Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montpelier, VT and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,333 in Montpelier, VT, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Montpelier, VT
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Montpelier, VT Living Index
63

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

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Montpelier, VT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,333

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,333 per month in Montpelier, VT vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Montpelier, VT $2,333
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $3,506 per month in Montpelier, VT vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Montpelier, VT $3,506
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $4,678 per month in Montpelier, VT vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Montpelier, VT $4,678
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Montpelier, VT costs about 81% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Montpelier, VT sits 73% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.65 $20.65

$10.06 R$51.0

105.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$40.44 R$205

95.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 $10.69

$8.55 R$43.35

25.03%

Cappuccino

$3.88 $3.88

$2.38 R$12.04

63.03%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$1.61 R$8.18

65.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.03 R$5.22

47.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.41 $7.41

$2.47 R$12.54

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$3.70 R$18.77

87.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.19 R$6.05

9.24%

White Bread (500g)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.05 R$10.38

138.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.28 R$6.49

217.97%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$2.29 R$11.60

83.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$10.76 R$54.5

60.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$4.41 R$22.36

199.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.54 $17.54

$9.84 R$49.86

78.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$2.81 R$14.25

120.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.78 R$9.03

-5.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.60 R$8.13

180.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.80 R$9.11

148.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.22 R$6.17

29.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.04 R$5.26

159.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.77 R$3.92

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.67 R$3.38

355.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.20 $14.20

$3.01 R$15.27

371.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 $12.22

$8.08 R$40.94

51.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.19 R$6.03

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.51 R$12.73

-21.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.18 $6.18

$1.22 R$6.20

406.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.06 $5.06

$0.92 R$4.66

450.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.30 R$6.57

-25.38%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$23.9K R$121.0K

55.76%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-23.34%

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

$194 $194

$133 R$676

45.77%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$10.82 R$54.8

392.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 $52.8

$22.90 R$116

130.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$8.05 R$40.83

50.56%

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

$832 $832

$598 R$3,029

39.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.4K $33.4K

$13.4K R$68.0K

149.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.63 $40.63

$42.04 R$213

-3.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.86 $29.86

$49.68 R$252

-39.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 $51.4

$74.5 R$378

-31.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.2 $80.2

$68.7 R$348

16.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 $1,419

$903 R$4,578

57.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,139 $1,139

$529 R$2,684

115.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 $2,435

$1,326 R$6,724

83.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 $1,981

$756 R$3,831

162.12%

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)

$640 R$3,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

11.93

-45.01%

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

Last update for Montpelier, VT: October 10, 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

Montpelier, VT

$1.1K 48.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 53.5% $610

Groceries & Markets

Montpelier, VT

$435 18.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 50.7% $221

Eating Out

Montpelier, VT

$312 13.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 47% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montpelier, VT

$301 12.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 44.4% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Montpelier, VT

$91 3.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 16.3% $15

Getting Around

Montpelier, VT

$31 * 1.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 90.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Montpelier, VT

$24 * 1%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 93.5% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,419 in Montpelier, VT 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Montpelier, VT versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $435 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montpelier, VT

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

14:41 2:41 PM

1 h ahead of Montpelier, VT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,800

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

BRL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Montpelier, VT Rio de Janeiro 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Montpelier, VT
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

Montpelier, VT vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montpelier, VT costs about 81% 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 $3,500 per month in Montpelier, VT 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,333 in Montpelier, VT and $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 81%.

Kindergarten costs $832 per month in Montpelier, VT 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 Montpelier, VT at $2,333. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montpelier, VT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,289 versus $2,333 in Montpelier, VT. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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