Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meridian, MS and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,616 in Meridian, MS, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Meridian, MS
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Meridian, MS Living Index
63

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

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Meridian, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,616

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,616 per month in Meridian, MS vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Meridian, MS $2,616
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $3,954 per month in Meridian, MS vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Meridian, MS $3,954
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $5,292 per month in Meridian, MS vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Meridian, MS $5,292
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Meridian, MS costs about 104% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meridian, MS sits 95% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.06 $26.06

$9.98 R$49.69

161.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$107 $107

$40.34 R$201

164.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 $10.35

$8.48 R$42.23

22.05%

Cappuccino

$4.02 $4.02

$2.36 R$11.77

70.34%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$1.63 R$8.11

34.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.01 R$5.05

116.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.44 R$12.15

140.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$3.69 R$18.38

112.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.15 R$5.70

-22.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.07 R$10.31

102.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.29 R$6.40

58.91%

Eggs

$3.95 $3.95

$2.27 R$11.29

74.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 $15.46

$11.00 R$54.7

40.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.50 $8.50

$4.31 R$21.44

97.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.49 $15.49

$9.74 R$48.49

59.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.83 R$14.07

4.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.84 R$9.14

-38.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.60 R$7.94

75.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.80 R$8.97

141.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.26 R$6.26

49.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.07 R$5.32

193.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.75 R$3.74

178.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$0.66 R$3.28

293.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.04 $9.04

$3.05 R$15.16

196.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.76 $16.76

$8.18 R$40.72

104.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.19 R$5.90

115.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.39 R$11.88

60.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.01 R$5.04

126.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.27 R$6.31

178.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.90 R$4.50

68.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.46 $35.46

$9.44 R$46.99

275.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.33 R$6.63

-29.32%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$23.4K R$116.6K

50.56%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$33.6K R$167.1K

-22.47%

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

$257 $257

$134 R$664

92.52%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$12.23 R$60.9

478.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$22.65 R$113

229.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.81 $45.81

$31.56 R$157

45.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$12.27 $12.27

$8.23 R$40.95

49.09%

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

$606 $606

$603 R$3,002

0.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K $10.4K

$13.2K R$65.9K

-21.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$41.62 R$207

40.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.00 $43.00

$49.94 R$249

-13.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 $87.6

$75.0 R$373

16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$68.3 R$340

78.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 $1,609

$905 R$4,506

77.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,296 $1,296

$527 R$2,625

145.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,520 $2,520

$1,346 R$6,700

87.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,161 $2,161

$774 R$3,854

179.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,720 $2,720

$3,981 R$19.8K

-31.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,250 $2,250

$1,562 R$7,775

44.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 $4,135

$643 R$3,200

543.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

11.93

-44.17%

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

Last update for Meridian, MS: 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

Meridian, MS

$1.3K 48.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 59.3% $768

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meridian, MS

$402 15.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 58.2% $234

Groceries & Markets

Meridian, MS

$370 14%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 42% $156

Eating Out

Meridian, MS

$350 13.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 53.2% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Meridian, MS

$140 5.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 24.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Meridian, MS

$70 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 31.7% $22

Getting Around

Meridian, MS

$20 * 0.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 196% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,609 in Meridian, MS 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 543% higher in Meridian, MS, 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 $107 in Meridian, MS versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $370 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Meridian, MS

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

2 h ahead of Meridian, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,200

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.201 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 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 USD = 4.98 BRL (1 BRL = 0.201 USD). 1 EUR = 5.58 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Meridian, MS Rio de Janeiro 7,820 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Meridian, MS
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

Meridian, MS vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Meridian, MS is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,924 per month in Meridian, MS 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $107 in Meridian, MS and $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 73% more in Meridian, MS, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Meridian, MS at $2,616. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Meridian, MS 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.

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