Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jonesboro, AR and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,154 in Jonesboro, AR, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Jonesboro, AR
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Jonesboro, AR Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Jonesboro, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,154

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,154 in Jonesboro, AR versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Jonesboro, AR $2,154
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,995 in Jonesboro, AR versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Jonesboro, AR $2,995
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,836 in Jonesboro, AR versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Jonesboro, AR $3,836
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Jonesboro, AR is roughly 68% 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: Jonesboro, AR is 61% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.74 $27.74

$9.98 R$49.69

177.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.9 $59.9

$40.34 R$201

48.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 $10.48

$8.48 R$42.23

23.58%

Cappuccino

$4.98 $4.98

$2.36 R$11.77

111.02%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$1.63 R$8.11

40.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.01 R$5.05

79.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 $4.42

$2.44 R$12.15

81.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 $6.66

$3.69 R$18.38

80.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.15 R$5.70

-5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.07 R$10.31

64.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.29 R$6.40

68.22%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$2.27 R$11.29

63.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$11.00 R$54.7

-21.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.73 $8.73

$4.31 R$21.44

102.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$9.74 R$48.49

15.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.83 R$14.07

54.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.84 R$9.14

-38.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.60 R$7.94

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.80 R$8.97

111.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.26 R$6.26

30.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.07 R$5.32

128.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.75 R$3.74

136.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.66 R$3.28

201.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.09 $8.09

$3.05 R$15.16

165.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 $13.38

$8.18 R$40.72

63.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.19 R$5.90

52.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.39 R$11.88

62.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.01 R$5.04

9.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.35 $30.35

$50.2 R$250

-39.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.27 R$6.31

139.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.90 R$4.50

54.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 $27.60

$9.44 R$46.99

192.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.33 R$6.63

-35.34%

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

$32.2K $32.2K

$23.4K R$116.6K

37.49%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$33.6K R$167.1K

-21.05%

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

$226 $226

$134 R$664

69.22%

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

$46.16 $46.16

$12.23 R$60.9

277.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$22.65 R$113

224.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.95 $39.95

$31.56 R$157

26.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.76 $10.76

$30.87 R$154

-65.14%

Cinema Ticket

$11.86 $11.86

$8.23 R$40.95

44.11%

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

$758 $758

$603 R$3,002

25.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,352 $8,352

$13.2K R$65.9K

-36.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 $62.3

$41.62 R$207

49.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.27 $37.27

$49.94 R$249

-25.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 $77.3

$75.0 R$373

3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$68.3 R$340

55.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$905 R$4,506

24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 $856

$527 R$2,625

62.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 $1,387

$1,346 R$6,700

3.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 $1,169

$774 R$3,854

50.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,558 $1,558

$3,981 R$19.8K

-60.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,547 $1,547

$1,562 R$7,775

-0.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,335 $3,335

$643 R$3,200

418.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

11.93

-46.69%

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

Last update for Jonesboro, AR: October 4, 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

Jonesboro, AR

$856 40.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 38.4% $328

Eating Out

Jonesboro, AR

$365 17.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 55.1% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jonesboro, AR

$346 16.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 51.3% $177

Groceries & Markets

Jonesboro, AR

$316 14.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 32.1% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Jonesboro, AR

$127 6%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 17.1% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Jonesboro, AR

$64 3%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 24.6% $16

Getting Around

Jonesboro, AR

$45 2.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 33.9% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Jonesboro, AR and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jonesboro, AR pays 419% 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: $60.0 in Jonesboro, AR vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $316 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jonesboro, AR

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

03:01 3:01 AM

05:01 5:01 AM

2 h ahead of Jonesboro, AR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,576

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.201 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 4.98 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.58 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Jonesboro, AR Rio de Janeiro 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Jonesboro, AR
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

Jonesboro, AR vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 419% higher in Jonesboro, AR, 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: $1,131 in Jonesboro, AR versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,154 per month in Jonesboro, AR versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 65% less than in Jonesboro, AR. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,154 in Jonesboro, AR, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Jonesboro, AR. 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 Jonesboro, AR, 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 68% less than in Jonesboro, AR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.