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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro versus $723 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,748 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,134 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,292 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,545 in Aracaju.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 67% more expensive than in Aracaju, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Aracaju 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.50 R$43.35

$4.86 R$24.81

74.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.02 R$194

$23.58 R$120

61.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.62 R$38.85

$5.72 R$29.17

33.22%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.43

$1.65 R$8.43

35.76%

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

$1.56 R$7.93

$1.14 R$5.82

36.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R$5.29

$0.65 R$3.30

60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 R$11.57

$1.97 R$10.02

15.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 R$16.86

$2.81 R$14.34

17.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.65

$1.05 R$5.36

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 R$9.99

$1.52 R$7.74

28.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 R$6.77

$1.18 R$6.03

12.71%

Eggs

$2.22 R$11.32

$1.60 R$8.15

38.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.35 R$52.8

$7.02 R$35.79

47.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 R$22.04

$3.63 R$18.49

19.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 R$48.04

$7.11 R$36.24

32.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 R$13.46

$2.06 R$10.49

28.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 R$8.79

$1.22 R$6.20

40.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.76

$0.66 R$3.38

130.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 R$9.11

$0.99 R$5.07

80.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.25

$1.00 R$5.11

23.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 R$5.28

$0.92 R$4.70

11.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.56

$0.50 R$2.54

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R$3.21

$0.70 R$3.55

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 R$14.82

$2.29 R$11.68

27.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 R$39.97

$5.67 R$28.93

38.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 R$5.62

$1.25 R$6.37

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 R$13.04

$2.05 R$10.45

24.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 R$5.09

$0.89 R$4.54

12.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.98 R$250

$41.17 R$210

18.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.06

$1.62 R$8.25

-26.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R$4.47

$1.17 R$5.98

-24.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.76

$6.49 R$33.07

38.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 R$6.42

$1.26 R$6.41

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

$23.3K R$119.1K

$22.9K R$116.8K

1.97%

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

$32.2K R$164.3K

$32.8K R$167.1K

-1.64%

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

$132 R$672

$90.6 R$462

45.36%

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

$10.95 R$55.9

$9.50 R$48.44

15.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.95 R$112

$16.86 R$86.0

30.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.50 R$145

$21.25 R$108

34.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.26 R$154

$25.72 R$131

17.65%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 R$39.80

$6.23 R$31.79

25.20%

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

$538 R$2,743

$180 R$919

198.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$65.3K

$5,245 R$26.7K

144.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.62 R$207

$55.1 R$281

-26.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$236

$33.77 R$172

37.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 R$355

$84.7 R$432

-17.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.6 R$330

$79.2 R$404

-18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 R$4,222

$299 R$1,523

177.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$467 R$2,384

$139 R$710

235.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 R$6,444

$620 R$3,164

103.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 R$3,687

$269 R$1,373

168.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,042 R$20.6K

$1,237 R$6,307

226.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,511 R$7,707

$874 R$4,458

72.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$613 R$3,127

$437 R$2,229

40.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

19.30%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 1, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $828 in Rio de Janeiro and $299 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $24.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $159 per month, with Aracaju cheaper across the board.

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 Aracaju: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Aracaju differ by about 67% in total monthly costs ($1,205 vs $723 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $828 in Rio de Janeiro versus $299 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $538 in Rio de Janeiro versus $180 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $723 in Aracaju versus $1,205 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aracaju but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Aracaju 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.

Expats usually find Aracaju gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.