Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Passaic, NJ and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,737 in Passaic, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Passaic, NJ
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Passaic, 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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Passaic, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,737

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,737 in Passaic, NJ versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Passaic, NJ $2,737
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,186 in Passaic, NJ versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Passaic, NJ $4,186
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,634 in Passaic, NJ versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Passaic, NJ $5,634
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Passaic, NJ is roughly 115% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Passaic, NJ is 102% above, Rio de Janeiro is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 $18.76

$9.38 R$47.54

100.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$40.00 R$203

97.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$8.34 R$42.28

58.03%

Cappuccino

$6.27 $6.27

$2.29 R$11.62

173.80%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$1.59 R$8.05

59.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.01 R$5.10

50.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$2.14 R$10.85

267.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.66 R$18.55

95.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.13 R$5.72

16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.09 R$10.60

108.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$1.25 R$6.36

397.60%

Eggs

$6.20 $6.20

$2.25 R$11.39

175.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.19 $19.19

$10.92 R$55.3

75.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$4.36 R$22.10

138.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$9.60 R$48.66

96.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.85 R$14.46

114.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.81 R$9.16

18.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.58 R$8.02

177.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$1.83 R$9.28

192.90%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.20 R$6.10

238.33%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.06 R$5.35

309.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$0.75 R$3.81

308.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.68 R$3.45

330.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.77 $14.77

$2.94 R$14.90

402.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$7.98 R$40.43

90.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.18 R$5.98

51.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.42 R$12.26

50.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.94 R$4.78

107.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$50.3 R$255

139.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.20 R$6.10

147.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.83 R$4.20

168.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.30 $41.30

$8.97 R$45.48

360.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.29 R$6.53

-11.63%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$22.8K R$115.5K

22.61%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-23.30%

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

$174 $174

$134 R$681

29.41%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$10.73 R$54.4

371.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 $50.8

$22.84 R$116

122.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 $41.15

$30.16 R$153

36.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$20.62 $20.62

$7.73 R$39.17

166.75%

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

$1,988 $1,988

$584 R$2,960

240.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$12.8K R$64.9K

25.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$41.12 R$208

22.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 $51.7

$49.26 R$250

4.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$73.7 R$373

19.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$65.9 R$334

56.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 $1,816

$900 R$4,561

101.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$527 R$2,673

145.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$1,332 R$6,754

90.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 $2,403

$748 R$3,790

221.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,576 $2,576

$3,990 R$20.2K

-35.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,362 $2,362

$1,560 R$7,908

51.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,739 $3,739

$640 R$3,246

483.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

11.93

-43.00%

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

Last update for Passaic, NJ: 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

Passaic, NJ

$1.3K 47.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 59.3% $768

Groceries & Markets

Passaic, NJ

$475 17.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 55% $262

Eating Out

Passaic, NJ

$335 12.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 53.4% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Passaic, NJ

$275 10.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 39% $107

Getting Around

Passaic, NJ

$142 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 58.3% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Passaic, NJ

$132 4.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 21.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Passaic, NJ

$82 3%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 44.6% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,816 in Passaic, NJ and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Passaic, NJ pays 484% 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: $79.0 in Passaic, NJ vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Passaic, NJ

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

05:05 5:05 AM

1 h ahead of Passaic, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,974

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

Passaic, NJ Rio de Janeiro 7,780 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Passaic, 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

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

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 115% lower than in Passaic, NJ. 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 484% higher in Passaic, NJ, 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: $1,816 in Passaic, NJ versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 122% higher in Passaic, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $79.0 in Passaic, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,737 in Passaic, NJ, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Passaic, NJ. 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 $1,273 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 115% less than in Passaic, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.