Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilheus and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilheus: $786 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ilheus, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ilheus
🇧🇷 Brazil
$786
/mo nomad
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,182
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $786 per month in Ilheus vs $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Ilheus $786
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,182

A couple spends around $1,283 per month in Ilheus vs $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Ilheus $1,283
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,750

A family of three spends $1,779 per month in Ilheus vs $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Ilheus $1,779
  • Rio de Janeiro $2,318

Ilheus is about 33% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ilheus and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Ilheus 42% lower, Rio de Janeiro 13% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ilheus
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.91 R$20.90
$9.08 R$48.54
-56.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$29.88 R$160
$37.25 R$199
-19.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.47 R$39.93
$8.02 R$42.87
-6.86%
Cappuccino
$1.86 R$9.92
$2.19 R$11.71
-15.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.16 R$6.19
$1.46 R$7.82
-20.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 R$4.47
$0.99 R$5.27
-15.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.73 R$9.25
$2.03 R$10.84
-14.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 R$16.88
$3.45 R$18.43
-8.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ilheus
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 R$5.61
$1.06 R$5.66
-0.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.61 R$8.61
$1.98 R$10.61
-18.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 R$6.52
$1.17 R$6.27
4.27%
Eggs
$2.00 R$10.71
$2.21 R$11.80
-9.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.98 R$96.1
$10.11 R$54.1
77.84%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.92 R$20.98
$4.12 R$22.00
-4.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.37 R$39.41
$9.17 R$49.04
-19.63%
Apples (1kg)
$2.10 R$11.24
$2.72 R$14.54
-22.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.18 R$6.31
$1.71 R$9.15
-30.99%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.14 R$6.09
$1.53 R$8.18
-25.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.50 R$8.00
$1.66 R$8.89
-9.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 R$6.32
$1.14 R$6.09
3.51%
Onion (1kg)
$0.99 R$5.32
$0.99 R$5.32
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.77 R$4.10
$0.65 R$3.46
18.46%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.65 R$3.45
$0.60 R$3.20
8.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.30 R$12.28
$2.79 R$14.94
-17.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.96 R$37.19
$7.48 R$39.99
-6.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 R$5.89
$1.09 R$5.83
0.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 R$10.51
$2.33 R$12.48
-15.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Ilheus
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.95 R$5.06
$0.90 R$4.79
5.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.11 R$220
$53.0 R$283
-22.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.08 R$5.79
$1.17 R$6.24
-7.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.94 R$5.01
$0.78 R$4.17
20.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.78 R$36.23
$8.37 R$44.75
-19.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 R$6.06
$1.21 R$6.48
-6.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.8K R$111.2K
$21.5K R$114.8K
-3.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7K R$174.7K
$31.1K R$166.5K
4.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ilheus
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$70.8 R$379
$124 R$665
-43.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.71 R$62.6
$10.03 R$53.7
16.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.59 R$105
$20.88 R$112
-6.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ilheus
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.68 R$132
$28.35 R$152
-12.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.71 R$127
$29.33 R$157
-19.16%
Cinema Ticket
$6.50 R$34.73
$7.62 R$40.72
-14.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ilheus
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$273 R$1,460
$563 R$3,010
-51.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,926 R$37.0K
$12.0K R$64.4K
-42.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ilheus
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.2 R$274
$39.25 R$210
30.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.88 R$219
$46.36 R$248
-11.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.8 R$464
$68.4 R$366
26.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$64.4 R$344
$63.4 R$339
1.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ilheus
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$209 R$1,118
$776 R$4,150
-73.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$183 R$980
$473 R$2,530
-61.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$530 R$2,834
$1,391 R$7,437
-61.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$407 R$2,178
$739 R$3,951
-44.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,468 R$7,851
$3,393 R$18.1K
-56.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,234 R$6,600
$1,570 R$8,396
-21.38%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ilheus
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$564 R$3,018
$597 R$3,192
-5.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
11.93
-7.80%

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

Last update for Ilheus: October 27, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Ilheus
$204
Rio de Janeiro
$201 1.7% $3.6
Accommodation & Living
Ilheus
$183
Rio de Janeiro
$473 158% $290
Clothing & Footwear
Ilheus
$109
Rio de Janeiro
$98 10.6% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ilheus
$102
Rio de Janeiro
$155 52.2% $53
Eating Out
Ilheus
$99
Rio de Janeiro
$150 51.5% $51
Getting Around
Ilheus
$51
Rio de Janeiro
$62 21.7% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Ilheus
$38
Rio de Janeiro
$44 15.7% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $209 in Ilheus versus $776 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 6% 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 $30 in Ilheus versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries tell a different story – $204 in Ilheus vs $201 in Rio de Janeiro – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Ilheus
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🕒 Local time
10:05 10:05 AM
10:05 10:05 AM
Same time as Ilheus
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
178,649
6,211,223
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ilheus Rio de Janeiro 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ilheus
  • 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
Ilheus vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ilheus and in Rio de Janeiro compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $786 in Ilheus, $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Ilheus compared to Rio de Janeiro?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,180 per month in Ilheus and $1,774 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ilheus and Rio de Janeiro?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilheus, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $209 there versus $776 in Rio de Janeiro.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $30 in Ilheus and $37 in Rio de Janeiro. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Ilheus and in Rio de Janeiro?
Public transport costs about 22% less in Ilheus. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Where should families live: Ilheus or Rio de Janeiro?
Families tend to lean toward Ilheus – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Ilheus and Rio de Janeiro?
If budget matters most, go with Ilheus. 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.

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