Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Brandon, MB

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,631 in Brandon, MB, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Brandon, MB
Learn more

Brandon, MB Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Brandon, MB

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,631

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Brandon, MB

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

A single person spends $1,285 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,631 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,285
Brandon, MB $1,631

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,582 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,888
Brandon, MB $2,582

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,532 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,491
Brandon, MB $3,532

Rio de Janeiro is about 21% cheaper than Brandon, MB, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 4% below the global median, while Brandon, MB is 22% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.98 R$50.1

$13.81 CA$19.65

-27.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.34 R$202

$61.4 CA$87.3

-34.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 R$42.57

$10.69 CA$15.21

-20.67%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R$11.86

$3.02 CA$4.29

-21.85%

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

$1.63 R$8.18

$1.78 CA$2.53

-8.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.09

$1.60 CA$2.28

-36.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 R$12.25

$4.12 CA$5.86

-40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R$18.53

$5.28 CA$7.52

-30.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R$5.75

$1.39 CA$1.97

-17.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 R$10.40

$1.88 CA$2.68

10.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 R$6.45

$3.18 CA$4.52

-59.43%

Eggs

$2.27 R$11.38

$3.04 CA$4.32

-25.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.00 R$55.2

$9.38 CA$13.34

17.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 R$21.62

$10.40 CA$14.79

-58.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.74 R$48.88

$15.80 CA$22.48

-38.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 R$14.19

$3.13 CA$4.45

-9.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 R$9.21

$1.35 CA$1.92

36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.01

$3.34 CA$4.75

-52.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 R$9.04

$3.14 CA$4.46

-42.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.31

$2.29 CA$3.26

-44.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 R$5.37

$2.66 CA$3.78

-59.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.77

$2.55 CA$3.62

-70.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.31

$1.25 CA$1.78

-47.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.05 R$15.29

$14.50 CA$20.62

-78.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.18 R$41.05

$11.83 CA$16.83

-30.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R$5.95

$2.35 CA$3.34

-49.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 R$11.98

$2.20 CA$3.13

8.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 R$5.08

$1.29 CA$1.83

-21.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 R$252

$68.8 CA$97.9

-27.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 R$6.37

$2.85 CA$4.05

-55.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R$4.53

$1.36 CA$1.93

-33.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.44 R$47.37

$23.93 CA$34.04

-60.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R$6.69

$0.92 CA$1.31

44.57%

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

$23.4K R$117.6K

$27.6K CA$39.3K

-15.10%

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

$33.6K R$168.5K

$19.2K CA$27.3K

74.76%

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

$134 R$670

$162 CA$230

-17.45%

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

$12.23 R$61.4

$33.71 CA$47.95

-63.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.65 R$114

$47.97 CA$68.2

-52.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.56 R$158

$42.07 CA$59.8

-24.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.87 R$155

$16.21 CA$23.05

90.44%

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 R$41.29

$10.73 CA$15.26

-23.30%

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

$603 R$3,027

$976 CA$1,388

-38.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K R$66.4K

$18.3K CA$26.0K

-27.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 R$209

$43.64 CA$62.1

-4.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.94 R$251

$41.95 CA$59.7

19.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 R$377

$67.1 CA$95.4

11.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 R$343

$84.9 CA$121

-19.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$905 R$4,543

$784 CA$1,115

15.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,647

$567 CA$807

-7.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 R$6,755

$1,361 CA$1,937

-1.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$774 R$3,885

$1,208 CA$1,718

-35.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,981 R$20.0K

$2,250 CA$3,200

76.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,562 R$7,838

$2,229 CA$3,170

-29.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$643 R$3,227

$2,417 CA$3,438

-73.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

4.45

168.09%

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 Brandon, MB: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41%

Brandon, MB

$567 35.4% 7.6% $40

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7%

Brandon, MB

$315 19.7% 46.8% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1%

Brandon, MB

$243 15.2% 44.5% $75

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7%

Brandon, MB

$223 13.9% 36.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2%

Brandon, MB

$107 6.7% 1.2% $1.2

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7%

Brandon, MB

$84 5.2% 39.3% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7%

Brandon, MB

$64 4% 32.3% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $905 in Rio de Janeiro versus $784 in Brandon, MB. 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 276% higher in Brandon, MB, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $61.0 in Brandon, MB. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $215 vs $315 – making Rio de Janeiro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇨🇦 Brandon, MB

🕒 Local time

05:41 5:41 AM

03:41 3:41 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

46,061

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.199 USD

1 BRL = 0.178 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 5.02 BRL (1 BRL = 0.199 USD). 1 EUR = 5.63 BRL (1 BRL = 0.178 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Brandon, MB 9,830 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Brandon, MB

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 Brandon, MB: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Brandon, MB is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,927 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $2,447 in Brandon, MB. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 47% more in Brandon, MB, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $61.0 in Brandon, MB. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Brandon, MB at $1,631. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brandon, MB it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Rio de Janeiro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brandon, MB makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.