Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lexington, KY and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,173 in Lexington, KY, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
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Lexington, KY Living Index
63

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

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Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,173

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,173 in Lexington, KY versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Lexington, KY $2,173
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,265 in Lexington, KY versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Lexington, KY $3,265
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,356 in Lexington, KY versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Lexington, KY $4,356
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Lexington, KY is roughly 69% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lexington, KY is 62% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 $13.14

$9.98 R$49.83

31.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 $57.5

$40.34 R$201

42.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 $9.14

$8.48 R$42.35

7.78%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$2.36 R$11.80

117.37%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$1.63 R$8.13

55.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.01 R$5.06

103.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.44 R$12.19

104.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.69 R$18.43

61.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.15 R$5.72

-32.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.07 R$10.34

39.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.29 R$6.42

208.53%

Eggs

$3.68 $3.68

$2.27 R$11.32

62.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$11.00 R$54.9

-7.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$4.31 R$21.51

135.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.52 $14.52

$9.74 R$48.63

49.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.83 R$14.12

93.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.84 R$9.17

-17.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$1.60 R$7.96

243.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.80 R$9.00

145.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.26 R$6.28

228.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.07 R$5.34

186.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$0.75 R$3.75

177.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$0.66 R$3.29

381.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.44 $8.44

$3.05 R$15.21

176.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.02 $13.02

$8.18 R$40.84

59.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.19 R$5.92

126.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.39 R$11.92

80.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.01 R$5.06

0.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 $29.70

$50.2 R$250

-40.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.27 R$6.33

287.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.33 R$6.65

-24.81%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$23.4K R$117.0K

58.02%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-24.80%

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

$188 $188

$134 R$666

40.94%

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

$106 $106

$12.23 R$61.0

768.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$22.65 R$113

229.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.07 $39.07

$31.56 R$158

23.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.41 $30.41

$30.87 R$154

-1.49%

Cinema Ticket

$15.25 $15.25

$8.23 R$41.07

85.30%

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

$2,222 $2,222

$603 R$3,011

268.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$13.2K R$66.1K

88.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$41.62 R$208

23.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 $31.32

$49.94 R$249

-37.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$75.0 R$375

56.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$68.3 R$341

121.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 $1,147

$905 R$4,519

26.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$929 $929

$527 R$2,633

76.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 $2,058

$1,346 R$6,720

52.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$774 R$3,865

105.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,118 $2,118

$3,981 R$19.9K

-46.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,077 $2,077

$1,562 R$7,798

32.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,029 $4,029

$643 R$3,210

526.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.93

-42.83%

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

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 5, 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

Lexington, KY

$929 42.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 43.2% $402

Groceries & Markets

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 44.4% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lexington, KY

$369 16.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 54.4% $201

Eating Out

Lexington, KY

$249 11.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 34.3% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 33.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Lexington, KY

$70 3.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 31% $22

Getting Around

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 55% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Lexington, KY and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lexington, KY pays 527% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $57.0 in Lexington, KY vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

1 h ahead of Lexington, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

322,570

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Lexington, KY Rio de Janeiro 8,030 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lexington, KY
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

Lexington, KY vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 69% lower than in Lexington, KY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 527% higher in Lexington, KY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,147 in Lexington, KY versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $57.0 in Lexington, KY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,173 per month in Lexington, KY versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,173 in Lexington, KY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Lexington, KY. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,285 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lexington, KY and Rio de Janeiro are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Lexington, KY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.