Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Alexandra, Barbados

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandra: $278 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Alexandra

🇧🇧 Barbados

$278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro versus $278 in Alexandra.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Alexandra $278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,750 in Rio de Janeiro versus $455 in Alexandra.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Alexandra $455

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Rio de Janeiro versus $633 in Alexandra.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Alexandra $633

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 326% more expensive than in Alexandra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Alexandra 80% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$49.36

$30.36 BBD 60.7

-70.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$203

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$43.60

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.90

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

$1.46 R$7.95

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.36

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$11.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.75

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.76

$3.47 BBD 6.95

-69.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.79

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.38

Eggs

$2.21 R$12.00

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$55.0

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.38

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.87

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.78

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.30

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.32

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$9.04

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.19

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.41

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.52

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.25

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$15.20

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$40.67

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.93

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.69

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.87

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$288

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.34

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$45.51

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.59

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

$21.5K R$116.7K

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

$31.1K R$169.3K

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

$124 R$677

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

$10.03 R$54.6

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$114

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$154

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$159

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$41.41

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

$563 R$3,061

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$65.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$213

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$252

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$372

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$345

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,220

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,573

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,562

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$4,018

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,537

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,245

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alexandra: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Alexandra

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Alexandra

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Alexandra

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Alexandra

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Alexandra

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Alexandra

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Alexandra

–

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇧 Alexandra

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

08:12 8:12 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

1,382

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Barbados Dollar BBD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.184 USD

1 BRL = 0.165 EUR

1 BBD = 0.5 USD

1 BBD = 0.448 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BBD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.44 BRL (1 BRL = 0.184 USD). 1 EUR = 6.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.165 EUR).

Barbados Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BBD (1 BBD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.23 BBD (1 BBD = 0.448 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Alexandra 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Alexandra

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 Alexandra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandra is about 77% cheaper overall, especially in groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,774 in Rio de Janeiro and $416 in Alexandra to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 478% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $278 in Alexandra – Alexandra is about 77% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $278 in Alexandra versus $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandra but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandra 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.