Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portmore and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living costs are similar in Portmore and in Rio de Janeiro: $1,246 and $1,289 a month, rent and utilities included.

61

Cost of Living Index in Portmore
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Portmore Living Index
63

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

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Portmore

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,246

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,246 per month in Portmore vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Portmore $1,246
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Portmore vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Portmore $2,073
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $2,900 per month in Portmore vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Portmore $2,900
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Portmore is about 3% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Portmore and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Portmore 8% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 JMD 1,603

$10.06 R$51.0

0.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 JMD 10.0K

$40.44 R$205

56.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.04 JMD 1,270

$8.55 R$43.35

-5.96%

Cappuccino

$5.43 JMD 859

$2.38 R$12.04

128.15%

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

$0.90 JMD 143

$1.61 R$8.18

-44.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 JMD 104

$1.03 R$5.22

-35.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 JMD 345

$2.47 R$12.54

-11.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 JMD 342

$3.70 R$18.77

-41.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.02 JMD 478

$1.19 R$6.05

153.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.49 JMD 551

$2.05 R$10.38

70.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 JMD 161

$1.28 R$6.49

-20.31%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 571

$2.29 R$11.60

57.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.52 JMD 1,821

$10.76 R$54.5

7.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 JMD 996

$4.41 R$22.36

42.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.43 JMD 1,490

$9.84 R$49.86

-4.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 JMD 946

$2.81 R$14.25

113.17%

Banana (1kg)

$3.93 JMD 620

$1.78 R$9.03

120.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 JMD 468

$1.60 R$8.13

85.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 JMD 476

$1.80 R$9.11

67.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 JMD 521

$1.22 R$6.17

170.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 JMD 411

$1.04 R$5.26

150.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 JMD 251

$0.77 R$3.92

106.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 JMD 199

$0.67 R$3.38

88.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 JMD 1,523

$3.01 R$15.27

220.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.24 JMD 1,776

$8.08 R$40.94

39.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 JMD 444

$1.19 R$6.03

136.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 JMD 356

$2.51 R$12.73

-9.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 JMD 361

$0.99 R$5.00

131.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 JMD 7,931

$50.1 R$254

0.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.96 JMD 152

$1.22 R$6.20

-21.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 JMD 488

$0.92 R$4.66

235.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 JMD 985

$8.97 R$45.45

-30.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 JMD 187

$1.30 R$6.57

-9.23%

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

$43.1K JMD 6.8M

$23.9K R$121.0K

80.46%

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

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

$32.9K R$166.6K

-1.66%

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

$155 JMD 24.5K

$133 R$676

16.06%

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

$29.01 JMD 4,583

$10.82 R$54.8

168.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 JMD 8,322

$22.90 R$116

130.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 JMD 9,503

$30.79 R$156

95.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$13.38 JMD 2,114

$8.05 R$40.83

66.21%

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

$285 JMD 45.1K

$598 R$3,029

-52.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,143 JMD 496.5K

$13.4K R$68.0K

-76.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.25 JMD 3,674

$42.04 R$213

-44.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.94 JMD 4,889

$49.68 R$252

-37.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 JMD 12.4K

$74.5 R$378

5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 JMD 14.9K

$68.7 R$348

37.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 JMD 48.6K

$903 R$4,578

-65.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$216 JMD 34.1K

$529 R$2,684

-59.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 JMD 103.7K

$1,326 R$6,724

-50.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 JMD 93.3K

$756 R$3,831

-21.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,466 JMD 1.2M

$4,010 R$20.3K

86.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,702 JMD 900.9K

$1,560 R$7,910

265.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,301 JMD 205.5K

$640 R$3,242

103.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

11.93

-20.79%

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

Last update for Portmore: 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.

Groceries & Markets

Portmore

$336 27%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 36.1% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portmore

$237 19%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 29.3% $69

Accommodation & Living

Portmore

$216 17.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 145% $314

Eating Out

Portmore

$192 15.4%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 14.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Portmore

$102 8.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 3.3% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Portmore

$87 7%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 46% $40

Getting Around

Portmore

$76 6.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 21% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $307 in Portmore 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 103% higher in Portmore, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Portmore versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $336 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Portmore

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

11:46 11:46 AM

2 h ahead of Portmore

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,000

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 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).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Portmore Rio de Janeiro 5,830 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Portmore
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

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

Rio de Janeiro costs about 3% more than Portmore, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,868 per month in Portmore 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 Portmore, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 0% less in Portmore. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $285 per month in Portmore 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Portmore, where all-in costs run around $1,246, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Portmore it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Portmore costs $1,246 versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Portmore. 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.