Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Antiguo Cuscatlan

For one person, living is cheaper in Antiguo Cuscatlan: $811 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Antiguo Cuscatlan
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Antiguo Cuscatlan Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Antiguo Cuscatlan

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Antiguo Cuscatlan

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $811 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Antiguo Cuscatlan $811

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,302 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Antiguo Cuscatlan $1,302

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,792 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Antiguo Cuscatlan $1,792

Rio de Janeiro costs about 59% more than Antiguo Cuscatlan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Antiguo Cuscatlan are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Antiguo Cuscatlan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.6

$6.87 $6.87

46.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$203

$44.31 $44.31

-8.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$42.99

$7.18 $7.18

19.08%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.95

$3.50 $3.50

-32.00%

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

$1.61 R$8.11

$1.12 $1.12

43.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.18

$0.82 $0.82

25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.44

$2.02 $2.02

22.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.62

$3.61 $3.61

2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.00

$1.85 $1.85

-35.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.30

$2.88 $2.88

-28.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.44

$1.40 $1.40

-8.57%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.50

$2.94 $2.94

-22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.1

$7.63 $7.63

41.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.18

$6.83 $6.83

-35.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.46

$10.44 $10.44

-5.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.14

$4.93 $4.93

-43.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.96

$1.38 $1.38

28.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.07

$2.58 $2.58

-37.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.03

$3.40 $3.40

-47.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.12

$2.97 $2.97

-58.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.22

$3.33 $3.33

-68.77%

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

$4.10 $4.10

-26.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.61

$12.10 $12.10

-33.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.98

$2.18 $2.18

-45.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.62

$2.88 $2.88

-12.85%

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

$6.03 $6.03

-79.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.62

$2.91 $2.91

-68.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.08

$20.05 $20.05

-55.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.52

$1.25 $1.25

4.00%

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

$23.9K R$120.0K

$24.6K $24.6K

-3.06%

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

$32.9K R$165.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

20.49%

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

$133 R$671

$131 $131

1.50%

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

$10.82 R$54.4

$21.05 $21.05

-48.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$115

$41.80 $41.80

-45.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$155

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.50

$4.85 $4.85

65.98%

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

$598 R$3,005

$166 $166

260.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.5K

$4,657 $4,657

188.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$211

$67.2 $67.2

-37.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$250

$47.90 $47.90

3.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$375

$119 $119

-37.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$345

$115 $115

-40.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,541

$598 $598

50.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,662

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,669

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,800

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,845

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,216

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 Antiguo Cuscatlan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$285 35.2% 33% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$194 24% 16.3% $27

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$144 17.7% 13% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$157 19.4% 48.7% $52

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$21 * 2.5% 65.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$9.7 * 1.2% 79.3% $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 $598 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $44.00 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $285 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇸🇻 Antiguo Cuscatlan

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

33,767

💱 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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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Antiguo Cuscatlan 6,450 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Antiguo Cuscatlan

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 Antiguo Cuscatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, $811 in Antiguo Cuscatlan – roughly 59% 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 $1,216 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Antiguo Cuscatlan, 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 $44.00 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 33% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Antiguo Cuscatlan, where all-in costs run around $811, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Antiguo Cuscatlan 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 $811 in Antiguo Cuscatlan to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. 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 Antiguo Cuscatlan. 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.