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: $1,237 in Rio de Janeiro versus $843 in Assis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,799 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,307 in Assis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,360 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,770 in Assis.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 47% more expensive than in Assis, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 10% lower, Assis 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.14 R$47.10

$5.83 R$30.03

56.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.73 R$200

$23.67 R$122

63.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 R$41.47

$5.70 R$29.36

41.23%

Cappuccino

$2.24 R$11.52

$1.98 R$10.18

13.13%

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

$1.58 R$8.16

$1.15 R$5.92

37.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 R$5.27

$0.78 R$4.01

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 R$12.06

$1.53 R$7.86

52.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R$16.70

$2.00 R$10.30

62.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.64

$1.04 R$5.35

4.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.97 R$10.18

$1.37 R$7.07

43.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 R$7.02

$1.46 R$7.51

-6.85%

Eggs

$2.28 R$11.75

$1.48 R$7.64

54.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.83 R$55.8

$7.44 R$38.35

45.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 R$21.61

$3.82 R$19.67

9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 R$49.58

$8.46 R$43.60

13.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 R$13.53

$1.84 R$9.48

42.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 R$8.91

$1.15 R$5.94

50.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$7.90

$0.75 R$3.89

104.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.46

$1.38 R$7.10

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.35

$1.13 R$5.81

8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.17

$0.94 R$4.86

6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 R$3.81

$0.85 R$4.39

-12.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.14

$1.00 R$5.16

-39.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 R$15.12

$2.39 R$12.31

22.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.00 R$46.38

$5.90 R$30.38

52.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.12

$1.33 R$6.87

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.00

$2.84 R$14.63

-17.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R$4.78

$0.92 R$4.72

1.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.48 R$255

$37.82 R$195

30.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 R$6.12

$2.29 R$11.81

-48.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 R$4.31

$0.77 R$3.95

9.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.03 R$46.51

$2.67 R$13.76

238.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R$6.58

$1.25 R$6.46

2.40%

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

$23.0K R$118.3K

$34.8K R$179.2K

-33.99%

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

$32.1K R$165.4K

$32.5K R$167.4K

-1.19%

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

$136 R$699

$84.4 R$435

60.86%

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

$12.02 R$61.9

$10.94 R$56.4

9.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 R$113

$22.15 R$114

-1.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.08 R$155

$25.45 R$131

18.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.58 R$152

$26.82 R$138

10.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.94 R$40.89

$5.74 R$29.59

38.33%

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

$551 R$2,837

$297 R$1,530

85.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K R$68.6K

$7,616 R$39.2K

74.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.13 R$207

$41.51 R$214

-3.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.79 R$241

$58.2 R$300

-19.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.0 R$371

$85.8 R$442

-16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$66.4 R$342

$57.4 R$296

15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$833 R$4,289

$341 R$1,757

144.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 R$2,481

$233 R$1,203

106.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 R$6,586

$653 R$3,367

95.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$702 R$3,616

$447 R$2,302

57.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,929 R$20.2K

$1,770 R$9,121

121.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,477 R$7,608

$1,080 R$5,563

36.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,311

$589 R$3,034

9.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.5

13.62%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: September 12, 2026

Last update for Assis: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $833 in Rio de Janeiro and $341 in Assis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 9% 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: $39.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $24.00 in Assis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $174 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $833 in Rio de Janeiro versus $341 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 31% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $551 in Rio de Janeiro versus $297 in Assis. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $843 in Assis versus $1,237 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 47% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.