Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Barreiras

For one person, living is cheaper in Barreiras: $829 a month against $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Barreiras
Learn more

Barreiras Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,185

/mo nomad

Barreiras

🇧🇷 Brazil

$829

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro versus $829 in Barreiras.

Rio de Janeiro $1,185
Barreiras $829

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,316 in Barreiras.

Rio de Janeiro $1,737
Barreiras $1,316

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,803 in Barreiras.

Rio de Janeiro $2,289
Barreiras $1,803

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 43% more expensive than in Barreiras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 12% lower, Barreiras 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.16 R$44.76

$5.60 R$30.76

45.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 R$204

$29.98 R$165

24.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.52 R$41.28

$7.35 R$40.34

2.31%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R$11.55

$1.90 R$10.44

10.53%

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

$1.36 R$7.47

$1.26 R$6.89

7.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R$5.27

$0.74 R$4.06

29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 R$10.84

$1.90 R$10.43

4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 R$17.89

$2.82 R$15.48

15.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 R$5.96

$1.01 R$5.54

7.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 R$10.24

$1.59 R$8.72

17.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.12 R$6.17

$1.21 R$6.63

-7.44%

Eggs

$2.20 R$12.09

$2.09 R$11.46

5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 R$54.4

$8.82 R$48.40

12.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.11 R$22.56

$4.14 R$22.71

-0.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 R$50.7

$7.98 R$43.82

15.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 R$14.22

$2.14 R$11.74

21.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R$9.26

$1.24 R$6.80

36.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R$8.06

$1.12 R$6.14

31.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 R$9.42

$1.47 R$8.06

17.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 R$6.34

$1.17 R$6.44

-0.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 R$5.48

$1.04 R$5.69

-3.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.66 R$3.60

$0.77 R$4.21

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 R$3.34

$0.77 R$4.21

-20.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.69 R$14.77

$2.38 R$13.05

13.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 R$39.53

$7.34 R$40.26

-1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R$5.89

$1.18 R$6.47

-9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 R$12.29

$1.94 R$10.67

15.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 R$4.81

$0.95 R$5.19

-7.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.3 R$287

$41.14 R$226

27.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.18 R$6.47

$1.18 R$6.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 R$3.71

$0.81 R$4.43

-16.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 R$47.80

$7.58 R$41.58

14.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 R$6.58

$1.22 R$6.72

-1.64%

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

$21.9K R$120.0K

$21.8K R$119.7K

0.30%

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

$31.0K R$170.2K

$31.6K R$173.3K

-1.80%

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

$126 R$689

$71.6 R$393

75.57%

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

$10.14 R$55.6

$11.56 R$63.4

-12.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.95 R$115

$19.43 R$107

7.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.51 R$156

$24.02 R$132

18.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.87 R$158

$26.08 R$143

10.70%

Cinema Ticket

$7.40 R$40.63

$6.95 R$38.14

6.47%

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

$537 R$2,947

$259 R$1,423

107.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K R$87.2K

$6,653 R$36.5K

138.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.68 R$212

$51.0 R$280

-24.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.06 R$247

$47.31 R$260

-4.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.6 R$376

$83.3 R$457

-17.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.1 R$352

$67.3 R$369

-4.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R$4,213

$331 R$1,818

131.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$491 R$2,693

$231 R$1,270

112.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 R$8,004

$629 R$3,450

132.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 R$4,077

$444 R$2,437

67.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,325 R$18.3K

$1,572 R$8,630

111.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,552 R$8,518

$1,128 R$6,189

37.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$674 R$3,698

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

8.45%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: November 3, 2026

Last update for Barreiras: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$491 41.4%

Barreiras

$231 27.9% 52.8% $259

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$198 16.7%

Barreiras

$183 22% 7.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$157 13.2%

Barreiras

$103 12.4% 34.6% $54

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$139 11.7%

Barreiras

$113 13.6% 18.7% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$97 8.2%

Barreiras

$112 13.5% 15% $15

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 5.1%

Barreiras

$50 6% 17% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$43 3.7%

Barreiras

$38 4.6% 12.5% $5.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Rio de Janeiro and $331 in Barreiras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37 in Rio de Janeiro vs $30 in Barreiras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $183 per month, with Barreiras cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Barreiras

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

159,734

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

1 BRL = 0.182 USD

1 BRL = 0.163 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Barreiras 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Barreiras

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 Barreiras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barreiras is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,778 in Rio de Janeiro and $1,244 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: $768 in Rio de Janeiro versus $331 in Barreiras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $537 in Rio de Janeiro versus $259 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 $829 in Barreiras versus $1,185 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 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.

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 Barreiras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.