Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,237 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,237

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,237 in Hamilton versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Hamilton $2,237
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,267 in Hamilton versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Hamilton $3,267
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,297 in Hamilton versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Hamilton $4,297
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Hamilton is roughly 74% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamilton is 67% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$25.16

$9.98 R$49.83

76.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 CA$86.5

$40.34 R$201

50.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 CA$17.05

$8.48 R$42.35

41.04%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.96

$2.36 R$11.80

47.46%

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

$2.15 CA$3.06

$1.63 R$8.13

31.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.34

$1.01 R$5.06

62.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.95

$2.44 R$12.19

99.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 CA$8.74

$3.69 R$18.43

66.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.09

$1.15 R$5.72

88.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$2.07 R$10.34

7.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.62

$1.29 R$6.42

96.90%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.55

$2.27 R$11.32

40.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 CA$11.27

$11.00 R$54.9

-28.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.34

$4.31 R$21.51

149.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 CA$19.44

$9.74 R$48.63

40.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.45

$2.83 R$14.12

34.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.73

$1.84 R$9.17

-34.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.76

$1.60 R$7.96

152.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.42

$1.80 R$9.00

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.32

$1.26 R$6.28

84.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.25

$1.07 R$5.34

47.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 CA$3.09

$0.75 R$3.75

189.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 CA$1.85

$0.66 R$3.29

96.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 CA$17.58

$3.05 R$15.21

304.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.90

$8.18 R$40.84

62.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.49

$1.19 R$5.92

105.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.81

$2.39 R$11.92

41.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CA$3.55

$1.01 R$5.06

146.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 CA$122

$50.2 R$250

70.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$1.27 R$6.33

167.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.75

$0.90 R$4.51

36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.37 CA$33.32

$9.44 R$47.13

147.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.70

$1.33 R$6.65

-10.53%

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

$27.5K CA$39.2K

$23.4K R$117.0K

17.49%

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

$19.9K CA$28.3K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-40.78%

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

$149 CA$212

$134 R$666

11.65%

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

$41.14 CA$58.7

$12.23 R$61.0

236.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 CA$70.3

$22.65 R$113

117.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 CA$53.0

$31.56 R$158

17.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.33 CA$24.71

$30.87 R$154

-43.86%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 CA$14.52

$8.23 R$41.07

23.82%

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

$597 CA$852

$603 R$3,011

-0.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.1K

$13.2K R$66.1K

22.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.29 CA$68.8

$41.62 R$208

16.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.75 CA$43.83

$49.94 R$249

-38.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 CA$123

$75.0 R$375

14.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$163

$68.3 R$341

67.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 CA$1,801

$905 R$4,519

39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 CA$1,617

$527 R$2,633

115.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 CA$2,859

$1,346 R$6,720

49.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 CA$2,664

$774 R$3,865

141.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 CA$3,790

$3,981 R$19.9K

-33.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 CA$3,840

$1,562 R$7,798

72.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,896 CA$4,128

$643 R$3,210

350.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

11.93

-61.44%

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

Last update for Hamilton: 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

Hamilton

$1.1K 50.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 53.5% $607

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$327 14.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 34.3% $112

Eating Out

Hamilton

$271 12%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 39.5% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$240 10.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 29.7% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$126 5.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 16% $20

Getting Around

Hamilton

$105 4.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 42.9% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$58 2.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 16.6% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,263 in Hamilton and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 350% 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: $61.0 in Hamilton vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

04:37 4:37 AM

1 h ahead of Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

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 = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hamilton Rio de Janeiro 8,260 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

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

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 350% higher in Hamilton, 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: $1,263 in Hamilton versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $597 in Hamilton versus $603 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,237 in Hamilton, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. 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 Hamilton, 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 74% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.