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 $1,237 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $769 in Alfenas, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,799 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,361 in Alfenas, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,360 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,952 in Alfenas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 61% more than Alfenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Alfenas are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 10% lower, Alfenas 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R$47.01

$4.00 R$20.55

128.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.73 R$199

$29.72 R$153

30.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 R$41.39

$6.00 R$30.85

34.17%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.49

$1.00 R$5.15

124.00%

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

$1.58 R$8.14

$0.56 R$2.89

182.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 R$5.26

$0.59 R$3.04

72.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 R$12.03

$2.39 R$12.29

-2.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R$16.66

$2.99 R$15.36

8.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.63

$1.16 R$5.95

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$10.16

$1.80 R$9.25

9.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$7.01

$1.38 R$7.08

-1.45%

Eggs

$2.28 R$11.73

$2.79 R$14.36

-18.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 R$55.7

$11.73 R$60.3

-7.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 R$21.57

$5.25 R$26.98

-20.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 R$49.49

$10.48 R$53.9

-8.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 R$13.51

$2.76 R$14.19

-4.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.89

$1.77 R$9.09

-2.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.89

$1.61 R$8.27

-4.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.44

$1.82 R$9.38

1.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.34

$1.35 R$6.95

-8.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.16

$1.21 R$6.21

-17.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.81

$1.19 R$6.10

-37.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.13

$0.87 R$4.46

-29.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R$15.09

$1.91 R$9.80

53.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 R$46.29

$9.51 R$48.88

-5.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.11

$1.64 R$8.42

-27.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$11.98

$2.58 R$13.26

-9.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.77

$0.96 R$4.95

-3.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 R$254

$37.99 R$195

30.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.11

$1.72 R$8.84

-30.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.30

$0.96 R$4.92

-12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 R$46.42

$9.78 R$50.3

-7.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.57

$1.22 R$6.27

4.92%

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

$23.0K R$118.1K

$23.5K R$120.6K

-2.09%

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

$32.1K R$165.1K

$29.7K R$152.6K

8.17%

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

$136 R$698

$59.5 R$306

128.27%

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

$12.02 R$61.8

$15.46 R$79.5

-22.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 R$113

$19.33 R$99.4

13.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.08 R$155

$23.83 R$123

26.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.58 R$152

$25.51 R$131

15.95%

Cinema Ticket

$7.94 R$40.81

$6.98 R$35.91

13.75%

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

$551 R$2,832

$508 R$2,615

8.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K R$68.5K

$15.6K R$80.5K

-14.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.13 R$206

$65.1 R$335

-38.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.79 R$241

$61.8 R$318

-24.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 R$370

$96.6 R$497

-25.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.4 R$341

$86.1 R$443

-22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 R$4,281

$345 R$1,776

141.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 R$2,477

$124 R$636

289.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 R$6,573

$657 R$3,378

94.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 R$3,609

$449 R$2,307

56.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,929 R$20.2K

$1,519 R$7,811

158.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 R$7,593

$982 R$5,049

50.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,305

$487 R$2,504

31.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

12.04

-0.91%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 12, 2026

Last update for Alfenas: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $833 in Rio de Janeiro versus $345 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 32% 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 $39.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $30.00 in Alfenas. Groceries tell a different story – $211 in Rio de Janeiro vs $233 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: $1,237 in Rio de Janeiro, $769 in Alfenas – roughly 61% apart. Rio de Janeiro costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,856 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,153 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 10% 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 $39.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $30.00 in Alfenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Alfenas, where all-in costs run around $769, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,237. In Alfenas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro 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 $769 in Alfenas to $1,237 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.