Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merida and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Merida: $814 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

40

Cost of Living Index in Merida
Learn more

Merida Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Merida

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$814

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $814 per month in Merida vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Merida $814
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $1,418 per month in Merida vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Merida $1,418
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $2,021 per month in Merida vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Merida $2,021
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Merida is about 37% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Merida and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Merida 40% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.90 VES 10.4K

$10.06 R$51.0

18.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 VES 53.4K

$40.44 R$205

50.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 VES 9,500

$8.55 R$43.35

26.55%

Cappuccino

$2.54 VES 2,226

$2.38 R$12.04

6.72%

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

$2.13 VES 1,867

$1.61 R$8.18

32.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 VES 1,195

$1.03 R$5.22

32.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 VES 1,727

$2.47 R$12.54

-20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 VES 2,644

$3.70 R$18.77

-18.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 VES 1,788

$1.19 R$6.05

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 VES 2,913

$2.05 R$10.38

61.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 VES 1,759

$1.28 R$6.49

56.25%

Eggs

$2.51 VES 2,201

$2.29 R$11.60

9.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.79 VES 5,965

$10.76 R$54.5

-36.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 VES 6,912

$4.41 R$22.36

78.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 VES 6,421

$9.84 R$49.86

-25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 VES 4,488

$2.81 R$14.25

81.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 VES 1,267

$1.78 R$9.03

-19.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 VES 2,426

$1.60 R$8.13

72.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 VES 2,070

$1.80 R$9.11

31.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 VES 1,735

$1.22 R$6.17

62.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 VES 1,194

$1.04 R$5.26

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 VES 1,307

$0.77 R$3.92

93.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 VES 2,217

$0.67 R$3.38

277.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.71 VES 3,258

$3.01 R$15.27

23.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 VES 9,812

$8.08 R$40.94

38.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 VES 1,233

$1.19 R$6.03

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 VES 1,944

$2.51 R$12.73

-11.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 VES 253

$0.99 R$5.00

-70.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 VES 3,469

$1.22 R$6.20

223.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 VES 1,300

$0.92 R$4.66

60.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.86 VES 5,144

$8.97 R$45.45

-34.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.72 VES 629

$1.30 R$6.57

-44.62%

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

$45.7K VES 40.1M

$23.9K R$121.0K

91.51%

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

$50.5K VES 44.3M

$32.9K R$166.6K

53.65%

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

$12.37 VES 10.9K

$133 R$676

-90.73%

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

$10.13 VES 8,894

$10.82 R$54.8

-6.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.49 VES 25.9K

$22.90 R$116

28.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.41 VES 25.8K

$30.79 R$156

-4.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.79 VES 13.0K

$31.85 R$161

-53.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 VES 4,325

$8.05 R$40.83

-38.76%

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

$88.5 VES 77.7K

$598 R$3,029

-85.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,399 VES 2.1M

$13.4K R$68.0K

-82.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 VES 63.7K

$42.04 R$213

72.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.37 VES 37.2K

$49.68 R$252

-14.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 VES 85.5K

$74.5 R$378

30.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 VES 86.3K

$68.7 R$348

43.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$132 VES 116.2K

$903 R$4,578

-85.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$93.6 VES 82.1K

$529 R$2,684

-82.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 VES 196.9K

$1,326 R$6,724

-83.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$193 VES 169.8K

$756 R$3,831

-74.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,184 VES 1.0M

$4,010 R$20.3K

-70.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 VES 1.1M

$1,560 R$7,910

-22.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$290 VES 254.9K

$640 R$3,242

-54.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

109.56%

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

Last update for Merida: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Merida

$289 35.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 25.7% $74

Eating Out

Merida

$188 23.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 12.2% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Merida

$140 17.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 24.4% $34

Accommodation & Living

Merida

$94 11.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 466% $436

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merida

$52 6.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 221% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Merida

$39 4.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 19.4% $7.6

Getting Around

Merida

$13 * 1.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 379% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $132 in Merida 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 120% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $61.0 in Merida versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇪 Merida

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

21:24 9:24 PM

22:24 10:24 PM

1 h ahead of Merida

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,303

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to VES – Venezuelan Bolívar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇪 Venezuelan Bolívar (Bs.S)

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to VES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Merida Rio de Janeiro 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Merida
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

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

Rio de Janeiro costs about 58% more than Merida, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,221 per month in Merida 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 Merida, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $814 in Merida and $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 58%.

Kindergarten costs $88.5 per month in Merida 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Merida, where all-in costs run around $814, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Merida it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Merida costs $814 versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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