Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Barquisimeto

For one person, living is cheaper in Barquisimeto: $796 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Rio de Janeiro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Barquisimeto
Learn more

Barquisimeto Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,289

/mo nomad

Barquisimeto

🇻🇪 Venezuela

$796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $796 in Barquisimeto.

Rio de Janeiro $1,289
Barquisimeto $796

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,366 in Barquisimeto.

Rio de Janeiro $1,868
Barquisimeto $1,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,936 in Barquisimeto.

Rio de Janeiro $2,448
Barquisimeto $1,936

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 62% more expensive than in Barquisimeto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Barquisimeto 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.06 R$51.0

$10.20 VES 8,953

-1.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.44 R$205

$50.7 VES 44.5K

-20.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 R$43.35

$11.67 VES 10.2K

-26.74%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R$12.04

$1.74 VES 1,525

36.78%

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

$1.61 R$8.18

$1.46 VES 1,282

10.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R$5.22

$1.11 VES 974

-7.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 R$12.54

$1.28 VES 1,128

92.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 R$18.77

$3.23 VES 2,839

14.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$2.14 VES 1,882

-44.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 R$10.38

$1.36 VES 1,192

50.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.49

$1.34 VES 1,172

-4.48%

Eggs

$2.29 R$11.60

$2.22 VES 1,950

3.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.5

$6.41 VES 5,630

67.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.41 R$22.36

$6.79 VES 5,963

-35.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.84 R$49.86

$7.41 VES 6,503

32.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.81 R$14.25

$4.62 VES 4,058

-39.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 R$9.03

$1.43 VES 1,255

24.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.13

$0.72 VES 631

122.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.11

$0.89 VES 782

102.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 R$6.17

$0.96 VES 845

27.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.04 R$5.26

$1.30 VES 1,146

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.77 R$3.92

$0.64 VES 566

20.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 R$3.38

$1.60 VES 1,402

-58.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R$15.27

$2.52 VES 2,213

19.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.08 R$40.94

$10.16 VES 8,918

-20.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$6.03

$1.24 VES 1,090

-4.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R$12.73

$2.28 VES 2,001

10.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 R$5.00

$0.43 VES 376

130.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 R$254

$40.19 VES 35.3K

24.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R$6.20

$3.33 VES 2,926

-63.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.95 VES 1,710

-52.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.45

$15.10 VES 13.3K

-40.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 R$6.57

$0.76 VES 670

71.05%

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

$23.9K R$121.0K

$24.9K VES 21.9M

-4.07%

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

$32.9K R$166.6K

$30.3K VES 26.6M

8.35%

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

$133 R$676

$15.23 VES 13.4K

775.90%

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

$10.82 R$54.8

$7.76 VES 6,810

39.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.90 R$116

$36.49 VES 32.0K

-37.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.79 R$156

$32.73 VES 28.7K

-5.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.85 R$161

$8.51 VES 7,475

274.27%

Cinema Ticket

$8.05 R$40.83

$4.97 VES 4,368

61.97%

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

$598 R$3,029

$57.3 VES 50.3K

942.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K R$68.0K

$498 VES 437.4K

2593.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.04 R$213

$46.83 VES 41.1K

-10.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.68 R$252

$40.42 VES 35.5K

22.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.5 R$378

$94.4 VES 82.8K

-21.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 R$348

$80.4 VES 70.5K

-14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 R$4,578

$215 VES 188.5K

320.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$529 R$2,684

$138 VES 121.3K

283.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,326 R$6,724

$476 VES 417.6K

178.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$756 R$3,831

$318 VES 278.9K

137.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 R$20.3K

$469 VES 411.3K

755.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,910

$250 VES 219.2K

525.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,242

$189 VES 166.1K

238.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-52.28%

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 Barquisimeto: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$529 41.1%

Barquisimeto

$138 17.4% 73.9% $391

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Barquisimeto

$222 27.9% 3.4% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$167 13%

Barquisimeto

$59 7.5% 64.4% $108

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$165 12.8%

Barquisimeto

$161 20.2% 2.6% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Barquisimeto

$118 14.8% 11.5% $12

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Barquisimeto

$55 6.9% 8.2% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$47 3.6%

Barquisimeto

$43 5.4% 9% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $215 in Barquisimeto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 238% 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: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $51.0 in Barquisimeto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $222 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇻🇪 Barquisimeto

🕒 Local time

00:03 12:03 AM

23:03 11:03 PM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

1,240,714

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Barquisimeto 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Barquisimeto

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 Barquisimeto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro and Barquisimeto differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,289 vs $796 including rent). Barquisimeto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 238% 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: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $215 in Barquisimeto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Barquisimeto – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $796 in Barquisimeto – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $796 in Barquisimeto versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barquisimeto but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Barquisimeto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Barquisimeto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.