Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Alfenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Alfenas

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $953 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $653 in Alfenas, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,460 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,213 in Alfenas, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,967 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,773 in Alfenas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 46% more than Alfenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Alfenas are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Alfenas 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.03 R$35.01

$3.66 R$18.23

92.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.78 R$178

$26.99 R$134

32.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 R$31.10

$5.51 R$27.42

13.25%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R$9.91

$0.94 R$4.68

111.70%

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

$1.34 R$6.66

$0.56 R$2.77

139.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.18

$0.52 R$2.61

61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 R$8.86

$2.14 R$10.66

-16.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 R$13.28

$2.71 R$13.50

-1.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.55

$1.06 R$5.27

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 R$8.82

$1.78 R$8.88

-0.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.40

$1.30 R$6.45

14.62%

Eggs

$1.93 R$9.60

$2.39 R$11.91

-19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 R$40.39

$11.13 R$55.4

-27.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.55 R$17.67

$4.20 R$20.92

-15.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.25 R$41.09

$8.78 R$43.74

-6.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 R$11.56

$2.74 R$13.65

-15.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.11

$1.85 R$9.20

-11.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.17

$1.63 R$8.14

-11.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.72

$1.77 R$8.80

-12.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.14

$1.43 R$7.14

-13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 R$5.75

$1.26 R$6.26

-8.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.44

$0.94 R$4.70

-26.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.87

$0.68 R$3.37

-14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.99 R$9.91

$1.75 R$8.70

13.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 R$40.10

$10.03 R$49.95

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 R$6.25

$1.37 R$6.81

-8.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 R$10.12

$2.30 R$11.44

-11.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.12

$0.89 R$4.41

38.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.49 R$197

$38.54 R$192

2.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.32

$1.10 R$5.47

-2.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 R$3.46

$0.74 R$3.71

-6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.53 R$37.52

$9.00 R$44.83

-16.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 R$5.48

$1.07 R$5.31

2.80%

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

$20.2K R$100.4K

$22.0K R$109.4K

-8.30%

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

$27.2K R$135.5K

$27.0K R$134.2K

0.91%

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

$104 R$518

$53.4 R$266

95.02%

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

$11.99 R$59.7

$13.12 R$65.4

-8.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.48 R$92.0

$18.30 R$91.1

0.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.17 R$130

$22.83 R$114

14.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.31 R$121

$22.00 R$110

10.50%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 R$32.01

$6.20 R$30.87

3.71%

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

$553 R$2,755

$498 R$2,480

11.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K R$57.2K

$15.2K R$75.5K

-24.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.53 R$222

$51.1 R$254

-12.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.97 R$209

$41.83 R$208

0.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 R$381

$79.9 R$398

-4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.2 R$305

$71.8 R$358

-14.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 R$2,139

$314 R$1,565

36.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,614

$88.4 R$440

266.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$835 R$4,156

$573 R$2,856

45.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 R$2,888

$427 R$2,127

35.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,964 R$14.8K

$1,751 R$8,720

69.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,333 R$6,636

$1,143 R$5,691

16.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$535 R$2,665

$494 R$2,462

8.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

11.56

-1.99%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: April 27, 2026

Last update for Alfenas: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in Rio de Janeiro versus $314 in Alfenas. 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 8% higher in Rio de Janeiro, 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 $36 in Rio de Janeiro versus $27 in Alfenas. Groceries tell a different story – $186 in Rio de Janeiro vs $214 in Alfenas – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Alfenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $953 in Rio de Janeiro, $653 in Alfenas – roughly 46% apart. Rio de Janeiro costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,429 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $980 in Alfenas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alfenas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $27.00 in Alfenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $953 in Rio de Janeiro and $653 in Alfenas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $653 in Alfenas to $953 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Alfenas. 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.