Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Living Index
63

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

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Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,596

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,596 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $1,596
Rio de Janeiro $1,289

A couple spends around $2,398 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $2,398
Rio de Janeiro $1,868

A family of three spends $3,200 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro, rent included.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon $3,200
Rio de Janeiro $2,448

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon costs about 24% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon sits 18% above the global median, while Rio de Janeiro is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.94 ₡5,353

$10.06 R$51.0

18.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.58 ₡20.0K

$40.44 R$205

10.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 ₡4,855

$8.55 R$43.35

26.55%

Cappuccino

$4.03 ₡1,808

$2.38 R$12.04

69.33%

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

$2.38 ₡1,067

$1.61 R$8.18

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ₡819

$1.03 R$5.22

77.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ₡1,510

$2.47 R$12.54

36.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ₡1,800

$3.70 R$18.77

8.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 ₡931

$1.19 R$6.05

74.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,418

$2.05 R$10.38

54.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,089

$1.28 R$6.49

89.84%

Eggs

$3.07 ₡1,378

$2.29 R$11.60

34.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.56 ₡2,942

$10.76 R$54.5

-39.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 ₡3,479

$4.41 R$22.36

75.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 ₡6,350

$9.84 R$49.86

43.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 ₡1,161

$2.81 R$14.25

-7.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 ₡504

$1.78 R$9.03

-37.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.29 ₡576

$1.60 R$8.13

-19.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 ₡781

$1.80 R$9.11

-3.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 ₡1,165

$1.22 R$6.17

113.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 ₡881

$1.04 R$5.26

89.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 ₡311

$0.77 R$3.92

-10.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 ₡898

$0.67 R$3.38

198.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₡1,398

$3.01 R$15.27

3.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 ₡6,773

$8.08 R$40.94

86.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 ₡1,284

$1.19 R$6.03

140.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ₡1,663

$2.51 R$12.73

47.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡582

$0.99 R$5.00

31.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.11 ₡19.3K

$50.1 R$254

-13.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 ₡825

$1.22 R$6.20

50.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡693

$0.92 R$4.66

67.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 ₡3,814

$8.97 R$45.45

-5.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡674

$1.30 R$6.57

15.38%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$23.9K R$121.0K

-6.74%

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

$35.0K ₡15.7M

$32.9K R$166.6K

6.65%

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

$95.5 ₡42.8K

$133 R$676

-28.38%

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

$35.40 ₡15.9K

$10.82 R$54.8

227.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.86 ₡14.7K

$22.90 R$116

43.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 ₡33.0K

$30.79 R$156

138.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$7.71 ₡3,458

$8.05 R$40.83

-4.22%

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

$972 ₡435.8K

$598 R$3,029

62.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K ₡7.7M

$13.4K R$68.0K

27.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 ₡29.0K

$42.04 R$213

53.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.92 ₡11.6K

$49.68 R$252

-47.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 ₡43.5K

$74.5 R$378

30.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 ₡24.4K

$68.7 R$348

-20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 ₡309.3K

$903 R$4,578

-23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 ₡295.6K

$529 R$2,684

24.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 ₡888.2K

$1,326 R$6,724

49.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 ₡508.8K

$756 R$3,831

50.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$976 ₡437.6K

$640 R$3,242

52.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

11.93

-27.75%

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

Last update for Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon: 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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$659 41.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1% 19.7% $130

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$299 18.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 28.3% $85

Eating Out

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$218 13.7%

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8% 24.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$164 10.3%

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13% 2% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$109 6.8%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 2.9% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$89 5.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6% 47.3% $42

Getting Around

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

$58 3.6%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 3.5% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $690 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 53% higher in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, 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 $45.00 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $215 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

11:58 11:58 AM

3 h ahead of Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 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 CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon Rio de Janeiro 5,940 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon
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 Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon vs Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon, $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro – roughly 24% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,394 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Rio de Janeiro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Rio de Janeiro. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $972 per month in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon 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 Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,289, than in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon at $1,596. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro to $1,596 in Puerto Viejo - de Talamanca, Limon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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