Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Aguadilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguadilla: $1,061 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Aguadilla
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Aguadilla Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Aguadilla

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,061

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Aguadilla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,061 in Aguadilla, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Aguadilla $1,061

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,730 in Aguadilla, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Aguadilla $1,730

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,398 in Aguadilla, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Aguadilla $2,398

Rio de Janeiro costs about 21% more than Aguadilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Aguadilla are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Aguadilla 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$12.05 $12.05

-16.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$59.4 $59.4

-31.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$8.97 $8.97

-4.68%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$1.48 $1.48

60.81%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.25 $1.25

28.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.98 $0.98

5.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.91 $2.91

-15.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$4.04 $4.04

-8.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.92 $1.92

-38.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$3.70 $3.70

-44.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$2.33 $2.33

-45.06%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$7.31 $7.31

-68.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$12.58 $12.58

-14.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$9.68 $9.68

-54.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$13.36 $13.36

-26.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$5.01 $5.01

-43.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$2.54 $2.54

-29.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$4.94 $4.94

-67.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$4.69 $4.69

-61.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$3.85 $3.85

-68.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$3.99 $3.99

-73.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$3.52 $3.52

-78.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.58 $1.58

-57.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$12.12 $12.12

-75.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$15.56 $15.56

-48.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$3.01 $3.01

-60.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$3.90 $3.90

-35.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$2.45 $2.45

-50.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.49 $1.49

-38.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$42.66 $42.66

-78.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$1.01 $1.01

28.71%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$39.5K $39.5K

-39.51%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$27.7K $27.7K

18.63%

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

$133 R$676

$120 $120

11.39%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$69.6 $69.6

-84.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$68.5 $68.5

-66.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$35.39 $35.39

-13.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$10.48 $10.48

-23.19%

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

$598 R$3,029

$822 $822

-27.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$12.7K $12.7K

6.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$55.4 $55.4

-24.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$60.7 $60.7

-18.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$110 $110

-31.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$115 $115

-40.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$1,973 $1,973

-32.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

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)

$640 R$3,242

$1,324 $1,324

-51.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.55

82.14%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Aguadilla: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Aguadilla

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Aguadilla

$411 38.7% 91.5% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Aguadilla

$258 24.3% 54.3% $91

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Aguadilla

$173 16.3% 4.7% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Aguadilla

$153 14.5% 45.1% $48

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Aguadilla

$9.9 * 0.9% 83.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Aguadilla

$56 5.3% 20.2% $9.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 107% higher in Aguadilla, 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 $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $59.0 in Aguadilla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $411 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇵🇷 Aguadilla

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

17:18 5:18 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

10,919

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Aguadilla 5,280 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Aguadilla

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 Aguadilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,592 in Aguadilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $59.0 in Aguadilla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 91% cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Aguadilla, where all-in costs run around $1,061, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Aguadilla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aguadilla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Aguadilla. 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.