Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lewiston, ME and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,756 in Lewiston, ME, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Lewiston, ME
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Lewiston, ME Living Index
63

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

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Lewiston, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,756

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,756 per month in Lewiston, ME vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Lewiston, ME $2,756
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $4,087 per month in Lewiston, ME vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Lewiston, ME $4,087
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $5,417 per month in Lewiston, ME vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Lewiston, ME $5,417
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Lewiston, ME costs about 115% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Lewiston, ME sits 106% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$9.98 R$49.69

81.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.9 $95.9

$40.34 R$201

137.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.58 $13.58

$8.48 R$42.23

60.14%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$2.36 R$11.77

134.32%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$1.63 R$8.11

78.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.01 R$5.05

165.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.44 R$12.15

99.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.69 R$18.38

113.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.15 R$5.70

-5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.07 R$10.31

95.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$1.29 R$6.40

306.98%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$2.27 R$11.29

113.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.20 $11.20

$11.00 R$54.7

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$4.31 R$21.44

229.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.58 $17.58

$9.74 R$48.49

80.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$2.83 R$14.07

137.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.84 R$9.14

-2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$1.60 R$7.94

321.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$1.80 R$8.97

215.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.26 R$6.26

126.98%

Onion (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.07 R$5.32

310.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.75 R$3.74

289.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.66 R$3.28

257.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$3.05 R$15.16

190.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.43 $13.43

$8.18 R$40.72

64.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.19 R$5.90

81.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.39 R$11.88

79.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.01 R$5.04

114.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.27 R$6.31

171.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.90 R$4.50

115.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.29 $27.29

$9.44 R$46.99

189.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.33 R$6.63

-18.80%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$23.4K R$116.6K

59.66%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$33.6K R$167.1K

-20.90%

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

$322 $322

$134 R$664

141.28%

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

$106 $106

$12.23 R$60.9

764.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.4 $85.4

$22.65 R$113

276.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 $44.04

$31.56 R$157

39.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$15.12 $15.12

$8.23 R$40.95

83.72%

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

$1,855 $1,855

$603 R$3,002

207.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K $29.5K

$13.2K R$65.9K

122.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.18 $16.18

$41.62 R$207

-61.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.05 $38.05

$49.94 R$249

-23.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$75.0 R$373

4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$68.3 R$340

46.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$905 R$4,506

8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 $1,296

$527 R$2,625

145.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 $2,496

$1,346 R$6,700

85.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,247 $2,247

$774 R$3,854

190.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,545 $2,545

$3,981 R$19.8K

-36.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 $2,337

$1,562 R$7,775

49.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,200

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 Lewiston, ME: 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

Lewiston, ME

$1.3K 46.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 59.3% $769

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lewiston, ME

$513 18.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 67.2% $345

Groceries & Markets

Lewiston, ME

$452 16.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 52.6% $238

Eating Out

Lewiston, ME

$314 11.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 47.9% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Lewiston, ME

$105 3.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 0.9% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Lewiston, ME

$74 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 35.4% $26

Getting Around

Lewiston, ME

$22 * 0.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 175% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Lewiston, ME 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Lewiston, ME versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $452 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lewiston, ME

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

06:46 6:46 AM

07:46 7:46 AM

1 h ahead of Lewiston, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,226

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

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Lewiston, ME Rio de Janeiro 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lewiston, ME
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

Lewiston, ME vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lewiston, ME is pricier by about 115%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,134 per month in Lewiston, ME 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 $96.0 in Lewiston, ME 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 111% more in Lewiston, ME, 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 Lewiston, ME at $2,756. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lewiston, ME 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, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lewiston, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.