Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $2,388 in Ottawa, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,388

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,388 per month in Ottawa vs $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Ottawa $2,388
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in Ottawa vs $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Ottawa $3,474
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

A family of three spends $4,559 per month in Ottawa vs $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Ottawa $4,559
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Ottawa costs about 86% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ottawa sits 78% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.59 CA$26.49

$9.98 R$49.83

86.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 CA$110

$40.34 R$201

90.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 CA$15.12

$8.48 R$42.35

25.00%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.61

$2.36 R$11.80

66.95%

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

$2.01 CA$2.87

$1.63 R$8.13

23.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.53

$1.01 R$5.06

76.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.94

$2.44 R$12.19

128.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 CA$8.82

$3.69 R$18.43

67.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.27

$1.15 R$5.72

99.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CA$4.42

$2.07 R$10.34

49.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.57

$1.29 R$6.42

148.84%

Eggs

$3.47 CA$4.95

$2.27 R$11.32

52.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$11.00 R$54.9

-4.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.17 CA$15.91

$4.31 R$21.51

159.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 CA$25.20

$9.74 R$48.63

81.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.36

$2.83 R$14.12

32.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.84 R$9.17

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.37

$1.60 R$7.96

135.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 CA$5.05

$1.80 R$9.00

96.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.78

$1.26 R$6.28

110.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$1.07 R$5.34

125.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.76

$0.75 R$3.75

250.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.27

$0.66 R$3.29

140.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.49 CA$20.65

$3.05 R$15.21

375.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 CA$16.82

$8.18 R$40.84

44.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.72

$1.19 R$5.92

119.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 CA$4.69

$2.39 R$11.92

37.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 CA$3.94

$1.01 R$5.06

174.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 CA$134

$50.2 R$250

87.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$1.27 R$6.33

114.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 CA$2.15

$0.90 R$4.51

67.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.16 CA$27.31

$9.44 R$47.13

102.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.71

$1.33 R$6.65

-9.77%

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

$27.8K CA$39.7K

$23.4K R$117.0K

18.77%

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

$21.1K CA$30.0K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-37.26%

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

$136 CA$194

$134 R$666

1.96%

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

$36.63 CA$52.2

$12.23 R$61.0

199.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 CA$71.8

$22.65 R$113

122.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 CA$65.3

$31.56 R$158

45.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.77 CA$39.59

$30.87 R$154

-10.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 CA$18.28

$8.23 R$41.07

55.77%

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

$913 CA$1,301

$603 R$3,011

51.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$23.0K

$13.2K R$66.1K

21.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 CA$87.3

$41.62 R$208

47.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.63 CA$55.1

$49.94 R$249

-22.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 CA$151

$75.0 R$375

41.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.6 CA$139

$68.3 R$341

42.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 CA$2,124

$905 R$4,519

64.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 CA$1,719

$527 R$2,633

128.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,204 CA$3,141

$1,346 R$6,720

63.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 CA$2,617

$774 R$3,865

137.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,287 CA$6,111

$3,981 R$19.9K

7.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,457 CA$6,353

$1,562 R$7,798

185.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,712 CA$5,292

$643 R$3,210

477.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

11.93

-65.30%

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

Last update for Ottawa: 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

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 56.3% $678

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa

$366 15.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 41.4% $152

Eating Out

Ottawa

$283 11.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 42.1% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa

$223 9.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 24.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa

$137 5.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 22.6% $31

Getting Around

Ottawa

$115 4.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 47.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa

$71 3%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 32.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,490 in Ottawa 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 477% higher in Ottawa, 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 $77.0 in Ottawa versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $366 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

02:38 2:38 AM

1 h ahead of Ottawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,000,000 Capital

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.6 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ottawa Rio de Janeiro 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ottawa
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

Ottawa vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,388 in Ottawa, $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 86% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,582 per month in Ottawa and $1,927 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 $2,388 in Ottawa and $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro. That's a gap of about 86%.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Ottawa at $2,388. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ottawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ottawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro to $2,388 in Ottawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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