Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Beef Island

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Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

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Beef Island

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

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Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$49.83

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$201

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.35

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.80

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

$1.63 R$8.13

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.06

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.43

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.72

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.34

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.42

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.32

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$54.9

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.51

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.63

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.12

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.17

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$7.96

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.00

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.28

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.34

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.75

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.21

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$40.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$250

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.33

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.51

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.65

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

$23.4K R$117.0K

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

$33.6K R$167.6K

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

$134 R$666

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

$12.23 R$61.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$113

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$154

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.07

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

$603 R$3,011

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$208

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$249

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$375

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$341

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,519

$999 $999

-9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,633

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,720

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,865

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$19.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,798

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,210

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Last update for Beef Island: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Beef Island

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Beef Island

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Beef Island

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Beef Island

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Beef Island

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Beef Island

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Beef Island

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $999 in Beef Island. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇻🇬 Beef Island

🕒 Local time

09:25 9:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

1 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Beef Island 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Beef Island

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 Beef Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Families tend to lean toward Beef Island – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Beef Island. 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.