Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Brookings, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $2,592 in Brookings, SD, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
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Brookings, SD Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,592

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Brookings, SD

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

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $2,592 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Brookings, SD $2,592

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $3,536 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Brookings, SD $3,536

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $4,480 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Brookings, SD $4,480

Rio de Janeiro is about 51% cheaper than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rio de Janeiro sits 6% below the global median, while Brookings, SD is 91% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$17.52 $17.52

-46.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$39.50 $39.50

1.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$11.37 $11.37

-26.65%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$4.59 $4.59

-50.11%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$2.52 $2.52

-36.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.96 $1.96

-48.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$6.08 $6.08

-64.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$7.03 $7.03

-47.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.84 $0.84

34.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$3.49 $3.49

-40.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$6.54 $6.54

-80.89%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$3.56 $3.56

-36.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$10.38 $10.38

5.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$13.83 $13.83

-68.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$13.02 $13.02

-26.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$5.92 $5.92

-51.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.83 $1.83

-1.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$6.55 $6.55

-75.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$5.21 $5.21

-64.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$4.39 $4.39

-72.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$4.11 $4.11

-74.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$2.36 $2.36

-68.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$1.95 $1.95

-65.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$13.03 $13.03

-77.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$11.88 $11.88

-32.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$2.86 $2.86

-58.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$5.76 $5.76

-57.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$5.03 $5.03

-76.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.68 $1.68

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$23.76 $23.76

-62.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.03 $1.03

25.24%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$30.2K $30.2K

-24.53%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

29.01%

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

$134 R$681

$178 $178

-24.61%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$54.1 $54.1

-80.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$70.7 $70.7

-67.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$11.83 $11.83

-34.66%

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

$584 R$2,960

$1,338 $1,338

-56.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$36.3K $36.3K

-64.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$42.60 $42.60

-3.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$34.98 $34.98

40.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$88.0 $88.0

-16.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$104 $104

-36.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$1,663 $1,663

-45.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$1,419 $1,419

-62.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$2,083 $2,083

-36.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$2,037 $2,037

-63.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$2,622 $2,622

52.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$2,872 $2,872

-45.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

5.5

116.91%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Brookings, SD

$1.4K 54.8% 169% $892

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Brookings, SD

$420 16.2% 96.3% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Brookings, SD

$303 11.7% 80.5% $135

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Brookings, SD

$292 11.3% 87.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Brookings, SD

$121 4.7% 17.3% $18

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5% 77.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9% 48.1% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,663 in Brookings, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $39.00 in Brookings, SD. Groceries tell a different story – $214 in Rio de Janeiro vs $420 in Brookings, SD – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🕒 Local time

10:54 10:54 AM

08:54 8:54 AM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

18,802

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Brookings, SD 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brookings, SD costs about 104% more than Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,910 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $3,888 in Brookings, SD. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro and $39.00 in Brookings, SD. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Brookings, SD, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Rio de Janeiro, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Brookings, SD at $2,592. In Rio de Janeiro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brookings, SD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rio de Janeiro costs $1,273 versus $2,592 in Brookings, SD. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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