Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index
63

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

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Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,368

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Iowa City, IA versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Iowa City, IA $2,368
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,367 in Iowa City, IA versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Iowa City, IA $3,367
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,366 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Iowa City, IA $4,366
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Iowa City, IA is roughly 84% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iowa City, IA is 75% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.24 $14.24

$10.06 R$51.0

41.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 $68.1

$40.44 R$205

68.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 $8.74

$8.55 R$43.35

2.22%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$2.38 R$12.04

142.86%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$1.61 R$8.18

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.03 R$5.22

110.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.47 R$12.54

98.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$3.70 R$18.77

83.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.19 R$6.05

-30.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.05 R$10.38

34.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.28 R$6.49

57.81%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$2.29 R$11.60

57.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$10.76 R$54.5

-11.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$4.41 R$22.36

134.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 $20.56

$9.84 R$49.86

108.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.81 R$14.25

18.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.78 R$9.03

-30.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.60 R$8.13

71.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.80 R$9.11

170.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.22 R$6.17

66.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.04 R$5.26

127.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.77 R$3.92

120.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.67 R$3.38

262.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.79 $8.79

$3.01 R$15.27

192.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$8.08 R$40.94

64.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.19 R$6.03

48.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.51 R$12.73

72.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.96 $15.96

$50.1 R$254

-68.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.22 R$6.20

225.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.92 R$4.66

116.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.23 $43.23

$8.97 R$45.45

381.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.30 R$6.57

-23.08%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$23.9K R$121.0K

50.97%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-23.20%

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

$266 $266

$133 R$676

99.07%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$10.82 R$54.8

392.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 $81.9

$22.90 R$116

257.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.68 $48.68

$30.79 R$156

58.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 $19.82

$31.85 R$161

-37.77%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$8.05 R$40.83

70.68%

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

$1,285 $1,285

$598 R$3,029

114.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$13.4K R$68.0K

76.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$42.04 R$213

52.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$49.68 R$252

0.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$74.5 R$378

34.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$68.7 R$348

64.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$903 R$4,578

30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 $1,096

$529 R$2,684

107.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 $2,297

$1,326 R$6,724

73.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 $1,671

$756 R$3,831

121.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,825 $3,825

$4,010 R$20.3K

-4.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,560 R$7,910

25.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,701 $3,701

$640 R$3,242

478.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

11.93

-45.93%

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

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iowa City, IA

$1.1K 46.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 51.7% $567

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iowa City, IA

$401 16.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 58.3% $234

Groceries & Markets

Iowa City, IA

$350 14.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 38.7% $136

Eating Out

Iowa City, IA

$267 11.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 38.3% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Iowa City, IA

$148 6.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 28.3% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Iowa City, IA

$76 3.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 38.4% $29

Getting Around

Iowa City, IA

$30 * 1.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 100% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Iowa City, IA and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays 479% 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: $68.0 in Iowa City, IA vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

16:53 4:53 PM

2 h ahead of Iowa City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,828

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iowa City, IA Rio de Janeiro 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Iowa City, IA
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

Iowa City, IA vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 479% higher in Iowa City, IA, 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: $1,179 in Iowa City, IA versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 214% less than in Iowa City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,285 in Iowa City, IA versus $598 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,368 in Iowa City, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Iowa City, IA. 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 Iowa City, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Iowa City, IA and Rio de Janeiro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Iowa City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.