Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monroe, LA and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,884 in Monroe, LA, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

91

Cost of Living Index in Monroe, LA
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Monroe, LA Living Index
63

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

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Monroe, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,884

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,884 per month in Monroe, LA vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Monroe, LA $1,884
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $2,866 per month in Monroe, LA vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Monroe, LA $2,866
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $3,848 per month in Monroe, LA vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Monroe, LA $3,848
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Monroe, LA costs about 46% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Monroe, LA sits 40% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.96 $16.96

$10.06 R$51.0

68.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.30 $40.30

$40.44 R$205

-0.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$8.55 R$43.35

17.89%

Cappuccino

$3.02 $3.02

$2.38 R$12.04

26.89%

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

$1.99 $1.99

$1.61 R$8.18

23.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.03 R$5.22

133.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.47 R$12.54

65.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.70 R$18.77

58.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.19 R$6.05

-6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.05 R$10.38

33.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.28 R$6.49

117.19%

Eggs

$3.08 $3.08

$2.29 R$11.60

34.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 $8.79

$10.76 R$54.5

-18.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 $7.94

$4.41 R$22.36

80.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$9.84 R$49.86

59.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.81 R$14.25

81.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.78 R$9.03

-19.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.60 R$8.13

166.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.80 R$9.11

108.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.22 R$6.17

125.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.04 R$5.26

143.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.77 R$3.92

96.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.67 R$3.38

176.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.77 $7.77

$3.01 R$15.27

158.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.70 $13.70

$8.08 R$40.94

69.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.19 R$6.03

53.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.51 R$12.73

-30.28%

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)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.92 R$4.66

65.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.03 $24.03

$8.97 R$45.45

167.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.30 R$6.57

-26.15%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$23.9K R$121.0K

55.57%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-22.24%

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

$173 $173

$133 R$676

29.72%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$10.82 R$54.8

377.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.7 $63.7

$22.90 R$116

178.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.19 $46.19

$30.79 R$156

50.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$12.86 $12.86

$8.05 R$40.83

59.75%

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

$786 $786

$598 R$3,029

31.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.0K $19.0K

$13.4K R$68.0K

41.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.60 $40.60

$42.04 R$213

-3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.10 $38.10

$49.68 R$252

-23.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.0 $62.0

$74.5 R$378

-16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 $97.3

$68.7 R$348

41.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 $976

$903 R$4,578

8.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 $828

$529 R$2,684

56.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 $2,173

$1,326 R$6,724

63.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,643 $1,643

$756 R$3,831

117.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,022 $2,022

$4,010 R$20.3K

-49.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,812 $1,812

$1,560 R$7,910

16.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,697 $3,697

$640 R$3,242

478.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

11.93

-43.42%

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

Last update for Monroe, LA: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Monroe, LA

$828 43.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 36.1% $299

Groceries & Markets

Monroe, LA

$327 17.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 34.3% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monroe, LA

$288 15.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 42.1% $121

Eating Out

Monroe, LA

$252 13.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 34.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Monroe, LA

$107 5.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 1.3% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Monroe, LA

$72 3.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 34.8% $25

Getting Around

Monroe, LA

$10 * 0.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 492% $50

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $976 in Monroe, LA 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 478% higher in Monroe, LA, 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 $40.00 in Monroe, LA versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Groceries tell a different story – $327 in Monroe, LA vs $215 in Rio de Janeiro – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monroe, LA

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

2 h ahead of Monroe, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,702

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

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Between locations

Monroe, LA Rio de Janeiro 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Monroe, LA
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

Monroe, LA vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monroe, LA costs about 46% more than Rio de Janeiro, 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 $2,826 per month in Monroe, LA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Monroe, LA 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 52% more in Monroe, LA, 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 $1,289, than in Monroe, LA at $1,884. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Monroe, LA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,289 versus $1,884 in Monroe, LA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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