Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Arviat

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,289 a month against $2,212 in Arviat, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Arviat
Learn more

Arviat Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Arviat

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,212 in Arviat.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Arviat $2,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,119 in Arviat.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Arviat $3,119

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $4,025 in Arviat.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Arviat $4,025

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 42% less than in Arviat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 5% below, Arviat is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$50.5

$17.31 CA$24.61

-41.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$203

$64.8 CA$92.2

-37.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$42.90

$11.21 CA$15.94

-23.73%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$11.92

$3.65 CA$5.19

-34.79%

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

$1.61 R$8.09

$1.95 CA$2.77

-17.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.17

$1.54 CA$2.18

-33.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.41

$5.27 CA$7.49

-53.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.58

$5.58 CA$7.93

-33.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$5.99

$2.08 CA$2.96

-42.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.28

$2.51 CA$3.58

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.42

$3.27 CA$4.65

-60.86%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.48

$3.34 CA$4.74

-31.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.0

$9.60 CA$13.64

12.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.13

$10.27 CA$14.60

-57.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.35

$14.59 CA$20.75

-32.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.11

$3.24 CA$4.60

-13.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$8.94

$1.18 CA$1.68

50.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.05

$4.18 CA$5.95

-61.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.02

$3.21 CA$4.57

-43.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.11

$2.36 CA$3.36

-48.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.21

$2.11 CA$3.00

-50.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.88

$2.49 CA$3.54

-69.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.34

$1.63 CA$2.31

-58.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.12

$13.77 CA$19.58

-78.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.52

$13.06 CA$18.57

-38.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.97

$2.37 CA$3.37

-49.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.60

$2.64 CA$3.75

-4.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$4.95

$2.20 CA$3.13

-55.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$251

$62.5 CA$88.9

-19.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.14

$2.88 CA$4.10

-57.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.61

$1.59 CA$2.27

-42.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$44.98

$25.35 CA$36.05

-64.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.51

$1.30 CA$1.85

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

$23.9K R$119.8K

$27.2K CA$38.6K

-12.13%

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

$32.9K R$164.9K

$16.4K CA$23.3K

100.27%

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

$133 R$669

$147 CA$209

-9.46%

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

$10.82 R$54.3

$34.05 CA$48.41

-68.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$115

$50.0 CA$71.1

-54.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$154

$42.33 CA$60.2

-27.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$160

$16.95 CA$24.10

87.91%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.41

$12.62 CA$17.94

-36.21%

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

$598 R$2,998

$707 CA$1,005

-15.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$67.3K

$12.9K CA$18.3K

3.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$211

$46.01 CA$65.4

-8.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$249

$33.72 CA$47.95

47.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$374

$93.9 CA$133

-20.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$345

$98.8 CA$141

-30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,531

$1,306 CA$1,856

-30.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,656

$1,105 CA$1,570

-52.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,655

$2,051 CA$2,917

-35.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,792

$1,534 CA$2,181

-50.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.1K

$4,007 CA$5,697

0.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,829

$3,716 CA$5,284

-58.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,209

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.66

156.01%

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 Arviat: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Arviat

$1.1K 50% 109% $575

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Arviat

$336 15.2% 56.8% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Arviat

$231 10.5% 38.5% $64

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Arviat

$267 12.1% 62% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Arviat

$123 5.5% 15.9% $17

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Arviat

$82 3.7% 37.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Arviat

$68 3.1% 44.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,306 in Arviat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $65.0 in Arviat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $336 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Arviat

🕒 Local time

20:27 8:27 PM

18:27 6:27 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

2,800

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.62 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Arviat 10,390 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Arviat

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 Arviat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Arviat differ by about 72% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $2,212 including rent). Rio de Janeiro is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,933 in Rio de Janeiro and $3,318 in Arviat to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,306 in Arviat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $598 in Rio de Janeiro versus $707 in Arviat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Arviat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,212 in Arviat, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Arviat. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro 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 Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Arviat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.