Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Astana

For one person, living is cheaper in Astana: $1,133 a month against $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $590 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Astana
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Astana Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,182

/mo nomad

Astana

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,182 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,133 in Astana, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,182
Astana $1,133

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,810 in Astana, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,750
Astana $1,810

A family of three spends $2,318 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,486 in Astana, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,318
Astana $2,486

Rio de Janeiro costs about 4% more than Astana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Astana are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 13% lower, Astana 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.08 R$48.54

$11.06 ₸5,039

-17.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.25 R$199

$38.01 ₸17.3K

-2.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 R$42.87

$7.89 ₸3,596

1.65%

Cappuccino

$2.19 R$11.70

$2.65 ₸1,205

-17.36%

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

$1.46 R$7.82

$1.08 ₸490

35.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 R$5.27

$0.62 ₸282

59.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 R$10.84

$1.34 ₸611

51.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 R$18.43

$2.25 ₸1,024

53.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.66

$1.26 ₸573

-15.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 R$10.61

$0.60 ₸275

230.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 R$6.27

$1.55 ₸708

-24.52%

Eggs

$2.21 R$11.80

$2.18 ₸992

1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.11 R$54.1

$11.98 ₸5,459

-15.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.12 R$22.00

$5.79 ₸2,638

-28.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.17 R$49.04

$10.57 ₸4,815

-13.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 R$14.54

$1.82 ₸830

49.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 R$9.15

$2.31 ₸1,052

-25.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R$8.18

$2.29 ₸1,043

-33.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 R$8.88

$2.19 ₸996

-24.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R$6.09

$0.66 ₸299

72.73%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 R$5.32

$0.46 ₸210

115.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 R$3.46

$1.53 ₸695

-57.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.20

$0.90 ₸412

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.79 R$14.94

$2.37 ₸1,079

17.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.48 R$39.99

$10.93 ₸4,978

-31.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 R$5.83

$1.30 ₸590

-16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 R$12.48

$2.35 ₸1,071

-0.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 R$4.79

$0.25 ₸114

260.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.0 R$283

$16.60 ₸7,560

219.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 R$6.24

$2.27 ₸1,032

-48.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 R$4.17

$1.13 ₸515

-30.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 R$44.75

$6.62 ₸3,016

26.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R$6.48

$0.69 ₸312

75.36%

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

$21.5K R$114.8K

$28.0K ₸12.8M

-23.44%

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

$31.1K R$166.4K

$31.7K ₸14.4M

-1.63%

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

$124 R$665

$68.4 ₸31.2K

81.96%

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

$10.03 R$53.6

$10.08 ₸4,592

-0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.88 R$112

$18.13 ₸8,258

15.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.35 R$152

$58.7 ₸26.7K

-51.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.33 R$157

$20.67 ₸9,414

41.90%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 R$40.72

$6.27 ₸2,856

21.53%

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

$563 R$3,009

$487 ₸221.9K

15.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K R$64.4K

$11.7K ₸5.3M

2.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.25 R$210

$64.6 ₸29.4K

-39.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 R$248

$46.35 ₸21.1K

0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.4 R$366

$120 ₸54.5K

-42.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.4 R$339

$126 ₸57.5K

-49.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$776 R$4,149

$564 ₸256.9K

37.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$473 R$2,530

$391 ₸178.3K

20.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,391 R$7,436

$1,151 ₸524.1K

20.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 R$3,951

$769 ₸350.1K

-3.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,393 R$18.1K

$1,560 ₸710.5K

117.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R$8,394

$1,120 ₸510.2K

40.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 R$3,191

$867 ₸394.7K

-31.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

14.83

-19.55%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Astana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$473 40%

Astana

$391 34.5% 17.3% $82

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$201 17%

Astana

$226 20% 12.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$155 13.1%

Astana

$97 8.5% 37.8% $59

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$150 12.7%

Astana

$162 14.3% 8.1% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$98 8.3%

Astana

$161 14.2% 64% $63

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$62 5.2%

Astana

$26 2.3% 58.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$44 3.7%

Astana

$71 6.3% 63.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $776 in Rio de Janeiro versus $564 in Astana. 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 45% higher in Astana, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Rio de Janeiro versus $38 in Astana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $226 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇰🇿 Astana

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

11:14 11:14 AM

8 h ahead of Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

814,400 Capital

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.187 USD

1 BRL = 0.168 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 5.35 BRL (1 BRL = 0.187 USD). 1 EUR = 5.95 BRL (1 BRL = 0.168 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 456 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.2 USD). 1 EUR = 507 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Astana 13,670 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Astana

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 Astana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro, $1,133 in Astana – Astana comes out roughly 4% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,774 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,700 in Astana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Astana, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $564 there versus $776 in Rio de Janeiro.

Kindergarten costs $563 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $487 in Astana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,133 in Astana, 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 $1,133 in Astana to $1,182 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.