Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malden, MA and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $3,463 in Malden, MA, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Malden, MA
Learn more

Malden, MA Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Malden, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,463

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,463 per month in Malden, MA vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Malden, MA $3,463
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $4,740 per month in Malden, MA vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Malden, MA $4,740
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $6,017 per month in Malden, MA vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Malden, MA $6,017
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Malden, MA costs about 169% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malden, MA sits 157% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$10.06 R$51.0

98.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 $95.3

$40.44 R$205

135.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 $13.66

$8.55 R$43.35

59.77%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$2.38 R$12.04

126.05%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$1.61 R$8.18

77.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.03 R$5.22

118.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 $5.79

$2.47 R$12.54

134.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$3.70 R$18.77

114.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.19 R$6.05

4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.05 R$10.38

97.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.28 R$6.49

331.25%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$2.29 R$11.60

111.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.09 $12.09

$10.76 R$54.5

12.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.41 $14.41

$4.41 R$22.36

226.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$9.84 R$49.86

81.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.64 $6.64

$2.81 R$14.25

136.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.78 R$9.03

-1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$1.60 R$8.13

233.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$1.80 R$9.11

211.67%

Potato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.22 R$6.17

261.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.04 R$5.26

76.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 $2.74

$0.77 R$3.92

255.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$0.67 R$3.38

234.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 $12.37

$3.01 R$15.27

310.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.65 $13.65

$8.08 R$40.94

68.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.19 R$6.03

75.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 $5.68

$2.51 R$12.73

126.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$0.99 R$5.00

147.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.6 $90.6

$50.1 R$254

80.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.22 R$6.20

118.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.92 R$4.66

92.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.97 $27.97

$8.97 R$45.45

211.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.30 R$6.57

-16.15%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$23.9K R$121.0K

51.56%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-20.67%

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

$240 $240

$133 R$676

79.90%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$10.82 R$54.8

400.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.4 $86.4

$22.90 R$116

277.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.09 $35.09

$30.79 R$156

13.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$15.69 $15.69

$8.05 R$40.83

94.91%

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

$1,834 $1,834

$598 R$3,029

206.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$13.4K R$68.0K

126.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$42.04 R$213

36.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.48 $38.48

$49.68 R$252

-22.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$74.5 R$378

6.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 $99.8

$68.7 R$348

45.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,427 $2,427

$903 R$4,578

168.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,997 $1,997

$529 R$2,684

277.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,439 $3,439

$1,326 R$6,724

159.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,763 $2,763

$756 R$3,831

265.56%

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)

$4,638 $4,638

$640 R$3,242

625.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

11.93

-44.34%

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

Last update for Malden, MA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Malden, MA

$2K 57.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 73.5% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Malden, MA

$453 13.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 52.6% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malden, MA

$381 11%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 56.1% $213

Eating Out

Malden, MA

$330 9.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 50.1% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Malden, MA

$124 3.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 14.6% $18

Getting Around

Malden, MA

$112 3.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 46.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Malden, MA

$66 1.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 29.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,427 in Malden, MA versus $903 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 625% higher in Malden, MA, 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 $95.0 in Malden, MA versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $453 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Malden, MA

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

11:13 11:13 AM

1 h ahead of Malden, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,450

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malden, MA Rio de Janeiro 7,810 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Malden, MA
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

Malden, MA vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Malden, MA is pricier by about 169%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,194 per month in Malden, MA and $1,933 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 81% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,834 per month in Malden, MA and $598 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 $1,289, than in Malden, MA at $3,463. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Malden, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Rio de Janeiro – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Malden, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.