Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Owensboro, KY and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,990 in Owensboro, KY, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Owensboro, KY
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Owensboro, KY Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Owensboro, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,990

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,990 in Owensboro, KY versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Owensboro, KY $1,990
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,922 in Owensboro, KY versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Owensboro, KY $2,922
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,855 in Owensboro, KY versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Owensboro, KY $3,855
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Owensboro, KY is roughly 54% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Owensboro, KY is 47% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$10.06 R$51.0

95.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$40.44 R$205

50.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$8.55 R$43.35

19.18%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$2.38 R$12.04

126.47%

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

$1.93 $1.93

$1.61 R$8.18

19.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.03 R$5.22

28.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.47 R$12.54

65.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.70 R$18.77

33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.19 R$6.05

-32.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.05 R$10.38

56.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$1.28 R$6.49

250.78%

Eggs

$2.93 $2.93

$2.29 R$11.60

27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$10.76 R$54.5

-38.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.15 $11.15

$4.41 R$22.36

152.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.01 $12.01

$9.84 R$49.86

22.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.81 R$14.25

58.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.78 R$9.03

-30.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.60 R$8.13

68.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.80 R$9.11

100.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.22 R$6.17

83.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.04 R$5.26

116.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.77 R$3.92

157.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.67 R$3.38

117.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$3.01 R$15.27

194.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$8.08 R$40.94

-3.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.19 R$6.03

59.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 $5.08

$2.51 R$12.73

102.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.99 R$5.00

3.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.41 $29.41

$50.1 R$254

-41.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.59 $5.59

$1.22 R$6.20

358.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.92 R$4.66

11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.81 $17.81

$8.97 R$45.45

98.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.30 R$6.57

-34.62%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$23.9K R$121.0K

56.68%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-17.96%

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

$168 $168

$133 R$676

25.62%

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

$61.0 $61.0

$10.82 R$54.8

463.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 $59.9

$22.90 R$116

161.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 $50.5

$30.79 R$156

63.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.98 $9.98

$31.85 R$161

-68.67%

Cinema Ticket

$13.34 $13.34

$8.05 R$40.83

65.71%

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

$598 R$3,029

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$42.04 R$213

78.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.44 $42.44

$49.68 R$252

-14.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 $68.2

$74.5 R$378

-8.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 $91.5

$68.7 R$348

33.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 $857

$903 R$4,578

-5.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$848 $848

$529 R$2,684

60.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 $1,401

$1,326 R$6,724

5.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 $1,349

$756 R$3,831

78.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,690 $1,690

$4,010 R$20.3K

-57.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,654 $1,654

$1,560 R$7,910

6.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,316 $3,316

$640 R$3,242

418.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

11.93

-45.10%

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

Last update for Owensboro, KY: October 11, 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

Owensboro, KY

$848 42.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 37.5% $318

Groceries & Markets

Owensboro, KY

$312 15.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 31.2% $97

Eating Out

Owensboro, KY

$296 14.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 44.3% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Owensboro, KY

$288 14.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 42.1% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Owensboro, KY

$125 6.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 15.3% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Owensboro, KY

$77 3.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 39.2% $30

Getting Around

Owensboro, KY

$44 2.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 35.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $857 in Owensboro, KY and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Owensboro, KY pays 418% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Owensboro, KY vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $312 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Owensboro, KY

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

22:37 10:37 PM

2 h ahead of Owensboro, KY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,525

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 →

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Owensboro, KY Rio de Janeiro 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Owensboro, KY
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

Owensboro, KY vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Owensboro, KY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 418% higher in Owensboro, KY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $857 in Owensboro, KY versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $61.0 in Owensboro, KY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Rio de Janeiro runs roughly 70% less than in Owensboro, KY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,990 in Owensboro, KY, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Owensboro, KY. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,289 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Owensboro, KY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.