Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lages and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Lages: $931 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Lages
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Lages Living Index
62

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

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Lages

🇧🇷 Brazil

$931

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $931 per month in Lages vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Lages $931
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $1,494 per month in Lages vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Lages $1,494
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $2,058 per month in Lages vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Lages $2,058
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Lages is about 27% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lages and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Lages 31% lower, Rio de Janeiro 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 R$40.28

$9.38 R$47.54

-15.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.35 R$199

$40.00 R$203

-1.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 R$34.96

$8.34 R$42.28

-17.27%

Cappuccino

$2.52 R$12.77

$2.29 R$11.62

10.04%

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

$1.42 R$7.22

$1.59 R$8.05

-10.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 R$5.39

$1.01 R$5.10

4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.48 R$12.56

$2.14 R$10.85

15.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 R$15.10

$3.66 R$18.55

-18.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 R$5.07

$1.13 R$5.72

-11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 R$8.52

$2.09 R$10.60

-19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.25 R$6.36

-12.80%

Eggs

$2.46 R$12.45

$2.25 R$11.39

9.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 R$52.1

$10.92 R$55.3

-5.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.88 R$24.73

$4.36 R$22.10

11.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.90 R$50.2

$9.60 R$48.66

3.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 R$12.42

$2.85 R$14.46

-14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.69

$1.81 R$9.16

-16.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.16

$1.58 R$8.02

-10.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.20

$1.83 R$9.28

-11.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.34

$1.20 R$6.10

4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 R$5.47

$1.06 R$5.35

1.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 R$4.79

$0.75 R$3.81

25.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 R$4.11

$0.68 R$3.45

19.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 R$12.87

$2.94 R$14.90

-13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.22 R$41.66

$7.98 R$40.43

3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R$5.76

$1.18 R$5.98

-3.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 R$11.47

$2.42 R$12.26

-6.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.09

$0.94 R$4.78

6.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.06 R$223

$50.3 R$255

-12.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 R$6.51

$1.20 R$6.10

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 R$4.12

$0.83 R$4.20

-2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 R$42.05

$8.97 R$45.48

-7.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.77

$1.29 R$6.53

3.88%

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

$23.9K R$121.4K

$22.8K R$115.5K

5.13%

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

$33.4K R$169.4K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-1.62%

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

$77.0 R$390

$134 R$681

-42.67%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$10.73 R$54.4

14.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.01 R$112

$22.84 R$116

-3.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.95 R$132

$30.16 R$153

-13.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.71 R$140

$31.49 R$160

-12.00%

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 R$38.02

$7.73 R$39.17

-2.98%

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

$282 R$1,428

$584 R$2,960

-51.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,318 R$37.1K

$12.8K R$64.9K

-42.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 R$255

$41.12 R$208

22.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 R$292

$49.26 R$250

16.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 R$518

$73.7 R$373

38.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.7 R$404

$65.9 R$334

20.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$362 R$1,833

$900 R$4,561

-59.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 R$1,241

$527 R$2,673

-53.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 R$3,454

$1,332 R$6,754

-48.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 R$2,358

$748 R$3,790

-37.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,643

$3,990 R$20.2K

-57.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,216 R$6,164

$1,560 R$7,908

-22.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

11.93

-3.60%

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

Last update for Lages: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lages

$245 26.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 115% $282

Groceries & Markets

Lages

$207 22.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 3.2% $6.6

Eating Out

Lages

$143 15.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 9.2% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Lages

$130 14%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 20.6% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lages

$111 12%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 50.8% $57

Getting Around

Lages

$53 5.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 11.3% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Lages

$41 4.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 11.4% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $362 in Lages versus $900 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Lages versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $214 – making Lages the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Lages

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

Same time as Lages

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

164,981

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lages Rio de Janeiro 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lages
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

Lages vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $931 in Lages, $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,396 per month in Lages and $1,910 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 Lages, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $282 per month in Lages and $584 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Rio de Janeiro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lages, where all-in costs run around $931, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,273. In Lages it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro 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 $931 in Lages to $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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