Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,312 in London, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in London
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London Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,312

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,312 in London versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

London $2,312
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,278 in London versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

London $3,278
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,243 in London versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

London $4,243
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in London is roughly 80% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: London is 73% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 CA$30.24

$9.98 R$49.83

112.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 CA$89.3

$40.34 R$201

55.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 CA$17.61

$8.48 R$42.35

45.75%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.20

$2.36 R$11.80

54.66%

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

$2.18 CA$3.10

$1.63 R$8.13

33.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.94

$1.01 R$5.06

103.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 CA$9.22

$2.44 R$12.19

165.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$9.23

$3.69 R$18.43

75.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 CA$2.78

$1.15 R$5.72

69.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.72

$2.07 R$10.34

26.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.62

$1.29 R$6.42

205.43%

Eggs

$3.74 CA$5.34

$2.27 R$11.32

64.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 CA$14.02

$11.00 R$54.9

-10.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$4.31 R$21.51

161.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 CA$21.40

$9.74 R$48.63

54.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CA$6.04

$2.83 R$14.12

49.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.84

$1.84 R$9.17

-29.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.49

$1.60 R$7.96

140.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.79

$1.80 R$9.00

125.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 CA$4.53

$1.26 R$6.28

151.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.31

$1.07 R$5.34

182.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CA$3.68

$0.75 R$3.75

244.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.09

$0.66 R$3.29

121.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 CA$17.08

$3.05 R$15.21

292.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 CA$17.82

$8.18 R$40.84

52.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.43

$1.19 R$5.92

101.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.09

$2.39 R$11.92

20.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 CA$3.22

$1.01 R$5.06

123.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 CA$110

$50.2 R$250

54.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 CA$3.58

$1.27 R$6.33

97.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.29

$0.90 R$4.51

77.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.83 CA$31.11

$9.44 R$47.13

131.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$1.33 R$6.65

-12.03%

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

$27.8K CA$39.6K

$23.4K R$117.0K

18.52%

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

$22.7K CA$32.4K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-32.25%

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

$135 CA$193

$134 R$666

1.17%

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

$39.06 CA$55.7

$12.23 R$61.0

219.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 CA$80.3

$22.65 R$113

148.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.00 CA$52.7

$31.56 R$158

17.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.27 CA$40.29

$30.87 R$154

-8.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 CA$14.84

$8.23 R$41.07

26.49%

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

$407 CA$579

$603 R$3,011

-32.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K CA$28.8K

$13.2K R$66.1K

52.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 CA$74.1

$41.62 R$208

24.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 CA$54.3

$49.94 R$249

-23.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 CA$118

$75.0 R$375

10.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 CA$129

$68.3 R$341

32.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 CA$1,810

$905 R$4,519

40.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 CA$1,636

$527 R$2,633

117.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 CA$2,870

$1,346 R$6,720

49.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 CA$2,428

$774 R$3,865

119.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,440 CA$4,904

$3,981 R$19.9K

-13.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,519 CA$5,015

$1,562 R$7,798

125.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,882 CA$4,108

$643 R$3,210

348.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

11.93

-60.44%

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

Last update for London: 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

London

$1.1K 49.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 54% $620

Groceries & Markets

London

$358 15.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 40.1% $144

Eating Out

London

$313 13.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 47.6% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$230 9.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 26.9% $62

Clothing & Footwear

London

$119 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 10.9% $13

Getting Around

London

$97 4.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 38.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

London

$58 2.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 16.9% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,270 in London and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 348% 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: $63.0 in London vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 London

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

1 h ahead of London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

383,822

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

London Rio de Janeiro 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

London
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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

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

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 348% higher in London, 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: $1,270 in London versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,312 per month in London versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 54% less than in London. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,312 in London, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in London. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in London, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, London 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 80% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.