Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bedford, MA and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,753 in New Bedford, MA, rent and utilities included – about $17,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in New Bedford, MA
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New Bedford, MA Living Index
62

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

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New Bedford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,753

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,753 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $2,753
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

A couple spends around $3,820 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $3,820
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

A family of three spends $4,887 per month in New Bedford, MA vs $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

New Bedford, MA $4,887
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

New Bedford, MA costs about 116% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New Bedford, MA sits 103% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.68 $19.68

$9.38 R$47.54

109.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$40.00 R$203

47.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 $5.95

$8.34 R$42.28

-28.66%

Cappuccino

$4.11 $4.11

$2.29 R$11.62

79.48%

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

$2.31 $2.31

$1.59 R$8.05

45.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.01 R$5.10

21.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.14 R$10.85

182.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.66 R$18.55

11.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.13 R$5.72

-10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.09 R$10.60

119.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$1.25 R$6.36

1200.80%

Eggs

$6.42 $6.42

$2.25 R$11.39

185.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.57 $10.57

$10.92 R$55.3

-3.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.74 $10.74

$4.36 R$22.10

146.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 $19.16

$9.60 R$48.66

99.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.85 R$14.46

88.77%

Banana (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$1.81 R$9.16

146.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.58 R$8.02

113.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.83 R$9.28

64.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.20 R$6.10

85.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.06 R$5.35

127.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.75 R$3.81

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 $2.88

$0.68 R$3.45

323.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.07 $13.07

$2.94 R$14.90

344.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.85 $16.85

$7.98 R$40.43

111.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.18 R$5.98

62.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.42 R$12.26

17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.12 $6.12

$1.20 R$6.10

410.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.83 R$4.20

165.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.29 R$6.53

-15.50%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$22.8K R$115.5K

23.71%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-21.73%

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

$181 $181

$134 R$681

34.92%

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

$36.85 $36.85

$10.73 R$54.4

243.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 $58.6

$22.84 R$116

156.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.95 $28.95

$30.16 R$153

-4.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$12.43 $12.43

$7.73 R$39.17

60.80%

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

$2,133 $2,133

$584 R$2,960

265.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.67 $38.67

$41.12 R$208

-5.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.01 $16.01

$49.26 R$250

-67.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 $99.5

$73.7 R$373

35.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 $1,869

$900 R$4,561

107.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$527 R$2,673

199.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,615 $2,615

$1,332 R$6,754

96.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,341 $2,341

$748 R$3,790

213.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,641 $4,641

$640 R$3,246

624.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.42

11.93

-54.57%

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

Last update for New Bedford, MA: October 20, 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

New Bedford, MA

$1.6K 57.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 66.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

New Bedford, MA

$478 17.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 55.3% $264

Eating Out

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 43.7% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 39.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

New Bedford, MA

$69 * 2.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 49.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

New Bedford, MA

$54 2%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 15.2% $8.2

Getting Around

New Bedford, MA

$17 * 0.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 247% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,869 in New Bedford, MA 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.

Salaries run about 625% higher in New Bedford, MA, 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 $59.0 in New Bedford, MA versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $478 vs $214 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Bedford, MA

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

03:52 3:52 AM

1 h ahead of New Bedford, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,538

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

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Between locations

New Bedford, MA Rio de Janeiro 7,720 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

New Bedford, MA vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,753 in New Bedford, MA, $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 116% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,130 per month in New Bedford, MA 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $59.0 in New Bedford, MA 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 124% more in New Bedford, MA, 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 $1,273, than in New Bedford, MA at $2,753. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in New Bedford, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,753 in New Bedford, MA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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