Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Luquillo and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living costs are similar in Luquillo and in Rio de Janeiro: $1,260 and $1,289 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Luquillo
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Luquillo Living Index
63

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

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Luquillo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,260

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,260 in Luquillo versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Luquillo $1,260
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,013 in Luquillo versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Luquillo $2,013
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,766 in Luquillo versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Luquillo $2,766
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Luquillo costs roughly 2% less than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Luquillo 7% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.51 $19.51

$10.06 R$51.0

93.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.9 $80.9

$40.44 R$205

100.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 $9.07

$8.55 R$43.35

6.08%

Cappuccino

$3.56 $3.56

$2.38 R$12.04

49.58%

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

$1.60 $1.60

$1.61 R$8.18

-0.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.03 R$5.22

41.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.47 R$12.54

23.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.70 R$18.77

-38.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.19 R$6.05

87.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.05 R$10.38

72.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.28 R$6.49

81.25%

Eggs

$7.61 $7.61

$2.29 R$11.60

232.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$10.76 R$54.5

15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 $9.60

$4.41 R$22.36

117.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.39 $13.39

$9.84 R$49.86

36.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.81 R$14.25

75.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.78 R$9.03

42.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.60 R$8.13

195.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.80 R$9.11

173.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.22 R$6.17

206.56%

Onion (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.04 R$5.26

284.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.42 $3.42

$0.77 R$3.92

344.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.67 R$3.38

147.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$3.01 R$15.27

294.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.10 $12.10

$8.08 R$40.94

49.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.19 R$6.03

155.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.51 R$12.73

56.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.22 R$6.20

108.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.92 R$4.66

67.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.93 $41.93

$8.97 R$45.45

367.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.30 R$6.57

-34.62%

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

$39.8K $39.8K

$23.9K R$121.0K

66.66%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-15.60%

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

$274 $274

$133 R$676

105.09%

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

$69.4 $69.4

$10.82 R$54.8

540.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$22.90 R$116

202.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$10.51 $10.51

$8.05 R$40.83

30.56%

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

$825 $825

$598 R$3,029

38.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K $12.4K

$13.4K R$68.0K

-7.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$42.04 R$213

32.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.5 $61.5

$49.68 R$252

23.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$74.5 R$378

44.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$68.7 R$348

62.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,190 $4,190

$640 R$3,242

555.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.93

-45.10%

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

Last update for Luquillo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Luquillo

$412 32.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 59.5% $245

Groceries & Markets

Luquillo

$406 32.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 47.2% $192

Eating Out

Luquillo

$258 20.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 36.1% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Luquillo

$152 12%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 30.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Luquillo

$21 * 1.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 123% $26

Getting Around

Luquillo

$10 * 0.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 484% $50

Accommodation & Living

Luquillo

- * 0%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

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

Cost Breakdown

Luquillo pays 555% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Luquillo vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇷 Luquillo

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

19:02 7:02 PM

1 h ahead of Luquillo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,000

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Luquillo Rio de Janeiro 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Luquillo
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

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

Luquillo is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 555% higher in Luquillo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 89% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,260 per month in Luquillo versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,260 in Luquillo versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Luquillo but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Luquillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Luquillo 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 Luquillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.