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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $948 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $776 in Aracatuba, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,487 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,252 in Aracatuba, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,026 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,729 in Aracatuba, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 22% more than Aracatuba, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Aracatuba are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Aracatuba 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.03 R$34.96

$5.52 R$27.43

27.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.46 R$176

$26.49 R$132

33.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 R$30.78

$6.24 R$31.03

-0.80%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R$9.92

$1.79 R$8.90

11.73%

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

$1.29 R$6.41

$1.13 R$5.63

14.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.46

$0.63 R$3.11

42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$8.75

$1.84 R$9.17

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 R$13.09

$2.69 R$13.35

-2.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.62

$0.99 R$4.91

14.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.69 R$8.40

$1.51 R$7.51

11.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 R$7.04

$1.17 R$5.82

21.37%

Eggs

$1.92 R$9.55

$1.97 R$9.78

-2.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 R$38.73

$8.00 R$39.78

-2.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$18.05

$3.71 R$18.45

-2.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.99 R$39.72

$7.45 R$37.03

7.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 R$11.60

$2.13 R$10.60

9.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

$1.25 R$6.20

28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.25

$1.20 R$5.96

21.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.80

$1.46 R$7.27

7.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.19

$1.14 R$5.68

9.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.76

$1.11 R$5.49

4.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.44

$0.71 R$3.52

-2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.07

$0.67 R$3.32

-7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$9.77

$2.18 R$10.85

-9.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 R$39.28

$8.81 R$43.81

-10.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.33

$1.21 R$6.04

4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.52

$2.01 R$9.98

5.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 R$6.38

$0.94 R$4.66

36.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.38 R$191

$37.94 R$189

1.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.54

$1.05 R$5.21

5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.54

$0.71 R$3.53

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 R$38.70

$6.31 R$31.37

23.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.29

$1.09 R$5.41

-2.75%

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

$20.9K R$104.0K

$21.0K R$104.2K

-0.14%

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

$27.9K R$138.6K

$28.0K R$139.0K

-0.34%

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

$103 R$513

$61.3 R$304

68.62%

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

$12.22 R$60.7

$13.73 R$68.2

-11.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.82 R$93.5

$19.18 R$95.4

-1.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.63 R$127

$22.14 R$110

15.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.19 R$120

$21.58 R$107

12.09%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 R$31.72

$6.17 R$30.65

3.40%

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

$551 R$2,738

$274 R$1,363

100.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$58.1K

$6,604 R$32.8K

76.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.89 R$228

$49.55 R$246

-7.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.16 R$205

$41.48 R$206

-0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 R$380

$74.8 R$372

2.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.8 R$302

$64.1 R$319

-5.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$433 R$2,154

$309 R$1,538

40.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 R$1,669

$219 R$1,090

53.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$853 R$4,237

$573 R$2,848

48.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 R$2,926

$430 R$2,139

36.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,926 R$14.5K

$1,645 R$8,175

77.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,342 R$6,668

$1,214 R$6,032

10.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$545 R$2,708

$377 R$1,875

44.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.92

3.75%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: April 21, 2026

Last update for Aracatuba: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $433 in Rio de Janeiro versus $309 in Aracatuba. 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 44% 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 $35 in Rio de Janeiro versus $26 in Aracatuba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $177 – making Aracatuba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Aracatuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $948 in Rio de Janeiro, $776 in Aracatuba – roughly 22% apart. Rio de Janeiro costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,422 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,163 in Aracatuba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $551 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $274 in Aracatuba. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Rio de Janeiro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $948 in Rio de Janeiro and $776 in Aracatuba, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $776 in Aracatuba to $948 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Aracatuba. 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.