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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $770 in Assis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,226 in Assis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,681 in Assis.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 25% more expensive than Assis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Assis 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.09

$5.48 R$28.24

31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$183

$27.09 R$140

31.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.20

$6.13 R$31.60

5.06%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.17

$1.71 R$8.80

15.20%

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

$1.27 R$6.56

$1.08 R$5.57

17.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.62

$0.62 R$3.18

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.09

$1.78 R$9.17

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.83

$2.74 R$14.09

-2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.99

$1.01 R$5.23

14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.75

$1.24 R$6.36

37.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.27

$1.76 R$9.05

-19.89%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.29

$1.42 R$7.33

40.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.45

$6.97 R$35.92

15.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.64

$4.81 R$24.78

-24.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.25

$7.82 R$40.27

4.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.35

$2.11 R$10.88

13.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.14

$1.10 R$5.64

43.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.70

$1.11 R$5.70

34.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.04

$1.75 R$9.00

-10.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.72

$1.75 R$9.02

-25.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.68

$1.06 R$5.44

3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.52

$0.80 R$4.10

-15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$2.98

$0.93 R$4.82

-37.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.04

$2.11 R$10.88

-7.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$44.97

$6.28 R$32.32

39.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.26

$1.22 R$6.28

-0.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.09

$1.99 R$10.25

8.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.34

$0.93 R$4.80

32.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$202

$38.23 R$197

2.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.73

$1.10 R$5.69

0.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.67

$0.74 R$3.82

-4.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$37.98

$6.46 R$33.28

14.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.05 R$5.40

1.90%

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

$20.4K R$104.9K

$20.7K R$106.6K

-1.68%

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

$27.1K R$139.6K

$28.1K R$144.8K

-3.58%

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

$104 R$535

$59.7 R$308

73.86%

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

$12.18 R$62.8

$13.72 R$70.7

-11.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$96.3

$18.82 R$97.0

-0.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$132

$22.93 R$118

11.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$126

$21.71 R$112

12.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.02

$6.17 R$31.77

6.97%

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

$542 R$2,791

$268 R$1,379

102.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$60.8K

$6,442 R$33.2K

83.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$228

$49.59 R$255

-10.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$216

$41.46 R$214

1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$396

$74.6 R$384

3.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$319

$63.4 R$327

-2.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,258

$312 R$1,605

40.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,703

$216 R$1,111

53.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,319

$590 R$3,040

42.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,933

$427 R$2,200

33.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.3K

$1,366 R$7,039

145.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,154

$1,214 R$6,254

14.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,823

$585 R$3,011

-6.26%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Assis: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $312 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Assis pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $178 per month, with Assis 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 Assis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Assis earns 7% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $312 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 3% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $542 in Rio de Janeiro versus $268 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $770 in Assis versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 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.

For families, Assis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Assis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.