Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Barreiras Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Barreiras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $980 in Rio de Janeiro versus $781 in Barreiras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,489 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,233 in Barreiras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,685 in Barreiras.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 25% more expensive than in Barreiras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 26% lower, Barreiras 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.00 R$36.14

$5.42 R$27.95

29.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.60 R$189

$26.81 R$138

36.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.48 R$33.43

$6.41 R$33.07

1.09%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R$10.26

$1.79 R$9.26

11.17%

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

$1.28 R$6.60

$1.08 R$5.58

18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.64

$0.62 R$3.20

45.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.10

$1.81 R$9.36

-2.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 R$13.71

$2.67 R$13.77

-0.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$5.96

$1.01 R$5.20

14.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.77

$1.51 R$7.80

12.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.29

$1.18 R$6.09

19.49%

Eggs

$1.97 R$10.16

$2.04 R$10.53

-3.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 R$40.48

$8.24 R$42.54

-4.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 R$19.03

$3.67 R$18.93

0.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.92 R$40.86

$7.22 R$37.25

9.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$11.94

$2.04 R$10.55

13.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 R$8.36

$1.26 R$6.52

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 R$7.80

$1.20 R$6.19

25.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 R$8.12

$1.52 R$7.82

3.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 R$6.39

$1.20 R$6.18

3.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 R$5.77

$1.10 R$5.66

1.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.49

$0.71 R$3.64

-4.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.16

$0.65 R$3.36

-6.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 R$9.96

$2.17 R$11.20

-11.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.81 R$45.48

$6.77 R$34.92

30.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R$6.55

$1.26 R$6.49

0.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 R$10.93

$2.08 R$10.75

1.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.40

$0.87 R$4.51

42.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$203

$39.27 R$203

0.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 R$5.52

$1.07 R$5.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 R$3.62

$0.71 R$3.66

-1.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.81 R$40.30

$6.32 R$32.61

23.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.49

$1.03 R$5.34

2.91%

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

$20.8K R$107.5K

$20.8K R$107.3K

0.18%

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

$27.7K R$143.0K

$27.2K R$140.2K

1.97%

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

$105 R$541

$60.1 R$310

74.40%

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

$11.85 R$61.1

$13.58 R$70.1

-12.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.61 R$96.0

$19.23 R$99.3

-3.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.06 R$135

$22.47 R$116

15.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 R$125

$21.99 R$114

9.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R$33.79

$6.33 R$32.65

3.48%

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

$554 R$2,857

$276 R$1,422

100.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$60.4K

$6,376 R$32.9K

83.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.85 R$237

$49.80 R$257

-7.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.26 R$213

$42.59 R$220

-3.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 R$397

$76.8 R$396

0.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.3 R$321

$65.3 R$337

-4.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 R$2,269

$313 R$1,613

40.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 R$1,736

$217 R$1,118

55.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$855 R$4,411

$586 R$3,026

45.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$573 R$2,959

$435 R$2,246

31.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,445 R$17.8K

$1,548 R$7,987

122.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,469 R$7,581

$1,281 R$6,613

14.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 R$2,845

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

10.92

3.75%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 16, 2026

Last update for Barreiras: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $440 in Rio de Janeiro and $313 in Barreiras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Barreiras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $187 vs $173 per month, with Barreiras 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 Barreiras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barreiras is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,471 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,172 in Barreiras to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $440 in Rio de Janeiro versus $313 in Barreiras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $554 in Rio de Janeiro versus $276 in Barreiras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $781 in Barreiras versus $980 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barreiras but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Barreiras the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barreiras 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 Barreiras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.