Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pisco and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Pisco: $658 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Pisco
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Pisco Living Index
63

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

Jump to prices

Pisco

🇵🇪 Peru

$658

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $658 per month in Pisco vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Pisco $658
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $1,019 per month in Pisco vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Pisco $1,019
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $1,380 per month in Pisco vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Pisco $1,380
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Pisco is about 49% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Pisco and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Pisco 51% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.37 PEN 15.02

$10.06 R$51.0

-56.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.60 PEN 119

$40.44 R$205

-14.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.86 PEN 23.56

$8.55 R$43.35

-19.77%

Cappuccino

$3.18 PEN 10.93

$2.38 R$12.04

33.61%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$1.61 R$8.18

-34.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 PEN 2.22

$1.03 R$5.22

-36.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 PEN 9.23

$2.47 R$12.54

8.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 PEN 15.38

$3.70 R$18.77

21.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.64

$1.19 R$6.05

37.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 PEN 7.80

$2.05 R$10.38

10.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 PEN 4.28

$1.28 R$6.49

-2.34%

Eggs

$1.29 PEN 4.44

$2.29 R$11.60

-43.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.22 PEN 21.36

$10.76 R$54.5

-42.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.82 PEN 16.56

$4.41 R$22.36

9.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.40 PEN 21.98

$9.84 R$49.86

-34.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.32 PEN 4.54

$2.81 R$14.25

-53.02%

Banana (1kg)

$0.99 PEN 3.41

$1.78 R$9.03

-44.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 PEN 4.66

$1.60 R$8.13

-15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.61 PEN 2.08

$1.80 R$9.11

-66.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 PEN 1.55

$1.22 R$6.17

-63.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.92 PEN 3.14

$1.04 R$5.26

-11.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 PEN 2.81

$0.77 R$3.92

6.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 PEN 3.18

$0.67 R$3.38

38.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.72

$3.01 R$15.27

90.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 PEN 29.34

$8.08 R$40.94

5.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 PEN 6.34

$1.19 R$6.03

55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 PEN 8.34

$2.51 R$12.73

-3.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 PEN 2.93

$0.99 R$5.00

-14.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.08 PEN 120

$50.1 R$254

-29.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.87 PEN 13.29

$1.22 R$6.20

217.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.10

$0.92 R$4.66

125.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 PEN 25.52

$8.97 R$45.45

-17.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 PEN 5.64

$1.30 R$6.57

26.15%

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

$22.4K PEN 77.0K

$23.9K R$121.0K

-6.06%

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

$25.3K PEN 86.9K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-23.04%

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

$43.24 PEN 149

$133 R$676

-67.59%

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

$16.04 PEN 55.1

$10.82 R$54.8

48.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.49 PEN 39.46

$22.90 R$116

-49.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.15 PEN 69.2

$30.79 R$156

-34.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.94 PEN 30.72

$31.85 R$161

-71.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.38 PEN 25.36

$8.05 R$40.83

-8.32%

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

$176 PEN 604

$598 R$3,029

-70.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.6K

$13.4K R$68.0K

-1.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 185

$42.04 R$213

27.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.00 PEN 44.65

$49.68 R$252

-73.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.65 PEN 157

$74.5 R$378

-38.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.25 PEN 121

$68.7 R$348

-48.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$161 PEN 554

$903 R$4,578

-82.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 PEN 443

$529 R$2,684

-75.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 PEN 494

$756 R$3,831

-80.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,834 PEN 6,300

$4,010 R$20.3K

-54.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,331 PEN 4,572

$1,560 R$7,910

-14.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$565 PEN 1,941

$640 R$3,242

-11.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.94

11.93

-25.06%

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

Last update for Pisco: October 13, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Pisco

$181 27.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 18.5% $34

Accommodation & Living

Pisco

$129 19.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 311% $401

Eating Out

Pisco

$123 18.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 34.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pisco

$71 10.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 136% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Pisco

$66 10.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 59.1% $39

Getting Around

Pisco

$53 8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 13.6% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Pisco

$35 5.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 34.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $161 in Pisco versus $903 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 13% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $35.00 in Pisco versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $181 vs $215 – making Pisco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Pisco

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:51 8:51 AM

10:51 10:51 AM

2 h ahead of Pisco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,917

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pisco Rio de Janeiro 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Pisco
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $658 in Pisco, $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 96% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $987 per month in Pisco and $1,933 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 Pisco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Pisco. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $176 per month in Pisco and $598 in Rio de Janeiro. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Pisco, where all-in costs run around $658, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Pisco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro 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 $658 in Pisco to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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