Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,566 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN Living Index
63

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

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Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,566

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,566 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Knoxville, TN $2,566
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Knoxville, TN $3,815
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,064 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Knoxville, TN $5,064
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 100% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Knoxville, TN is 92% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.48 $17.48

$9.98 R$49.83

75.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$40.34 R$201

89.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$8.48 R$42.35

19.58%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$2.36 R$11.80

126.69%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$1.63 R$8.13

65.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.01 R$5.06

170.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.31 $6.31

$2.44 R$12.19

158.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 $6.65

$3.69 R$18.43

80.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.15 R$5.72

-6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.07 R$10.34

68.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$1.29 R$6.42

268.99%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$2.27 R$11.32

88.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 $9.93

$11.00 R$54.9

-9.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.34 $9.34

$4.31 R$21.51

116.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$9.74 R$48.63

56.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.83 R$14.12

138.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.84 R$9.17

-19.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.60 R$7.96

70.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.80 R$9.00

203.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.26 R$6.28

76.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.07 R$5.34

286.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$0.75 R$3.75

210.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.66 R$3.29

231.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$3.05 R$15.21

222.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$8.18 R$40.84

80.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.19 R$5.92

62.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.39 R$11.92

30.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.01 R$5.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.07 $30.07

$50.2 R$250

-40.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.27 R$6.33

290.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.90 R$4.51

75.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.43 $30.43

$9.44 R$47.13

222.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.33 R$6.65

-29.32%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$23.4K R$117.0K

60.78%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-18.62%

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

$219 $219

$134 R$666

63.85%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$12.23 R$61.0

503.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.3 $53.3

$22.65 R$113

135.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.46 $29.46

$31.56 R$158

-6.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.85 $21.85

$30.87 R$154

-29.22%

Cinema Ticket

$15.40 $15.40

$8.23 R$41.07

87.12%

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

$1,230 $1,230

$603 R$3,011

104.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$13.2K R$66.1K

81.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.76 $49.76

$41.62 R$208

19.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.35 $45.35

$49.94 R$249

-9.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$75.0 R$375

44.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$68.3 R$341

78.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$905 R$4,519

95.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 $1,264

$527 R$2,633

139.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 $2,902

$1,346 R$6,720

115.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 $2,166

$774 R$3,865

179.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,689 $4,689

$3,981 R$19.9K

17.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,267 $2,267

$1,562 R$7,798

45.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,623 $3,623

$643 R$3,210

463.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.93

-44.34%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 5, 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

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 58.3% $737

Groceries & Markets

Knoxville, TN

$381 15%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 43.6% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Knoxville, TN

$346 13.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 51.3% $178

Eating Out

Knoxville, TN

$301 11.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 45.6% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Knoxville, TN

$147 5.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 27.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 20.3% $12

Getting Around

Knoxville, TN

$47 1.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 27.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,767 in Knoxville, TN and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 463% 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: $76.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

05:54 5:54 AM

06:54 6:54 AM

1 h ahead of Knoxville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,740

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Knoxville, TN Rio de Janeiro 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Knoxville, TN
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

Knoxville, TN vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Knoxville, TN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 463% higher in Knoxville, TN, 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: $1,767 in Knoxville, TN versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Knoxville, TN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $76.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,566 in Knoxville, TN, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,285 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.