Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Myrtle Beach, SC and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,475 in Myrtle Beach, SC, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Myrtle Beach, SC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,475
/mo nomad
Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,285
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,475 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Myrtle Beach, SC $2,475
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $3,452 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Myrtle Beach, SC $3,452
  • Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $4,429 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

  • Myrtle Beach, SC $4,429
  • Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Myrtle Beach, SC costs about 93% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Myrtle Beach, SC sits 85% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Myrtle Beach, SC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.88 $17.88
$9.98 R$49.69
79.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.7 $73.7
$40.34 R$201
82.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.18 $11.18
$8.48 R$42.23
31.84%
Cappuccino
$5.24 $5.24
$2.36 R$11.77
122.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 $2.61
$1.63 R$8.11
60.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 $2.25
$1.01 R$5.05
122.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.83 $5.83
$2.44 R$12.15
138.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.95 $6.95
$3.69 R$18.38
88.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Myrtle Beach, SC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.96 $0.96
$1.15 R$5.70
-16.52%
White Bread (500g)
$3.17 $3.17
$2.07 R$10.31
53.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.18 $3.18
$1.29 R$6.40
146.51%
Eggs
$3.92 $3.92
$2.27 R$11.29
72.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.89 $12.89
$11.00 R$54.7
17.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.59 $10.59
$4.31 R$21.44
145.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.88 $14.88
$9.74 R$48.49
52.77%
Apples (1kg)
$5.14 $5.14
$2.83 R$14.07
81.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.84 R$9.14
-30.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.32 $4.32
$1.60 R$7.94
170.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.48 $4.48
$1.80 R$8.97
148.89%
Potato (1kg)
$3.85 $3.85
$1.26 R$6.26
205.56%
Onion (1kg)
$2.86 $2.86
$1.07 R$5.32
167.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.81 $1.81
$0.75 R$3.74
141.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$0.66 R$3.28
246.97%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.29 $7.29
$3.05 R$15.16
139.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.77 $12.77
$8.18 R$40.72
56.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.19 R$5.90
57.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$2.39 R$11.88
-12.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Myrtle Beach, SC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.01 R$5.04
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$50.2 R$250
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 $3.06
$1.27 R$6.31
140.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.91 $1.91
$0.90 R$4.50
112.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.97 $29.97
$9.44 R$46.99
217.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.92 $0.92
$1.33 R$6.63
-30.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K $27.5K
$23.4K R$116.6K
17.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.2K $23.2K
$33.6K R$167.1K
-30.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Myrtle Beach, SC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$156 $156
$134 R$664
16.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.0 $68.0
$12.23 R$60.9
456.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.3 $79.3
$22.65 R$113
250.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Myrtle Beach, SC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.7 $51.7
$31.56 R$157
63.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.88 $14.88
$30.87 R$154
-51.80%
Cinema Ticket
$11.27 $11.27
$8.23 R$40.95
36.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Myrtle Beach, SC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,483 $1,483
$603 R$3,002
145.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.8K $24.8K
$13.2K R$65.9K
87.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Myrtle Beach, SC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.9 $50.9
$41.62 R$207
22.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.81 $37.81
$49.94 R$249
-24.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.5 $84.5
$75.0 R$373
12.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$89.3 $89.3
$68.3 R$340
30.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Myrtle Beach, SC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,536 $1,536
$905 R$4,506
69.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,268 $1,268
$527 R$2,625
140.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,409 $2,409
$1,346 R$6,700
78.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,777 $1,777
$774 R$3,854
129.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,437 $2,437
$3,981 R$19.8K
-38.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,277 $2,277
$1,562 R$7,775
45.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Myrtle Beach, SC
Rio de Janeiro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,593 $3,593
$643 R$3,200
458.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.48
11.93
-45.68%

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

Last update for Myrtle Beach, SC: October 5, 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
Myrtle Beach, SC
$1.3K
Rio de Janeiro
$527 58.4% $740
Groceries & Markets
Myrtle Beach, SC
$370
Rio de Janeiro
$215 42% $156
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Myrtle Beach, SC
$303
Rio de Janeiro
$168 44.5% $135
Eating Out
Myrtle Beach, SC
$302
Rio de Janeiro
$164 45.7% $138
Clothing & Footwear
Myrtle Beach, SC
$118
Rio de Janeiro
$106 10.5% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Myrtle Beach, SC
$74
Rio de Janeiro
$48 35.4% $26
Getting Around
Myrtle Beach, SC
$13 *
Rio de Janeiro
$60 376% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,536 in Myrtle Beach, SC 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 459% higher in Myrtle Beach, SC, 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 $74.0 in Myrtle Beach, SC 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
🇺🇸 Myrtle Beach, SC
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🕒 Local time
14:51 2:51 PM
15:51 3:51 PM
1 h ahead of Myrtle Beach, SC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
29,175
6,211,223
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Myrtle Beach, SC Rio de Janeiro 7,340 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Myrtle Beach, SC
  • 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
Myrtle Beach, SC vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rio de Janeiro cheaper than Myrtle Beach, SC?
Yes – Myrtle Beach, SC is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,712 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC and $1,927 in Rio de Janeiro. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
What are total monthly expenses in Myrtle Beach, SC and in Rio de Janeiro?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,475 in Myrtle Beach, SC and $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 93%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,483 per month in Myrtle Beach, SC and $603 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Myrtle Beach, SC or in Rio de Janeiro?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Myrtle Beach, SC at $2,475. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Myrtle Beach, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Myrtle Beach, SC or Rio de Janeiro more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Myrtle Beach, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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