Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Bahia de Caraquez

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez: $806 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Bahia de Caraquez
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Bahia de Caraquez Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Bahia de Caraquez

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $806 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Bahia de Caraquez $806

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,384 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Bahia de Caraquez $1,384

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,963 in Bahia de Caraquez, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Bahia de Caraquez $1,963

Rio de Janeiro costs about 60% more than Bahia de Caraquez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Bahia de Caraquez are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Bahia de Caraquez 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$3.96 $3.96

154.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$51.6 $51.6

-21.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$9.16 $9.16

-6.66%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$2.81 $2.81

-15.30%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$0.93 $0.93

73.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$0.75 $0.75

37.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$2.97 $2.97

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$4.22 $4.22

-12.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.20 $1.20

-0.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$1.98 $1.98

3.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.41 $1.41

-9.22%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.08 $2.08

10.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$7.07 $7.07

52.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$5.11 $5.11

-13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$9.05 $9.05

8.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$1.47 $1.47

91.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.16 $1.16

53.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$0.97 $0.97

64.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$0.96 $0.96

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.22 $1.22

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$0.98 $0.98

6.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.87 $0.87

-11.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$0.99 $0.99

-32.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$6.11 $6.11

-50.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$12.08 $12.08

-33.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.57 $1.57

-24.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.12 $2.12

18.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.37 $0.37

167.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$16.54 $16.54

202.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$1.39 $1.39

-12.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.79 $1.79

-48.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$12.18 $12.18

-26.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.83 $0.83

56.63%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$20.6K $20.6K

15.70%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$31.6K $31.6K

3.99%

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

$133 R$676

$39.59 $39.59

236.95%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$15.13 $15.13

-28.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$26.61 $26.61

-13.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$29.01 $29.01

6.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$17.11 $17.11

86.15%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$7.54 $7.54

6.76%

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

$598 R$3,029

$369 $369

62.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$5,654 $5,654

137.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$65.7 $65.7

-35.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$40.86 $40.86

21.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$125 $125

-40.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$92.6 $92.6

-25.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$261 $261

245.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$183 $183

189.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$765 $765

73.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$439 $439

72.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$1,253 $1,253

220.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$791 $791

97.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

10.05

18.71%

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 Bahia de Caraquez: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Bahia de Caraquez

$183 22.7% 65.4% $346

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Bahia de Caraquez

$200 24.8% 6.9% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Bahia de Caraquez

$81 10.1% 51.3% $86

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Bahia de Caraquez

$123 15.3% 25.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Bahia de Caraquez

$146 18.1% 38% $40

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Bahia de Caraquez

$28 3.5% 52.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Bahia de Caraquez

$44 5.5% 6% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $261 in Bahia de Caraquez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $52.0 in Bahia de Caraquez. Groceries tell a different story – $215 in Rio de Janeiro vs $200 in Bahia de Caraquez – so Bahia de Caraquez wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇪🇨 Bahia de Caraquez

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

18:14 6:14 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

24,963

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Bahia de Caraquez 4,720 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Bahia de Caraquez

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 Bahia de Caraquez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, $806 in Bahia de Caraquez – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,208 in Bahia de Caraquez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bahia de Caraquez, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $598 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $369 in Bahia de Caraquez. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Rio de Janeiro, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahia de Caraquez, where all-in costs run around $806, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Bahia de Caraquez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Bahia de Caraquez has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $806 in Bahia de Caraquez to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bahia de Caraquez. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rio de Janeiro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.