Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Philipsburg and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $3,149 in Philipsburg, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Philipsburg
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Philipsburg Living Index
63

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

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Philipsburg

🇸🇽 Sint Maarten

$3,149

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,149 in Philipsburg versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Philipsburg $3,149
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,004 in Philipsburg versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Philipsburg $6,004
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,859 in Philipsburg versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Philipsburg $8,859
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Philipsburg is roughly 145% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Philipsburg is 135% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.49 ANG 27.73

$9.98 R$49.83

55.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 ANG 127

$40.34 R$201

75.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 ANG 14.39

$8.48 R$42.35

-5.19%

Cappuccino

$4.38 ANG 7.83

$2.36 R$11.80

85.59%

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

$2.90 ANG 5.19

$1.63 R$8.13

77.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 ANG 7.35

$1.01 R$5.06

306.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 ANG 5.31

$2.44 R$12.19

21.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.55 ANG 11.72

$3.69 R$18.43

77.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.06 ANG 5.48

$1.15 R$5.72

166.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 ANG 4.72

$2.07 R$10.34

27.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 ANG 4.53

$1.29 R$6.42

96.12%

Eggs

$6.54 ANG 11.70

$2.27 R$11.32

188.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.69 ANG 33.46

$11.00 R$54.9

69.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.75 ANG 24.61

$4.31 R$21.51

219.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.89 ANG 26.66

$9.74 R$48.63

52.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 ANG 9.07

$2.83 R$14.12

79.15%

Banana (1kg)

$5.07 ANG 9.08

$1.84 R$9.17

175.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$9.20 ANG 16.46

$1.60 R$7.96

475.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.58 ANG 13.57

$1.80 R$9.00

321.11%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 ANG 7.27

$1.26 R$6.28

222.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.04 ANG 7.22

$1.07 R$5.34

277.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.88 ANG 8.74

$0.75 R$3.75

550.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 ANG 2.40

$0.66 R$3.29

103.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 ANG 14.61

$3.05 R$15.21

167.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 ANG 19.37

$8.18 R$40.84

32.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.13 ANG 9.19

$1.19 R$5.92

331.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 ANG 4.05

$1.01 R$5.06

123.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$1.47 ANG 2.63

$50.2 R$250

-97.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.04 ANG 26.92

$1.27 R$6.33

1084.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

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

$152 ANG 271

$134 R$666

13.49%

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

$32.40 ANG 58.0

$12.23 R$61.0

164.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 ANG 118

$22.65 R$113

190.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.7 ANG 112

$31.56 R$158

98.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 ANG 19.54

$8.23 R$41.07

32.69%

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

$248 ANG 443

$603 R$3,011

-58.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K ANG 21.4K

$13.2K R$66.1K

-9.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,145 ANG 3,840

$905 R$4,519

136.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 ANG 3,570

$527 R$2,633

278.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,614 ANG 11.8K

$1,346 R$6,720

391.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,466 ANG 11.6K

$774 R$3,865

735.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,132 ANG 2,026

$643 R$3,210

76.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-58.09%

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

Last update for Philipsburg: 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

Philipsburg

$2K 64.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 73.6% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Philipsburg

$496 * 16%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 56.8% $282

Eating Out

Philipsburg

$256 8.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 36.1% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philipsburg

$250 8%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 32.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Philipsburg

$85 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 43.2% $37

Getting Around

Philipsburg

$26 * 0.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 135% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Philipsburg

- * 0%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,145 in Philipsburg and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philipsburg pays 76% 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: $71.0 in Philipsburg vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $496 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇽 Philipsburg

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

09:55 9:55 AM

1 h ahead of Philipsburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,900 Capital

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Netherlands Antillean Guilder ANG ƒ

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 ANG = 0.559 USD

1 ANG = 0.499 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to ANG – Netherlands Antillean Guilder Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Netherlands Antillean Guilder (ƒ)

Netherlands Antillean Guilder exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 ANG (1 ANG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 ANG (1 ANG = 0.499 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to ANG in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Philipsburg Rio de Janeiro 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Philipsburg
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

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

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 145% lower than in Philipsburg. 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 76% higher in Philipsburg, 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: $2,145 in Philipsburg versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 131% higher in Philipsburg. 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 $71.0 in Philipsburg. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,149 in Philipsburg, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Philipsburg. 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 $1,285 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 145% less than in Philipsburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.