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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $952 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $744 in Barretos, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,490 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,210 in Barretos, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,029 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,675 in Barretos, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 28% more than Barretos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Barretos are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Barretos 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 R$37.12

$6.27 R$31.74

16.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.43 R$184

$21.80 R$110

67.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 R$31.74

$5.49 R$27.81

14.21%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R$10.00

$1.48 R$7.48

33.78%

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

$1.27 R$6.42

$1.26 R$6.40

0.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.27

$0.51 R$2.60

64.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$8.98

$1.78 R$9.02

-0.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R$14.04

$2.65 R$13.42

4.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.60

$0.96 R$4.88

15.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 R$8.65

$1.76 R$8.90

-2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.13 R$5.74

30.97%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.11

$2.27 R$11.50

-11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 R$39.35

$10.11 R$51.2

-23.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$18.35

$4.00 R$20.23

-9.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 R$40.88

$8.58 R$43.46

-5.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$11.67

$2.10 R$10.63

10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.97

$1.66 R$8.43

-5.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.39

$1.45 R$7.34

0.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.67

$1.75 R$8.84

-13.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.38

$1.45 R$7.36

-13.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.87

$1.39 R$7.06

-16.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 R$3.26

$0.95 R$4.80

-32.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.63 R$3.21

-9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.86

$1.78 R$9.03

9.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 R$43.22

$7.67 R$38.81

11.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.16

$1.36 R$6.88

-10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R$10.40

$2.01 R$10.16

1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.31

$0.91 R$4.62

37.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.19 R$198

$38.47 R$195

1.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.67

$1.12 R$5.66

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 R$3.37

$0.59 R$2.97

13.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 R$37.61

$7.70 R$39.00

-3.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.66

$0.84 R$4.27

33.33%

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

$20.5K R$103.6K

$22.4K R$113.6K

-8.74%

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

$27.1K R$137.0K

$28.7K R$145.4K

-5.83%

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

$103 R$519

$26.58 R$135

285.85%

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

$12.09 R$61.2

$5.32 R$26.92

127.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.19 R$97.1

$14.60 R$73.9

31.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.29 R$133

$22.11 R$112

18.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.69 R$120

$21.78 R$110

8.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 R$32.71

$7.23 R$36.59

-10.65%

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

$537 R$2,716

$328 R$1,659

63.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.1K

$8,868 R$44.9K

31.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 R$229

$54.8 R$278

-17.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.03 R$208

$21.30 R$108

92.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$383

$74.5 R$377

1.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 R$303

$62.0 R$314

-3.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 R$2,225

$317 R$1,602

38.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 R$1,645

$212 R$1,073

53.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 R$4,341

$584 R$2,955

46.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 R$2,917

$436 R$2,208

32.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,415 R$17.3K

$1,485 R$7,518

129.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,469 R$7,437

$1,047 R$5,299

40.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 R$2,714

$552 R$2,794

-2.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

11.17

1.43%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barretos: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Rio de Janeiro versus $317 in Barretos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3% higher in Barretos, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $22.00 in Barretos. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Rio de Janeiro vs $197 in Barretos – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Barretos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $952 in Rio de Janeiro, $744 in Barretos – roughly 28% apart. Rio de Janeiro costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,427 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,116 in Barretos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Barretos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $22.00 in Barretos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $952 in Rio de Janeiro and $744 in Barretos. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $952 in Rio de Janeiro and $744 in Barretos, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $744 in Barretos to $952 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Barretos. 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.