Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Barinas

For one person, living is cheaper in Barinas: $52.5 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Barinas

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$52.5

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $52.5 in Barinas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Barinas $52.5

A couple spends around $1,868 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $78.4 in Barinas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Barinas $78.4

A family of three spends $2,448 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $104 in Barinas, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Barinas $104

Rio de Janeiro costs about 2355% more than Barinas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Barinas are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Barinas 96% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$0.98 VES 863

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.09 VES 955

17.43%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$1.17 VES 1,032

53.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$3.02 VES 2,651

-59.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$5.06 VES 4,444

-81.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

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

$133 R$676

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

$10.82 R$54.8

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$10.01 VES 8,791

207.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

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

$598 R$3,029

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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 Barinas: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Barinas

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Barinas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Barinas

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Barinas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Barinas

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Barinas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Barinas

–

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇻🇪 Barinas

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

21:07 9:07 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

397,279

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Venezuelan Bolívar VES Bs.S

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1,000 VES = 1.14 USD

1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VES, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Venezuelan Bolívar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 878 VES (1,000 VES = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 987 VES (1,000 VES = 1.01 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Barinas 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Barinas

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 Barinas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, $52.5 in Barinas – roughly 2355% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,933 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $78.8 in Barinas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro and $52.5 in Barinas. That's a gap of about 2355%.

Groceries cost about 1998% 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 Barinas, where all-in costs run around $52.5, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,289. In Barinas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $52.5 in Barinas to $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Barinas. 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.