Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guelph and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,586 in Guelph, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Guelph
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Guelph Living Index
63

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

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Guelph

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,586

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,586 in Guelph versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Guelph $2,586
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,627 in Guelph versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Guelph $3,627
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,669 in Guelph versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Guelph $4,669
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Guelph is roughly 101% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guelph is 93% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.26 CA$30.31

$9.98 R$49.83

113.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 CA$101

$40.34 R$201

74.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 CA$16.03

$8.48 R$42.35

32.67%

Cappuccino

$3.40 CA$4.84

$2.36 R$11.80

44.07%

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

$1.49 CA$2.12

$1.63 R$8.13

-8.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.92

$1.01 R$5.06

33.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 CA$7.16

$2.44 R$12.19

106.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 CA$8.52

$3.69 R$18.43

61.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$3.00

$1.15 R$5.72

82.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 CA$4.05

$2.07 R$10.34

37.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.36

$1.29 R$6.42

191.47%

Eggs

$2.86 CA$4.08

$2.27 R$11.32

25.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 CA$14.37

$11.00 R$54.9

-8.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.98

$4.31 R$21.51

257.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.75 CA$31.00

$9.74 R$48.63

123.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 CA$5.19

$2.83 R$14.12

28.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.86

$1.84 R$9.17

-29.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 CA$6.29

$1.60 R$7.96

176.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.50 CA$6.41

$1.80 R$9.00

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$1.26 R$6.28

169.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 CA$3.33

$1.07 R$5.34

118.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 CA$4.15

$0.75 R$3.75

288.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.15

$0.66 R$3.29

128.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 CA$15.36

$3.05 R$15.21

253.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 CA$15.74

$8.18 R$40.84

34.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 CA$4.92

$1.19 R$5.92

189.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.45

$2.39 R$11.92

30.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 CA$3.18

$1.01 R$5.06

120.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 CA$93.3

$50.2 R$250

30.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 CA$3.41

$1.27 R$6.33

88.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 CA$2.52

$0.90 R$4.51

96.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.16 CA$34.43

$9.44 R$47.13

155.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 CA$1.61

$1.33 R$6.65

-15.04%

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

$28.2K CA$40.2K

$23.4K R$117.0K

20.35%

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

$20.2K CA$28.7K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-39.95%

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

$123 CA$175

$134 R$666

-8.21%

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

$42.86 CA$61.1

$12.23 R$61.0

250.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.1 CA$78.6

$22.65 R$113

143.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 CA$77.9

$31.56 R$158

73.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 CA$20.13

$30.87 R$154

-54.26%

Cinema Ticket

$10.42 CA$14.85

$8.23 R$41.07

26.61%

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

$812 CA$1,158

$603 R$3,011

34.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K CA$23.7K

$13.2K R$66.1K

25.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.8 CA$88.0

$41.62 R$208

48.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.02 CA$51.3

$49.94 R$249

-27.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$122

$75.0 R$375

14.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 CA$176

$68.3 R$341

80.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 CA$2,072

$905 R$4,519

60.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 CA$1,964

$527 R$2,633

161.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 CA$2,876

$1,346 R$6,720

49.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,934 CA$2,757

$774 R$3,865

149.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,827 CA$6,881

$3,981 R$19.9K

21.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,691 CA$6,686

$1,562 R$7,798

200.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,147 CA$4,486

$643 R$3,210

389.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.99

11.93

-58.17%

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

Last update for Guelph: October 5, 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

Guelph

$1.4K 53.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 61.7% $851

Groceries & Markets

Guelph

$405 15.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 47% $190

Eating Out

Guelph

$293 11.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 44.1% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guelph

$221 8.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 23.7% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Guelph

$138 5.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 23.4% $32

Getting Around

Guelph

$86 3.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 30% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Guelph

$76 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 36.4% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,453 in Guelph and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guelph pays 389% 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: $71.0 in Guelph vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Guelph

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

08:42 8:42 AM

1 h ahead of Guelph

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

131,794

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Guelph Rio de Janeiro 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 389% higher in Guelph, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,453 in Guelph versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Guelph. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $71.0 in Guelph. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,586 in Guelph, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Guelph. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Guelph. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.