Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Plata, MD and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,182 a month against $2,441 in La Plata, MD, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in La Plata, MD
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La Plata, MD Living Index
57

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

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La Plata, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,441

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,441 per month in La Plata, MD vs $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

La Plata, MD $2,441
Rio de Janeiro $1,182

A couple spends around $3,635 per month in La Plata, MD vs $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

La Plata, MD $3,635
Rio de Janeiro $1,750

A family of three spends $4,829 per month in La Plata, MD vs $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

La Plata, MD $4,829
Rio de Janeiro $2,318

La Plata, MD costs about 106% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

La Plata, MD sits 79% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.52 $13.52

$9.08 R$48.54

48.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.4 $90.4

$37.25 R$199

142.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 $7.62

$8.02 R$42.87

-4.99%

Cappuccino

$6.29 $6.29

$2.19 R$11.71

187.21%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$1.46 R$7.82

93.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.99 R$5.27

158.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.03 R$10.84

70.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.45 R$18.43

43.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.06 R$5.66

58.49%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.98 R$10.61

123.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$1.17 R$6.27

432.48%

Eggs

$1.81 $1.81

$2.21 R$11.80

-18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$10.11 R$54.1

25.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$4.12 R$22.00

113.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$9.17 R$49.04

43.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.72 R$14.54

79.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.71 R$9.15

-3.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$1.53 R$8.18

313.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.66 R$8.89

167.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.14 R$6.09

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$0.99 R$5.32

110.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.65 R$3.46

223.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$0.60 R$3.20

353.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$2.79 R$14.94

324.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.37 $14.37

$7.48 R$39.99

92.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.09 R$5.83

54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.33 R$12.48

118.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.90 R$4.79

115.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$53.0 R$283

9.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.17 R$6.24

133.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$0.78 R$4.17

114.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$8.37 R$44.75

255.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.21 R$6.48

-15.70%

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

$32.6K $32.6K

$21.5K R$114.8K

51.82%

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

$30.5K $30.5K

$31.1K R$166.5K

-1.90%

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

$97.8 $97.8

$124 R$665

-21.39%

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

$42.02 $42.02

$10.03 R$53.7

318.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.5 $73.5

$20.88 R$112

252.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.39 $40.39

$28.35 R$152

42.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 $15.14

$7.62 R$40.72

98.69%

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

$1,210 $1,210

$563 R$3,010

115.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$12.0K R$64.4K

90.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.79 $47.79

$39.25 R$210

21.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 $36.43

$46.36 R$248

-21.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$68.4 R$366

63.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$63.4 R$339

90.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$776 R$4,150

102.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$473 R$2,530

171.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$1,391 R$7,437

79.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 $2,098

$739 R$3,951

183.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,038 $3,038

$3,393 R$18.1K

-10.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,428 $2,428

$1,570 R$8,396

54.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,502 $6,502

$597 R$3,192

989.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.25

11.93

-47.61%

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

Last update for La Plata, MD: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Plata, MD

$1.3K 52.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40% 63.1% $810

Groceries & Markets

La Plata, MD

$398 16.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17% 49.6% $197

Eating Out

La Plata, MD

$255 10.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7% 41.3% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Plata, MD

$213 8.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1% 27.2% $58

Clothing & Footwear

La Plata, MD

$143 5.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3% 31.4% $45

Getting Around

La Plata, MD

$77 3.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2% 19.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

La Plata, MD

$71 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7% 38.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,575 in La Plata, MD versus $776 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 in La Plata, MD are about 11 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90 in La Plata, MD versus $37 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $201 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Plata, MD

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

18:03 6:03 PM

1 h ahead of La Plata, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

La Plata, MD Rio de Janeiro 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

La Plata, MD
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 Plata, MD vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Plata, MD is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,661 per month in La Plata, MD and $1,774 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $776 there versus $1,575 in La Plata, MD.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,441 in La Plata, MD and $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro. That makes Rio de Janeiro about 52% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 9% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,182, than in La Plata, MD at $2,441. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Plata, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio de Janeiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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