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: $946 in Rio de Janeiro versus $787 in Barreiras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,228 in Barreiras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,030 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,669 in Barreiras.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 20% more expensive than in Barreiras, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Barreiras 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.30 R$37.04

$5.31 R$26.93

37.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.46 R$185

$27.15 R$138

34.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 R$32.76

$6.26 R$31.76

3.19%

Cappuccino

$1.90 R$9.64

$1.73 R$8.77

9.83%

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

$1.29 R$6.54

$1.08 R$5.48

19.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R$4.40

$0.65 R$3.31

33.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 R$8.86

$1.79 R$9.08

-2.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R$13.88

$2.78 R$14.09

-1.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.70

$1.02 R$5.16

9.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.64

$1.50 R$7.63

13.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.55

$1.14 R$5.80

30.70%

Eggs

$1.95 R$9.88

$2.00 R$10.16

-2.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 R$39.47

$8.03 R$40.76

-3.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.57 R$18.11

$3.55 R$18.04

0.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.87 R$39.94

$7.33 R$37.22

7.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 R$12.32

$2.12 R$10.74

14.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.28

$1.30 R$6.58

25.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$7.43

$1.14 R$5.76

28.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.55 R$7.85

$1.44 R$7.32

7.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.26

$1.20 R$6.07

2.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R$5.65

$1.09 R$5.55

1.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 R$3.49

$0.73 R$3.72

-5.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 R$3.06

$0.62 R$3.12

-3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.97 R$9.99

$2.12 R$10.74

-7.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.74 R$39.29

$6.70 R$34.01

15.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.17

$1.27 R$6.44

-3.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 R$10.55

$1.98 R$10.04

5.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 R$6.29

$0.88 R$4.47

40.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.87 R$197

$38.43 R$195

1.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.70

$1.05 R$5.33

6.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 R$3.30

$0.76 R$3.86

-14.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.40 R$37.57

$6.37 R$32.31

16.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 R$5.37

$1.08 R$5.45

-1.85%

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

$20.3K R$102.8K

$20.5K R$104.1K

-1.23%

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

$28.1K R$142.5K

$28.0K R$141.8K

0.48%

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

$101 R$513

$60.0 R$304

68.76%

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

$12.30 R$62.4

$13.53 R$68.6

-9.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.55 R$94.1

$18.91 R$96.0

-1.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 R$132

$22.64 R$115

14.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.16 R$123

$21.78 R$111

10.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.52 R$33.08

$6.44 R$32.66

1.24%

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

$539 R$2,737

$272 R$1,383

97.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.2K

$6,472 R$32.8K

80.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.01 R$228

$49.00 R$249

-8.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.43 R$210

$42.91 R$218

-3.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 R$387

$75.0 R$380

1.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.6 R$313

$64.8 R$329

-4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$434 R$2,203

$314 R$1,591

38.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 R$1,646

$219 R$1,113

47.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$846 R$4,293

$593 R$3,007

42.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$567 R$2,879

$422 R$2,142

34.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,721 R$18.9K

$1,529 R$7,757

143.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,481 R$7,516

$1,088 R$5,520

36.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 R$3,043

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Barreiras: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $434 in Rio de Janeiro and $314 in Barreiras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $27.00 in Barreiras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $172 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,419 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,181 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: $434 in Rio de Janeiro versus $314 in Barreiras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $539 in Rio de Janeiro versus $272 in Barreiras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Rio de Janeiro. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $787 in Barreiras versus $946 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 20% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.