Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plano, TX and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,597 in Plano, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Plano, TX
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Plano, TX Living Index
62

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

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Plano, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,597

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,597 in Plano, TX versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro.

Plano, TX $2,597
Rio de Janeiro $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,016 in Plano, TX versus $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro.

Plano, TX $4,016
Rio de Janeiro $1,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,435 in Plano, TX versus $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro.

Plano, TX $5,435
Rio de Janeiro $2,409

Living in Plano, TX is roughly 104% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Plano, TX is 92% above, Rio de Janeiro is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.95 $19.95

$9.38 R$47.54

112.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$40.00 R$203

92.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$8.34 R$42.28

22.18%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$2.29 R$11.62

140.61%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.59 R$8.05

67.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.01 R$5.10

132.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.80 $6.80

$2.14 R$10.85

217.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$3.66 R$18.55

109.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.13 R$5.72

-15.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.09 R$10.60

54.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$1.25 R$6.36

286.40%

Eggs

$4.81 $4.81

$2.25 R$11.39

113.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.31 $13.31

$10.92 R$55.3

21.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$4.36 R$22.10

158.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 $18.73

$9.60 R$48.66

95.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$2.85 R$14.46

60.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.81 R$9.16

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.58 R$8.02

76.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.83 R$9.28

65.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.20 R$6.10

93.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.06 R$5.35

136.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$0.75 R$3.81

156.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$0.68 R$3.45

316.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.21 $10.21

$2.94 R$14.90

247.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 $15.91

$7.98 R$40.43

99.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.18 R$5.98

44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.42 R$12.26

33.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 $4.61

$0.94 R$4.78

390.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$50.3 R$255

111.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.20 R$6.10

142.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$0.83 R$4.20

108.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.92 $14.92

$8.97 R$45.48

66.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.29 R$6.53

-28.68%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$22.8K R$115.5K

19.10%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.0K R$172.1K

-23.84%

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

$194 $194

$134 R$681

44.22%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$10.73 R$54.4

339.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.7 $54.7

$22.84 R$116

139.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.8 $91.8

$30.16 R$153

204.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.93 $3.93

$31.49 R$160

-87.52%

Cinema Ticket

$15.01 $15.01

$7.73 R$39.17

94.18%

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

$1,312 $1,312

$584 R$2,960

124.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.3K $24.3K

$12.8K R$64.9K

89.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$41.12 R$208

42.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.94 $37.94

$49.26 R$250

-22.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$73.7 R$373

18.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 $68.3

$65.9 R$334

3.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 $1,550

$900 R$4,561

72.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 $1,212

$527 R$2,673

129.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 $2,748

$1,332 R$6,754

106.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,374 $2,374

$748 R$3,790

217.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 $2,365

$3,990 R$20.2K

-40.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,423 $2,423

$1,560 R$7,908

55.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,756 $5,756

$640 R$3,246

798.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

11.93

-45.43%

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

Last update for Plano, TX: October 19, 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

Plano, TX

$1.2K 46.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4% 56.5% $685

Groceries & Markets

Plano, TX

$392 15.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8% 45.5% $178

Eating Out

Plano, TX

$326 12.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3% 52.1% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plano, TX

$296 11.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2% 43.2% $128

Getting Around

Plano, TX

$136 5.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7% 56.4% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Plano, TX

$122 4.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6% 62.6% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Plano, TX

$113 4.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1% 8.7% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,550 in Plano, TX and $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plano, TX pays 799% 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: $77.0 in Plano, TX vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $214 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plano, TX

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

15:45 3:45 PM

17:45 5:45 PM

2 h ahead of Plano, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

288,253

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Plano, TX Rio de Janeiro 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Plano, TX
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

Plano, TX vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 104% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 799% higher in Plano, TX, 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: $1,550 in Plano, TX versus $900 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,312 in Plano, TX versus $584 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Plano, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,597 in Plano, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Plano, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Plano, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 104% less than in Plano, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.