Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lincoln, NE and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,250 in Lincoln, NE, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lincoln, NE
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Lincoln, NE Living Index
63

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

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Lincoln, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,250

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,250 in Lincoln, NE versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Lincoln, NE $2,250
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,309 in Lincoln, NE versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Lincoln, NE $3,309
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lincoln, NE versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Lincoln, NE $4,368
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Lincoln, NE is roughly 75% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lincoln, NE is 68% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$9.98 R$49.83

102.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$40.34 R$201

95.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$8.48 R$42.35

44.10%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$2.36 R$11.80

131.36%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$1.63 R$8.13

39.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.01 R$5.06

72.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.44 R$12.19

105.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$3.69 R$18.43

147.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.15 R$5.72

-24.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.07 R$10.34

49.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.19 $6.19

$1.29 R$6.42

379.84%

Eggs

$4.60 $4.60

$2.27 R$11.32

102.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$11.00 R$54.9

5.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$4.31 R$21.51

93.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 $14.70

$9.74 R$48.63

50.92%

Apples (1kg)

$6.63 $6.63

$2.83 R$14.12

134.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.84 R$9.17

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$1.60 R$7.96

261.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.80 R$9.00

132.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.26 R$6.28

173.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.07 R$5.34

259.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.75 R$3.75

153.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.66 R$3.29

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.73 $9.73

$3.05 R$15.21

219.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.90 $16.90

$8.18 R$40.84

106.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.19 R$5.92

51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.39 R$11.92

6.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.01 R$5.06

68.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.02 $35.02

$50.2 R$250

-30.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$1.27 R$6.33

296.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.90 R$4.51

107.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.54 $34.54

$9.44 R$47.13

265.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.33 R$6.65

-21.80%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$23.4K R$117.0K

51.58%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-24.58%

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

$142 $142

$134 R$666

6.47%

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

$48.30 $48.30

$12.23 R$61.0

294.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$22.65 R$113

185.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$31.56 R$158

76.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.15 $26.15

$30.87 R$154

-15.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.88 $14.88

$8.23 R$41.07

80.80%

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

$839 $839

$603 R$3,011

39.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.72 $48.72

$41.62 R$208

17.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.40 $35.40

$49.94 R$249

-29.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$75.0 R$375

16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$68.3 R$341

72.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 $1,083

$905 R$4,519

19.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$964 $964

$527 R$2,633

82.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 $1,608

$1,346 R$6,720

19.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$774 R$3,865

88.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,853 $1,853

$3,981 R$19.9K

-53.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,889 $1,889

$1,562 R$7,798

20.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,812 $3,812

$643 R$3,210

492.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

11.93

-46.61%

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

Last update for Lincoln, NE: October 3, 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

Lincoln, NE

$964 43.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 45.3% $436

Groceries & Markets

Lincoln, NE

$398 18%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 46.1% $184

Eating Out

Lincoln, NE

$324 14.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 49.4% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lincoln, NE

$255 11.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 34% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Lincoln, NE

$130 5.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 18.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Lincoln, NE

$85 3.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 43.8% $37

Getting Around

Lincoln, NE

$56 2.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 6.7% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,083 in Lincoln, NE and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lincoln, NE pays 493% 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: $79.0 in Lincoln, NE vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lincoln, NE

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

02:56 2:56 AM

2 h ahead of Lincoln, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

277,348

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Lincoln, NE Rio de Janeiro 8,980 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lincoln, NE
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

Lincoln, NE vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Lincoln, NE. 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 493% higher in Lincoln, NE, 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: $1,083 in Lincoln, NE 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 $79.0 in Lincoln, NE. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,250 per month in Lincoln, NE versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,250 in Lincoln, NE, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Lincoln, NE. 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, Lincoln, NE 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 75% less than in Lincoln, NE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.