R$10.34

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.29 R$6.42

10.85%

Eggs

$2.04 $2.04

$2.27 R$11.32

-10.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$11.00 R$54.9

-35.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$4.31 R$21.51

18.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$9.74 R$48.63

-7.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.83 R$14.12

-48.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.84 R$9.17

-35.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.60 R$7.96

-38.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.80 R$9.00

-46.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.26 R$6.28

-1.59%

Onion (1kg)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.07 R$5.34

-13.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.75 R$3.75

10.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.66 R$3.29

56.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.05 R$15.21

92.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.93 $11.93

$8.18 R$40.84

45.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.19 R$5.92

25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.39 R$11.92

-7.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$1.01 R$5.06

-67.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.95 $19.95

$50.2 R$250

-60.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.27 R$6.33

112.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$0.90 R$4.51

93.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.08 $12.08

$9.44 R$47.13

27.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.33 R$6.65

-33.08%

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

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.4K R$117.0K

-10.91%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-7.83%

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

$127 $127

$134 R$666

-4.89%

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

$15.01 $15.01

$12.23 R$61.0

22.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.75 $25.75

$22.65 R$113

13.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.73 $46.73

$31.56 R$158

48.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.66 $26.66

$30.87 R$154

-13.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 $7.57

$8.23 R$41.07

-8.02%

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

$403 $403

$603 R$3,011

-33.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,002 $6,002

$13.2K R$66.1K

-54.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 $64.6

$41.62 R$208

55.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.19 $40.19

$49.94 R$249

-19.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$75.0 R$375

66.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.6 $93.6

$68.3 R$341

37.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 $477

$905 R$4,519

-47.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 $390

$527 R$2,633

-26.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$795 $795

$1,346 R$6,720

-40.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 $739

$774 R$3,865

-4.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,298 $2,298

$3,981 R$19.9K

-42.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,445 $1,445

$1,562 R$7,798

-7.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 $626

$643 R$3,210

-2.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

11.93

-15.76%

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

Last update for Guayaquil: October 4, 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

Guayaquil

$390 34.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 35.2% $137

Groceries & Markets

Guayaquil

$199 17.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 7.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guayaquil

$168 15%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 0.4% $0.7

Clothing & Footwear

Guayaquil

$146 13%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 27.4% $40

Eating Out

Guayaquil

$123 11%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 33.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Guayaquil

$62 5.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 22.4% $14

Getting Around

Guayaquil

$33 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 83.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Guayaquil 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 3% 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 $52.0 in Guayaquil versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries tell a different story – $199 in Guayaquil vs $215 in Rio de Janeiro – so Guayaquil wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Guayaquil

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

2 h ahead of Guayaquil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,500,000

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guayaquil Rio de Janeiro 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Guayaquil
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

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

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,710 per month in Guayaquil 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 Guayaquil, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $403 per month in Guayaquil 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 8% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guayaquil, where all-in costs run around $1,140, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,285. In Guayaquil it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guayaquil – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Guayaquil. 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.