Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Laurel, NJ and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Mount Laurel, NJ
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Mount Laurel, NJ Living Index
62

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

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Mount Laurel, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,546

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,546 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Mount Laurel, NJ $2,546
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $3,715 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Mount Laurel, NJ $3,715
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $4,885 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Mount Laurel, NJ $4,885
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Mount Laurel, NJ costs about 100% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mount Laurel, NJ sits 88% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.17 $17.17

$9.38 R$47.54

83.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$40.00 R$203

102.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$8.34 R$42.28

41.25%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$2.29 R$11.62

125.76%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$1.59 R$8.05

91.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.01 R$5.10

92.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.14 R$10.85

41.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.66 R$18.55

60.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.13 R$5.72

29.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.09 R$10.60

34.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$1.25 R$6.36

334.40%

Eggs

$3.95 $3.95

$2.25 R$11.39

75.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.28 $12.28

$10.92 R$55.3

12.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 $6.56

$4.36 R$22.10

50.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$9.60 R$48.66

38.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.85 R$14.46

98.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.81 R$9.16

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.58 R$8.02

174.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.83 R$9.28

143.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.20 R$6.10

85.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.06 R$5.35

196.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.75 R$3.81

217.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$0.68 R$3.45

248.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$2.94 R$14.90

297.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$7.98 R$40.43

85.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.18 R$5.98

105.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.42 R$12.26

84.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.94 R$4.78

127.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.20 R$6.10

130.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.83 R$4.20

83.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.84 $23.84

$8.97 R$45.48

165.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.29 R$6.53

-14.73%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$22.8K R$115.5K

42.69%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-21.75%

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

$212 $212

$134 R$681

57.90%

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

$63.0 $63.0

$10.73 R$54.4

487.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$22.84 R$116

183.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.85 $38.85

$30.16 R$153

28.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$15.47 $15.47

$7.73 R$39.17

100.13%

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

$2,268 $2,268

$584 R$2,960

288.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.8K $41.8K

$12.8K R$64.9K

226.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.83 $48.83

$41.12 R$208

18.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.01 $47.01

$49.26 R$250

-4.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$73.7 R$373

42.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$65.9 R$334

115.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 $1,569

$900 R$4,561

74.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 $1,312

$527 R$2,673

148.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$1,332 R$6,754

84.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,148 $2,148

$748 R$3,790

187.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,099 $3,099

$3,990 R$20.2K

-22.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,106 $2,106

$1,560 R$7,908

35.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

11.93

-44.51%

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

Last update for Mount Laurel, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mount Laurel, NJ

$1.3K 51.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 59.8% $785

Groceries & Markets

Mount Laurel, NJ

$369 14.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 42.1% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Laurel, NJ

$340 13.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 50.6% $172

Eating Out

Mount Laurel, NJ

$282 11.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 44.6% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Laurel, NJ

$154 6.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 32.9% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Laurel, NJ

$70 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 34.7% $24

Getting Around

Mount Laurel, NJ

$19 * 0.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 214% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,569 in Mount Laurel, NJ versus $900 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 $81.0 in Mount Laurel, NJ versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $369 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mount Laurel, NJ

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

20:51 8:51 PM

21:51 9:51 PM

1 h ahead of Mount Laurel, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,326

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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 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

Mount Laurel, NJ Rio de Janeiro 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Mount Laurel, NJ
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

Mount Laurel, NJ vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Mount Laurel, NJ is pricier by about 100%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,819 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ and $1,910 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 $2,546 in Mount Laurel, NJ and $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 100%.

Kindergarten costs $2,268 per month in Mount Laurel, NJ and $584 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 $1,273, than in Mount Laurel, NJ at $2,546. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mount Laurel, NJ 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.

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, Mount Laurel, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.