Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Burlington, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,273 a month against $1,769 in Burlington, IA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index
86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Burlington, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Burlington, IA $1,769

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $2,675 in Burlington, IA.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Burlington, IA $2,675

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $3,580 in Burlington, IA.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Burlington, IA $3,580

Living in Rio de Janeiro costs roughly 28% less than in Burlington, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rio de Janeiro is 6% below, Burlington, IA is 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$11.35 $11.35

-17.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$59.1 $59.1

-32.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$8.84 $8.84

-5.66%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$4.74 $4.74

-51.69%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.95 $1.95

-18.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$2.02 $2.02

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$3.41 $3.41

-37.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$4.58 $4.58

-20.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.81 $0.81

39.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$2.82 $2.82

-25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$4.34 $4.34

-71.20%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$2.92 $2.92

-22.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$11.37 $11.37

-3.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$11.93 $11.93

-63.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$14.20 $14.20

-32.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$4.02 $4.02

-29.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.98 $1.98

-8.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$4.61 $4.61

-65.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$4.65 $4.65

-60.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$2.74 $2.74

-56.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$2.60 $2.60

-59.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$1.54 $1.54

-51.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$2.06 $2.06

-66.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$8.16 $8.16

-63.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$16.29 $16.29

-51.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.89 $1.89

-37.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$2.27 $2.27

6.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.94 $1.94

-51.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$15.76 $15.76

219.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$4.67 $4.67

-74.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$1.02 $1.02

-18.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$22.19 $22.19

-59.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$0.94 $0.94

37.23%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$22.7K $22.7K

0.20%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

35.93%

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

$134 R$681

$184 $184

-27.04%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$47.16 $47.16

-77.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$59.2 $59.2

-61.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$42.42 $42.42

-28.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$11.92 $11.92

-35.15%

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

$584 R$2,960

$1,210 $1,210

-51.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$13.3K $13.3K

-3.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$44.72 $44.72

-8.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$30.53 $30.53

61.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$87.0 $87.0

-15.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$37.90 $37.90

73.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$754 $754

19.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$707 $707

-25.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$1,172 $1,172

13.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$1,280 $1,280

-41.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,026 $1,026

288.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$1,033 $1,033

51.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

$4,446 $4,446

-85.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

6.54

82.42%

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 Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Burlington, IA

$707 40% 34.1% $180

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7% 71.3% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4% 73% $123

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2% 38.7% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1% 13% $13

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9% 44% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7% 45.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $900 in Rio de Janeiro and $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 594% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $59.0 in Burlington, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $366 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

19:51 7:51 PM

2 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

44,743

💱 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 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Burlington, IA 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
Burlington, IA

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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Burlington, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rio de Janeiro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 594% lower in Burlington, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $754 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $584 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,210 in Burlington, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Burlington, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Burlington, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Rio de Janeiro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,273 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Rio de Janeiro hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Rio de Janeiro and Burlington, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Burlington, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.