Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Ayora and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Ayora: $751 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Ayora
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Puerto Ayora Living Index
63

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

Jump to prices

Puerto Ayora

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$751

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $751 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $751
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $1,204 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $1,204
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $1,656 per month in Puerto Ayora vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Puerto Ayora $1,656
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Puerto Ayora is about 42% cheaper than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Puerto Ayora and Rio de Janeiro are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Ayora 44% lower, Rio de Janeiro 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 $3.42

$10.06 R$51.0

-66.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.23 $30.23

$40.44 R$205

-25.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 $4.68

$8.55 R$43.35

-45.26%

Cappuccino

$2.68 $2.68

$2.38 R$12.04

12.61%

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

$0.78 $0.78

$1.61 R$8.18

-51.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.03 R$5.22

-31.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.47 R$12.54

-17.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.70 R$18.77

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.19 R$6.05

-12.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.05 R$10.38

-22.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.28 R$6.49

22.66%

Eggs

$2.12 $2.12

$2.29 R$11.60

-7.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.45 $6.45

$10.76 R$54.5

-40.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.41 R$22.36

14.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 $7.18

$9.84 R$49.86

-27.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.81 R$14.25

-39.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.78 R$9.03

-41.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.60 R$8.13

-28.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.80 R$9.11

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.22 R$6.17

2.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.04 R$5.26

-1.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.77 R$3.92

-7.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.67 R$3.38

58.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.31 $5.31

$3.01 R$15.27

76.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 $8.58

$8.08 R$40.94

6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.19 R$6.03

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.51 R$12.73

23.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.99 R$5.00

-62.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.86 $19.86

$50.1 R$254

-60.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.22 R$6.20

12.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.92 R$4.66

21.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.97 R$45.45

12.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.30 R$6.57

-33.08%

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

$18.4K $18.4K

$23.9K R$121.0K

-22.98%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$32.9K R$166.6K

-6.31%

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

$39.92 $39.92

$133 R$676

-70.07%

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

$14.84 $14.84

$10.82 R$54.8

37.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.10 $27.10

$22.90 R$116

18.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.95 $27.95

$30.79 R$156

-9.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 $16.54

$31.85 R$161

-48.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.57 $5.57

$8.05 R$40.83

-30.81%

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

$223 $223

$598 R$3,029

-62.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,708 $5,708

$13.4K R$68.0K

-57.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 $61.4

$42.04 R$213

45.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.37 $47.37

$49.68 R$252

-4.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$74.5 R$378

50.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 $80.1

$68.7 R$348

16.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$292 $292

$903 R$4,578

-67.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 $185

$529 R$2,684

-65.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$638 $638

$1,326 R$6,724

-51.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$351 $351

$756 R$3,831

-53.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,349 $1,349

$4,010 R$20.3K

-66.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$668 $668

$1,560 R$7,910

-57.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 $813

$640 R$3,242

27.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.05

11.93

-15.76%

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

Last update for Puerto Ayora: 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.

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Ayora

$185 24.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 186% $344

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Ayora

$184 24.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 16.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Ayora

$135 18%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 21.9% $30

Eating Out

Puerto Ayora

$97 12.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 69.8% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Ayora

$82 10.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 104% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Ayora

$39 5.2%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 20% $7.8

Getting Around

Puerto Ayora

$28 3.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 112% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $292 in Puerto Ayora 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 27% higher in Puerto Ayora, 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 $30.00 in Puerto Ayora versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $215 – making Puerto Ayora the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Puerto Ayora

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

22:12 10:12 PM

01:12 1:12 AM

3 h ahead of Puerto Ayora

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,696

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

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Between locations

Puerto Ayora Rio de Janeiro 5,650 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Ayora
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $751 in Puerto Ayora, $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 72% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,127 per month in Puerto Ayora 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 Puerto Ayora, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 152% less in Puerto Ayora. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $223 per month in Puerto Ayora 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 Puerto Ayora, where all-in costs run around $751, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Puerto Ayora 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 $751 in Puerto Ayora to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Puerto Ayora. 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.