Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index
63

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

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Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,934

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Iqaluit, NU $2,934
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,585 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Iqaluit, NU $4,585
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,236 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Iqaluit, NU $6,236
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 128% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iqaluit, NU is 117% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.82 CA$38.14

$10.06 R$50.5

166.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 CA$90.1

$40.44 R$203

56.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 CA$18.36

$8.55 R$42.90

50.99%

Cappuccino

$7.02 CA$9.98

$2.38 R$11.92

194.96%

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

$3.71 CA$5.28

$1.61 R$8.09

130.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.03 R$5.17

57.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 CA$9.57

$2.47 R$12.41

172.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 CA$7.74

$3.70 R$18.58

47.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.47

$1.19 R$5.99

105.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.63

$2.05 R$10.28

24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.53

$1.28 R$6.42

148.44%

Eggs

$3.41 CA$4.85

$2.29 R$11.48

48.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 CA$13.81

$10.76 R$54.0

-9.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 CA$18.59

$4.41 R$22.13

196.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 CA$20.59

$9.84 R$49.35

47.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.26

$2.81 R$14.11

31.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.78 R$8.94

-25.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$5.09

$1.60 R$8.05

123.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.41

$1.80 R$9.02

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.42

$1.22 R$6.11

97.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.08

$1.04 R$5.21

107.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CA$3.37

$0.77 R$3.88

207.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.25

$0.67 R$3.34

135.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.73

$3.01 R$15.12

361.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 CA$18.22

$8.08 R$40.52

58.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.62

$1.19 R$5.97

113.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.27

$2.51 R$12.60

19.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$0.99 R$4.95

125.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 CA$87.4

$50.1 R$251

22.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 CA$9.34

$1.22 R$6.14

438.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$0.92 R$4.61

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 CA$28.73

$8.97 R$44.98

125.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.62

$1.30 R$6.51

-12.31%

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

$38.0K CA$54.1K

$23.9K R$119.8K

59.24%

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

$30.1K CA$42.8K

$32.9K R$164.9K

-8.45%

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

$114 CA$162

$133 R$669

-14.69%

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

$38.71 CA$55.0

$10.82 R$54.3

257.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 CA$76.2

$22.90 R$115

134.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 CA$57.7

$30.79 R$154

31.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$25.04

$31.85 R$160

-44.71%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 CA$11.51

$8.05 R$40.41

0.50%

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

$755 CA$1,073

$598 R$2,998

26.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CA$18.6K

$13.4K R$67.3K

-2.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 CA$74.9

$42.04 R$211

25.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.18 CA$54.3

$49.68 R$249

-23.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$122

$74.5 R$374

14.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$145

$68.7 R$345

48.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 CA$2,489

$903 R$4,531

93.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 CA$2,417

$529 R$2,656

221.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,877 CA$4,091

$1,326 R$6,655

116.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,448 CA$4,902

$756 R$3,792

356.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,252 CA$6,045

$4,010 R$20.1K

6.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 CA$5,011

$1,560 R$7,829

125.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 CA$5,879

$640 R$3,209

546.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

11.93

-55.41%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 10, 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

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 58%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 68.9% $1.2K

Eating Out

Iqaluit, NU

$403 13.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 59.1% $238

Groceries & Markets

Iqaluit, NU

$358 12.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 40.1% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iqaluit, NU

$206 7%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 18.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Iqaluit, NU

$125 4.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 15.7% $20

Getting Around

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 28.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 17.4% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 547% 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: $63.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

20:39 8:39 PM

21:39 9:39 PM

1 h ahead of Iqaluit, NU

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Iqaluit, NU Rio de Janeiro 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Iqaluit, NU
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

Iqaluit, NU vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 128% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 547% higher in Iqaluit, NU, 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: $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $755 in Iqaluit, NU versus $598 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 67% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. 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 Iqaluit, NU, 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 128% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.