Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Assis

For one person, living is cheaper in Assis: $815 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

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

Cost of Living Index in Assis
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Assis Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Assis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro versus $815 in Assis.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Assis $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,321 in Assis.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Assis $1,321

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,826 in Assis.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Assis $1,826

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 45% more expensive than in Assis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Assis 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.76

$8.32 R$45.67

-1.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$204

$37.86 R$208

-1.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.28

$5.43 R$29.80

38.49%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.55

$1.62 R$8.89

29.63%

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

$1.36 R$7.47

$0.92 R$5.06

47.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.27

$0.72 R$3.94

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.84

$1.10 R$6.02

80.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.89

$1.83 R$10.02

78.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.96

$0.89 R$4.90

22.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.24

$1.32 R$7.24

41.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.17

$1.22 R$6.68

-8.20%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.09

$1.43 R$7.86

53.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.4

$7.14 R$39.17

38.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.56

$4.15 R$22.77

-0.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.7

$8.24 R$45.20

12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.22

$2.26 R$12.42

14.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.26

$1.13 R$6.23

49.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.06

$1.15 R$6.29

27.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.42

$1.80 R$9.89

-4.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.34

$1.31 R$7.20

-11.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.48

$0.97 R$5.30

3.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.60

$0.88 R$4.82

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.34

$0.94 R$5.14

-35.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.77

$2.20 R$12.05

22.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.53

$5.86 R$32.19

22.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.89

$1.13 R$6.21

-5.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.29

$1.87 R$10.25

19.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.81

$0.95 R$5.19

-7.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$287

$42.30 R$232

23.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.47

$1.28 R$7.04

-7.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.71

$1.32 R$7.22

-48.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.80

$7.61 R$41.77

14.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.58

$1.15 R$6.34

4.35%

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

$21.9K R$120.0K

$22.3K R$122.4K

-1.92%

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

$31.0K R$170.2K

$30.5K R$167.7K

1.51%

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

$126 R$689

$77.8 R$427

61.42%

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

$10.14 R$55.6

$11.13 R$61.1

-8.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$115

$17.79 R$97.6

17.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$156

$24.48 R$134

16.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

$26.32 R$144

9.69%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.63

$6.41 R$35.20

15.44%

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

$537 R$2,947

$198 R$1,085

171.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$87.2K

$7,340 R$40.3K

116.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$212

$46.80 R$257

-17.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$247

$37.82 R$208

19.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$376

$79.9 R$439

-14.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$352

$50.7 R$278

26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,213

$330 R$1,810

132.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,693

$229 R$1,258

114.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$8,004

$623 R$3,420

134.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,077

$453 R$2,488

63.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.3K

$1,599 R$8,774

108.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,518

$1,128 R$6,192

37.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,698

$567 R$3,111

18.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

12.38

-3.63%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Assis: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Assis

$229 28.1% 53.3% $261

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Assis

$173 21.2% 12.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Assis

$107 13.1% 31.9% $50

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Assis

$118 14.5% 15% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Assis

$97 11.9% 0.6% $0.5

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Assis

$54 6.6% 10.7% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Assis

$37 4.6% 13.9% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Rio de Janeiro and $330 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 19% 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: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $38 in Assis. Groceries flip the comparison at $198 vs $173, with Assis cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Assis

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

101,409

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Assis 740 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Rio de Janeiro vs Assis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assis is about 31% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $330 in Assis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Assis runs roughly 19% less than in Rio de Janeiro. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $537 in Rio de Janeiro versus $198 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $815 in Assis versus $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Assis but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Assis 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.

It comes down to priorities – Assis wins on affordability, Rio de Janeiro on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.