Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lawrence, KS and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,242 in Lawrence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
Learn more

Lawrence, KS Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,242

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $2,242
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $3,313
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $4,383 per month in Lawrence, KS vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Lawrence, KS $4,383
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Lawrence, KS costs about 75% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lawrence, KS sits 67% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.03 $15.03

$9.98 R$49.69

50.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$40.34 R$201

87.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.97 $10.97

$8.48 R$42.23

29.36%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$2.36 R$11.77

115.25%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.63 R$8.11

53.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.01 R$5.05

80.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.44 R$12.15

140.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$3.69 R$18.38

99.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.15 R$5.70

-27.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.07 R$10.31

51.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.29 R$6.40

234.11%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$2.27 R$11.29

72.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$11.00 R$54.7

0.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$4.31 R$21.44

193.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$9.74 R$48.49

71.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$2.83 R$14.07

91.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.84 R$9.14

14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.60 R$7.94

207.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.80 R$8.97

129.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.26 R$6.26

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.07 R$5.32

176.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.75 R$3.74

125.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.66 R$3.28

327.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 $7.06

$3.05 R$15.16

131.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.18 R$40.72

73.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.19 R$5.90

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.39 R$11.88

-30.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.27 R$6.31

133.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.90 R$4.50

51.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.50 $25.50

$9.44 R$46.99

170.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.33 R$6.63

-29.32%

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

$22.6K $22.6K

$23.4K R$116.6K

-3.42%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$33.6K R$167.1K

-28.31%

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

$279 $279

$134 R$664

108.63%

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

$63.7 $63.7

$12.23 R$60.9

420.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$22.65 R$113

184.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.86 $44.86

$31.56 R$157

42.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.06 $12.06

$30.87 R$154

-60.93%

Cinema Ticket

$12.24 $12.24

$8.23 R$40.95

48.72%

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

$992 $992

$603 R$3,002

64.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$13.2K R$65.9K

46.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$41.62 R$207

24.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$49.94 R$249

-21.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$75.0 R$373

5.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$68.3 R$340

49.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 $1,191

$905 R$4,506

31.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$907 $907

$527 R$2,625

71.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 $1,944

$1,346 R$6,700

44.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 $1,665

$774 R$3,854

114.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$3,981 R$19.8K

-40.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,562 R$7,775

35.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,805 $3,805

$643 R$3,200

491.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

11.93

-44.93%

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

Last update for Lawrence, KS: 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

Lawrence, KS

$907 41.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 41.8% $380

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lawrence, KS

$407 18.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 58.6% $238

Groceries & Markets

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 45.2% $177

Eating Out

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 40.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Lawrence, KS

$123 5.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 13.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Lawrence, KS

$69 3.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 30.7% $21

Getting Around

Lawrence, KS

$9.7 * 0.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 517% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,191 in Lawrence, KS versus $905 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 492% higher in Lawrence, KS, 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 $76.0 in Lawrence, KS versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

03:55 3:55 AM

05:55 5:55 AM

2 h ahead of Lawrence, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,358

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lawrence, KS Rio de Janeiro 8,750 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lawrence, KS
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

Lawrence, KS vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lawrence, KS costs about 75% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,363 per month in Lawrence, KS and $1,927 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Lawrence, KS and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 82% more in Lawrence, KS, 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 Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Lawrence, KS at $2,242. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lawrence, KS it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,285 versus $2,242 in Lawrence, KS. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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