Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Arthur, TX and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,568 in Port Arthur, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
Learn more

Port Arthur, TX Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,568

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,568 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro.

Port Arthur, TX $2,568
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,758 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro.

Port Arthur, TX $3,758
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,949 in Port Arthur, TX versus $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro.

Port Arthur, TX $4,949
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Living in Port Arthur, TX is roughly 99% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Port Arthur, TX is 90% above, Rio de Janeiro is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.64 $18.64

$10.06 R$51.0

85.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 $73.8

$40.44 R$205

82.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 $11.12

$8.55 R$43.35

30.06%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$2.38 R$12.04

118.49%

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

$2.51 $2.51

$1.61 R$8.18

55.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.03 R$5.22

89.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.47 R$12.54

140.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.70 R$18.77

86.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.19 R$6.05

-16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.05 R$10.38

74.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.28 R$6.49

230.47%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$2.29 R$11.60

76.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.47 $12.47

$10.76 R$54.5

15.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.22 $11.22

$4.41 R$22.36

154.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 $15.73

$9.84 R$49.86

59.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.81 R$14.25

69.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.78 R$9.03

-10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.60 R$8.13

160.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.80 R$9.11

163.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.22 R$6.17

127.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.04 R$5.26

175.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.77 R$3.92

163.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.67 R$3.38

226.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.33 $9.33

$3.01 R$15.27

209.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 $14.26

$8.08 R$40.94

76.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.19 R$6.03

51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.51 R$12.73

32.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.99 R$5.00

107.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.22 R$6.20

193.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.92 R$4.66

78.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.95 $28.95

$8.97 R$45.45

222.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.30 R$6.57

-30.77%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$23.9K R$121.0K

24.87%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-22.77%

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

$189 $189

$133 R$676

41.66%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$10.82 R$54.8

386.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$22.90 R$116

197.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.58 $42.58

$30.79 R$156

38.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$13.44 $13.44

$8.05 R$40.83

66.96%

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

$1,320 $1,320

$598 R$3,029

120.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$13.4K R$68.0K

71.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$42.04 R$213

21.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.65 $40.65

$49.68 R$252

-18.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$74.5 R$378

14.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$68.7 R$348

65.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$903 R$4,578

75.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$529 R$2,684

154.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,623 $2,623

$1,326 R$6,724

97.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,242 $2,242

$756 R$3,831

196.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,777 $2,777

$4,010 R$20.3K

-30.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,486 $2,486

$1,560 R$7,910

59.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

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 Port Arthur, TX: October 10, 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

Port Arthur, TX

$1.3K 52.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 60.7% $817

Groceries & Markets

Port Arthur, TX

$386 15%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 44.4% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Arthur, TX

$310 12.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 46.1% $143

Eating Out

Port Arthur, TX

$306 11.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 46.1% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Port Arthur, TX

$131 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 19.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Port Arthur, TX

$69 2.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 32.5% $23

Getting Around

Port Arthur, TX

$20 * 0.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 200% $40

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 $1,582 in Port Arthur, TX and $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Port Arthur, TX vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:41 8:41 AM

10:41 10:41 AM

2 h ahead of Port Arthur, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,135

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Port Arthur, TX Rio de Janeiro 7,990 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Arthur, 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

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

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,852 in Port Arthur, TX and $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,582 in Port Arthur, TX versus $903 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,320 in Port Arthur, TX versus $598 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $74.0 in Port Arthur, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,568 in Port Arthur, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Port Arthur, 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 Port Arthur, 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 99% less than in Port Arthur, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.