Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montgomery, AL and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
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Montgomery, AL Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,354

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Montgomery, AL $2,354
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Montgomery, AL $3,197
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,039 in Montgomery, AL versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Montgomery, AL $4,039
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Montgomery, AL is roughly 83% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montgomery, AL is 74% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 $16.11

$10.06 R$51.0

60.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$40.44 R$205

37.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 $10.30

$8.55 R$43.35

20.47%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$2.38 R$12.04

125.21%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$1.61 R$8.18

62.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.03 R$5.22

100.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.47 R$12.54

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.70 R$18.77

32.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.19 R$6.05

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.05 R$10.38

75.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.28 R$6.49

60.16%

Eggs

$3.14 $3.14

$2.29 R$11.60

37.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$10.76 R$54.5

-26.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$4.41 R$22.36

67.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$9.84 R$49.86

45.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.81 R$14.25

41.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.78 R$9.03

-28.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.60 R$8.13

22.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.80 R$9.11

131.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.22 R$6.17

154.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.04 R$5.26

155.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.77 R$3.92

171.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.67 R$3.38

225.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$3.01 R$15.27

195.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$8.08 R$40.94

86.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.19 R$6.03

63.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.51 R$12.73

53.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.99 R$5.00

106.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.02 $45.02

$50.1 R$254

-10.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.22 R$6.20

107.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.92 R$4.66

73.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.54 $25.54

$8.97 R$45.45

184.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.30 R$6.57

-30.77%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$23.9K R$121.0K

32.90%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-21.05%

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

$309 $309

$133 R$676

131.78%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$10.82 R$54.8

368.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$22.90 R$116

216.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.83 $37.83

$30.79 R$156

22.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.52 $28.52

$31.85 R$161

-10.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 $9.81

$8.05 R$40.83

21.86%

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

$1,380 $1,380

$598 R$3,029

130.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K $13.7K

$13.4K R$68.0K

2.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.94 $48.94

$42.04 R$213

16.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.52 $35.52

$49.68 R$252

-28.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$74.5 R$378

15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$68.7 R$348

40.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$903 R$4,578

42.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 $1,084

$529 R$2,684

104.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$1,326 R$6,724

19.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 $1,455

$756 R$3,831

92.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,368 $1,368

$4,010 R$20.3K

-65.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 $1,309

$1,560 R$7,910

-16.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 $3,632

$640 R$3,242

467.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

11.93

-45.18%

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

Last update for Montgomery, AL: 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

Montgomery, AL

$1.1K 46%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 51.2% $555

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montgomery, AL

$432 18.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 61.4% $265

Groceries & Markets

Montgomery, AL

$322 13.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 33.3% $107

Eating Out

Montgomery, AL

$274 11.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 39.9% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Montgomery, AL

$120 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 12.1% $15

Getting Around

Montgomery, AL

$64 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 6.1% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Montgomery, AL

$57 2.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 18.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Montgomery, AL and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montgomery, AL pays 468% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $56.0 in Montgomery, AL vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

09:25 9:25 AM

2 h ahead of Montgomery, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,603

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

Montgomery, AL Rio de Janeiro 7,660 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Montgomery, AL
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

Montgomery, AL vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montgomery, AL and Rio de Janeiro differ by about 83% in total monthly costs ($2,354 vs $1,289 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 468% higher in Montgomery, AL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,287 in Montgomery, AL versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $56.0 in Montgomery, AL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,354 per month in Montgomery, AL versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,354 in Montgomery, AL, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Montgomery, AL. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Montgomery, AL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.