Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Ambato

For one person, living is cheaper in Ambato: $605 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Ambato
Learn more

Ambato Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Ambato

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$605

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $605 in Ambato, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Ambato $605

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $985 in Ambato, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Ambato $985

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,364 in Ambato, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Ambato $1,364

Rio de Janeiro costs about 113% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Ambato are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Ambato 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.6

$3.46 $3.46

190.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$203

$29.93 $29.93

35.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$42.99

$5.32 $5.32

60.71%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.95

$2.76 $2.76

-13.77%

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

$1.61 R$8.11

$0.82 $0.82

96.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.18

$0.75 $0.75

37.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.44

$1.96 $1.96

26.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.62

$3.22 $3.22

14.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.00

$0.98 $0.98

21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.30

$0.98 $0.98

109.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.44

$1.57 $1.57

-18.47%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.50

$1.73 $1.73

32.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.1

$5.42 $5.42

98.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.18

$3.05 $3.05

44.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.46

$3.93 $3.93

150.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.14

$1.27 $1.27

121.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.96

$0.88 $0.88

102.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.07

$1.03 $1.03

55.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.03

$1.03 $1.03

74.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.12

$0.77 $0.77

58.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.22

$0.99 $0.99

5.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.88

$0.73 $0.73

5.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.35

$1.03 $1.03

-34.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.15

$5.15 $5.15

-41.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.61

$8.78 $8.78

-7.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.98

$1.45 $1.45

-17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.62

$2.81 $2.81

-10.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.96

$0.29 $0.29

241.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$252

$14.21 $14.21

252.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.15

$1.39 $1.39

-12.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.62

$1.12 $1.12

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.08

$9.43 $9.43

-4.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.52

$0.86 $0.86

51.16%

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

$23.9K R$120.0K

$23.3K $23.3K

2.33%

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

$32.9K R$165.2K

$28.1K $28.1K

16.76%

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

$133 R$671

$39.20 $39.20

240.31%

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

$10.82 R$54.4

$13.58 $13.58

-20.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$115

$26.39 $26.39

-13.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

$29.76 $29.76

3.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.50

$4.39 $4.39

83.37%

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

$598 R$3,005

$224 $224

166.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.5K

$2,408 $2,408

457.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$211

$48.25 $48.25

-12.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$250

$35.22 $35.22

41.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$375

$71.2 $71.2

4.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$345

$55.5 $55.5

23.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,541

$178 $178

406.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,662

$124 $124

326.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,669

$380 $380

248.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,800

$273 $273

176.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

$1,130 $1,130

254.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,845

$884 $884

76.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,216

$679 $679

-5.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

32.56%

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 Ambato: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Ambato

$124 20.5% 76.5% $405

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Ambato

$147 24.3% 31.5% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Ambato

$79 13.1% 52.6% $88

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Ambato

$99 16.4% 39.9% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Ambato

$95 15.6% 10.6% $11

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Ambato

$22 3.7% 62.7% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Ambato

$39 6.4% 17.8% $8.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $178 in Ambato. 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 6% higher in Ambato, 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 $30.00 in Ambato. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $147 – making Ambato the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Ambato

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

15:22 3:22 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

165,185

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Ambato 4,520 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Ambato

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 Ambato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro costs about 113% more than Ambato, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $908 in Ambato. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $30.00 in Ambato. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro and $605 in Ambato. That's a gap of about 113%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ambato, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Ambato it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ambato costs $605 versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Ambato. 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.