Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Crosse, WI and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,198 in La Crosse, WI, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
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La Crosse, WI Living Index
63

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

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La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,198

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,198 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $2,198
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $3,399 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $3,399
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $4,601 per month in La Crosse, WI vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

La Crosse, WI $4,601
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

La Crosse, WI costs about 71% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

La Crosse, WI sits 63% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$10.06 R$51.0

48.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 $71.2

$40.44 R$205

76.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 $11.17

$8.55 R$43.35

30.64%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$2.38 R$12.04

137.39%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$1.61 R$8.18

36.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.03 R$5.22

14.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.47 R$12.54

79.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.70 R$18.77

61.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.19 R$6.05

-39.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.05 R$10.38

24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.28 R$6.49

272.66%

Eggs

$2.40 $2.40

$2.29 R$11.60

4.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 $9.96

$10.76 R$54.5

-7.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.69 $10.69

$4.41 R$22.36

142.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$9.84 R$49.86

67.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.81 R$14.25

74.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.78 R$9.03

-37.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.60 R$8.13

94.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$1.80 R$9.11

190.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.22 R$6.17

63.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.04 R$5.26

122.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.77 R$3.92

167.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$0.67 R$3.38

155.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 $9.74

$3.01 R$15.27

223.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 $11.04

$8.08 R$40.94

36.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.19 R$6.03

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.51 R$12.73

-22.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.99 R$5.00

-1.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.58 $35.58

$50.1 R$254

-29.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.22 R$6.20

181.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.92 R$4.66

107.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.67 $44.67

$8.97 R$45.45

397.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.30 R$6.57

-31.54%

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

$38.8K $38.8K

$23.9K R$121.0K

62.60%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-26.10%

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

$206 $206

$133 R$676

54.64%

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

$54.4 $54.4

$10.82 R$54.8

403.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$22.90 R$116

191.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.44 $39.44

$30.79 R$156

28.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 $3.95

$31.85 R$161

-87.60%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$8.05 R$40.83

48.07%

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

$890 $890

$598 R$3,029

48.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 $63.3

$42.04 R$213

50.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.3 $63.3

$49.68 R$252

27.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 $79.6

$74.5 R$378

6.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$68.7 R$348

75.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$903 R$4,578

-15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 $1,000

$529 R$2,684

88.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,227 $2,227

$1,326 R$6,724

67.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,983 $1,983

$756 R$3,831

162.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 $1,907

$4,010 R$20.3K

-52.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,920 $1,920

$1,560 R$7,910

23.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,088 $4,088

$640 R$3,242

539.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

11.93

-44.43%

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

Last update for La Crosse, WI: October 12, 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

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 47.1% $471

Groceries & Markets

La Crosse, WI

$338 15.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 36.5% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Crosse, WI

$328 14.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 49% $160

Eating Out

La Crosse, WI

$269 12.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 38.6% $104

Clothing & Footwear

La Crosse, WI

$147 6.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 28.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

La Crosse, WI

$63 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 25.9% $16

Getting Around

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 14.1% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $763 in La Crosse, WI versus $903 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 539% higher in La Crosse, WI, 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 $71.0 in La Crosse, WI versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

06:14 6:14 AM

2 h ahead of La Crosse, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,680

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 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

La Crosse, WI Rio de Janeiro 8,890 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

La Crosse, WI
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

La Crosse, WI vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,198 in La Crosse, WI, $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 71% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,297 per month in La Crosse, WI and $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in La Crosse, WI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in La Crosse, WI and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in La Crosse, WI at $2,198. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Crosse, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,198 in La Crosse, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Crosse, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.