Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Acosta

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $1,690 in Acosta, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
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Acosta Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,690

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Acosta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rio de Janeiro and in Acosta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,752 in Acosta.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Acosta $1,752

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,725 in Acosta.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Acosta $2,725

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,698 in Acosta.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Acosta $3,698

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 27% less than in Acosta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 6% below, Acosta is 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$12.09 ₡5,423

-22.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$57.0 ₡25.6K

-29.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$11.84 ₡5,309

-29.56%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$4.34 ₡1,948

-47.24%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$2.65 ₡1,188

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.91 ₡856

-47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$3.37 ₡1,510

-36.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$4.46 ₡1,998

-17.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$2.30 ₡1,033

-50.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$2.86 ₡1,284

-26.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$2.48 ₡1,112

-49.60%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$3.44 ₡1,542

-34.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$10.67 ₡4,784

2.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$10.36 ₡4,644

-57.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$14.09 ₡6,320

-31.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$5.17 ₡2,320

-44.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.57 ₡705

15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$3.44 ₡1,543

-54.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$3.43 ₡1,539

-46.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$3.07 ₡1,379

-60.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$3.18 ₡1,425

-66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$1.08 ₡486

-30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$2.64 ₡1,186

-74.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$5.65 ₡2,532

-47.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$16.42 ₡7,365

-51.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$2.51 ₡1,126

-52.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$2.73 ₡1,226

-11.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.30 ₡584

-27.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$2.46 ₡1,104

-51.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.60 ₡719

-48.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$8.78 ₡3,938

2.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.57 ₡704

-17.83%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$22.0K ₡9.9M

3.39%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-1.57%

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

$134 R$681

$96.5 ₡43.3K

39.13%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$29.41 ₡13.2K

-63.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$59.9 ₡26.9K

-61.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$73.5 ₡33.0K

-58.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$7.54 ₡3,381

2.52%

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

$584 R$2,960

$857 ₡384.5K

-31.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$17.0K ₡7.6M

-24.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$70.3 ₡31.5K

-41.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$55.5 ₡24.9K

-11.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$128 ₡57.3K

-42.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$134 ₡60.1K

-50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$790 ₡354.3K

13.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$627 ₡281.1K

-15.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$1,874 ₡840.2K

-28.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$1,259 ₡564.7K

-40.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,977 ₡886.4K

101.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$1,467 ₡657.9K

-56.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.62

38.40%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Acosta: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Acosta

$627 37.1% 18.9% $100

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Acosta

$370 21.9% 73.2% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Acosta

$186 11% 10.7% $18

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Acosta

$228 13.5% 46.4% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Acosta

$174 10.3% 68.6% $71

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Acosta

$16 * 0.9% 73.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Acosta

$89 5.2% 94.2% $43

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 $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $787 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acosta pays 136% 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: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $59.0 in Acosta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $373 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇷 Acosta

🕒 Local time

06:56 6:56 AM

03:56 3:56 AM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

3,072

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Acosta 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Acosta

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

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

Rio de Janeiro and Acosta differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,273 vs $1,752 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 136% lower in Acosta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $787 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Acosta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,752 in Acosta – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,752 in Acosta, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Acosta. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Acosta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Acosta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.