Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Ahuachapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $1,820 in Ahuachapan, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Ahuachapan
Learn more

Ahuachapan Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Ahuachapan

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,820

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,820 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Ahuachapan $1,820

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,009 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Ahuachapan $2,009

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,199 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Ahuachapan $2,199

Rio de Janeiro is about 29% cheaper than Ahuachapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 5% below the global median, while Ahuachapan is 35% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.6

$6.88 $6.88

46.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$203

$45.68 $45.68

-11.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$42.99

$6.90 $6.90

23.91%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.95

$3.56 $3.56

-33.15%

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

$1.61 R$8.11

$1.16 $1.16

38.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.18

$0.81 $0.81

27.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.44

$1.97 $1.97

25.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.62

$3.48 $3.48

6.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.00

$1.83 $1.83

-34.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.30

$2.93 $2.93

-30.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.44

$1.37 $1.37

-6.57%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.50

$2.99 $2.99

-23.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.1

$7.89 $7.89

36.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.18

$6.80 $6.80

-35.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.46

$10.28 $10.28

-4.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.14

$4.97 $4.97

-43.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.96

$1.37 $1.37

29.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.07

$2.64 $2.64

-39.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.03

$3.47 $3.47

-48.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.12

$2.95 $2.95

-58.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.22

$3.20 $3.20

-67.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.88

$1.04 $1.04

-25.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.35

$0.96 $0.96

-30.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.15

$3.99 $3.99

-24.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.61

$11.98 $11.98

-32.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.98

$2.21 $2.21

-46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.62

$2.92 $2.92

-14.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$252

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.15

$5.88 $5.88

-79.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.62

$2.94 $2.94

-68.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.08

$19.78 $19.78

-54.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.52

$1.23 $1.23

5.69%

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

$23.9K R$120.0K

$25.4K $25.4K

-6.06%

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

$32.9K R$165.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

20.41%

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

$133 R$671

$128 $128

3.93%

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

$10.82 R$54.4

$21.64 $21.64

-50.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$115

$41.76 $41.76

-45.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.50

$5.03 $5.03

60.04%

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

$598 R$3,005

$163 $163

265.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.5K

$4,780 $4,780

180.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$211

$67.9 $67.9

-38.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$250

$46.65 $46.65

6.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$375

$118 $118

-36.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$345

$115 $115

-40.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,541

$525 $525

72.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,662

$1,011 $1,011

-47.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,669

$374 $374

254.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,800

$401 $401

88.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

$3,151 $3,151

27.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,845

$1,317 $1,317

18.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,216

$562 $562

13.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.5

40.35%

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 Ahuachapan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Ahuachapan

$1K 55.6% 91% $482

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Ahuachapan

$286 15.7% 33.4% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Ahuachapan

$192 10.5% 14.7% $25

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Ahuachapan

$143 7.9% 13.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Ahuachapan

$156 8.6% 47.9% $51

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Ahuachapan

$21 * 1.1% 65.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Ahuachapan

$10 * 0.6% 78.5% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $525 in Ahuachapan. 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 14% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $46.00 in Ahuachapan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $286 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇸🇻 Ahuachapan

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

110,511

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.177 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 5.03 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.64 BRL (1 BRL = 0.177 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Ahuachapan 6,520 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Ahuachapan

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 Ahuachapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, $1,820 in Ahuachapan – roughly 41% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $2,729 in Ahuachapan. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,820 in Ahuachapan. That's a gap of about 41%.

Kindergarten costs $598 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $163 in Ahuachapan. 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 Ahuachapan at $1,820. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ahuachapan 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 $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro to $1,820 in Ahuachapan. 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 Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ahuachapan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.