Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,994 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
63

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

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,994 per month in Madison, WI vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Madison, WI $2,994
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $4,424 per month in Madison, WI vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Madison, WI $4,424
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $5,854 per month in Madison, WI vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Madison, WI $5,854
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Madison, WI costs about 133% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Madison, WI sits 123% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 $19.62

$9.98 R$49.83

96.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 $68.0

$40.34 R$201

68.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.07 $13.07

$8.48 R$42.35

54.13%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.36 R$11.80

138.56%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$1.63 R$8.13

93.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.01 R$5.06

150.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$2.44 R$12.19

190.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$3.69 R$18.43

123.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.15 R$5.72

-14.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.07 R$10.34

65.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.29 R$6.42

220.16%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$2.27 R$11.32

59.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.92 $14.92

$11.00 R$54.9

35.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$4.31 R$21.51

208.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.06 $20.06

$9.74 R$48.63

105.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.83 R$14.12

67.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.84 R$9.17

-11.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$1.60 R$7.96

231.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.80 R$9.00

176.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.26 R$6.28

121.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.07 R$5.34

191.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.75 R$3.75

192.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.66 R$3.29

266.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.77 $10.77

$3.05 R$15.21

253.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$8.18 R$40.84

92.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.19 R$5.92

126.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$2.39 R$11.92

85.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.01 R$5.06

103.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 $65.5

$50.2 R$250

30.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.27 R$6.33

212.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.90 R$4.51

124.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.09 $43.09

$9.44 R$47.13

356.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.33 R$6.65

-24.06%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$23.4K R$117.0K

53.62%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-23.68%

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

$269 $269

$134 R$666

101.60%

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

$52.5 $52.5

$12.23 R$61.0

329.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.8 $83.8

$22.65 R$113

269.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 $58.4

$31.56 R$158

85.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.54 $10.54

$30.87 R$154

-65.86%

Cinema Ticket

$15.27 $15.27

$8.23 R$41.07

85.54%

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

$1,705 $1,705

$603 R$3,011

182.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K $23.0K

$13.2K R$66.1K

74.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.0 $63.0

$41.62 R$208

51.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.0 $50.0

$49.94 R$249

0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$75.0 R$375

43.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$68.3 R$341

77.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,789 $1,789

$905 R$4,519

97.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$527 R$2,633

198.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,177 $3,177

$1,346 R$6,720

136.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$774 R$3,865

231.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,524 $4,524

$3,981 R$19.9K

13.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,489 $2,489

$1,562 R$7,798

59.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,383 $4,383

$643 R$3,210

581.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

11.93

-43.92%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: 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

Madison, WI

$1.6K 51.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 66.5% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$432 14%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 50.4% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$405 13.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 58.5% $237

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$338 11%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 51.6% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$154 5%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 31.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$89 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 46% $41

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$88 2.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 31.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,789 in Madison, WI 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.

Salaries run about 582% higher in Madison, WI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Madison, WI versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $432 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

2 h ahead of Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

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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Madison, WI Rio de Janeiro 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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

Madison, WI vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,994 in Madison, WI, $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 133% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,491 per month in Madison, WI 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.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,705 per month in Madison, WI and $603 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Madison, WI at $2,994. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Madison, WI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,994 in Madison, WI. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Madison, WI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.