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: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $643 in Aracaju.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $999 in Aracaju.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,355 in Aracaju.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 49% more expensive than Aracaju, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Aracaju 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$36.03

$4.94 R$24.70

45.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$178

$21.74 R$109

63.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$32.25

$5.31 R$26.60

21.28%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$9.88

$1.64 R$8.19

20.12%

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

$1.27 R$6.38

$1.03 R$5.14

23.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.49

$0.56 R$2.80

60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.83

$1.82 R$9.10

-3.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.43

$2.63 R$13.17

1.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.82

$1.01 R$5.08

14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.50

$1.26 R$6.31

34.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.07

$1.02 R$5.12

38.24%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.00

$1.55 R$7.75

29.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$40.27

$6.54 R$32.72

23.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.11

$3.41 R$17.07

6.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$41.04

$6.32 R$31.63

29.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.00

$1.62 R$8.09

48.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$7.91

$1.09 R$5.46

44.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.48

$0.60 R$3.02

148.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$7.81

$0.99 R$4.96

57.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.53

$0.92 R$4.62

41.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.52

$0.83 R$4.13

32.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.42

$0.50 R$2.50

36.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.90

$0.60 R$3.02

-3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.75

$2.00 R$9.99

-2.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$43.69

$5.79 R$28.99

50.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.08

$1.31 R$6.55

-7.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$10.77

$1.85 R$9.28

16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.16

$0.79 R$3.96

55.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$197

$37.78 R$189

4.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.57

$1.05 R$5.24

5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.57

$1.10 R$5.50

-35.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$36.90

$6.25 R$31.27

17.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.37

$1.04 R$5.19

2.88%

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

$20.4K R$101.9K

$17.8K R$89.3K

14.11%

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

$27.1K R$135.6K

$26.6K R$133.2K

1.81%

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

$104 R$519

$65.9 R$330

57.50%

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

$12.18 R$61.0

$13.94 R$69.8

-12.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$93.6

$15.74 R$78.8

18.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$128

$18.70 R$93.6

37.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$122

$24.02 R$120

1.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$33.05

$5.90 R$29.54

11.86%

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

$542 R$2,712

$164 R$820

230.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$59.1K

$4,851 R$24.3K

143.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$221

$52.4 R$262

-15.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$210

$30.07 R$151

39.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$385

$69.8 R$349

10.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$310

$79.3 R$397

-21.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,194

$178 R$892

146.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,654

$117 R$586

182.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,196

$601 R$3,007

39.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,849

$212 R$1,060

168.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$16.8K

$1,311 R$6,562

155.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$6,950

$901 R$4,511

54.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,743

$454 R$2,270

20.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.35

9.47%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 1, 2026

Last update for Aracaju: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $178 in Aracaju. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 21% 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: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $22.00 in Aracaju for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $146 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 49% in total monthly costs ($960 vs $643 including rent). Aracaju is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Rio de Janeiro pays 21% more on average, 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: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $178 in Aracaju. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $542 in Rio de Janeiro versus $164 in Aracaju. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $643 in Aracaju versus $960 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 49% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.