Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Cachoeira do Sul

For one person, living is cheaper in Cachoeira do Sul: $854 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Cachoeira do Sul
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Cachoeira do Sul Living Index

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Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

Cachoeira do Sul

🇧🇷 Brazil

$854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Cachoeira do Sul

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 Cachoeira do Sul actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $854 in Cachoeira do Sul, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
Cachoeira do Sul $854

A couple spends around $1,841 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,326 in Cachoeira do Sul, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
Cachoeira do Sul $1,326

A family of three spends $2,409 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,798 in Cachoeira do Sul, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
Cachoeira do Sul $1,798

Rio de Janeiro costs about 49% more than Cachoeira do Sul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Cachoeira do Sul are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, Cachoeira do Sul 37% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$4.89 R$24.78

91.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$20.31 R$103

96.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$6.93 R$35.15

20.35%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$2.65 R$13.42

-13.58%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$1.42 R$7.22

11.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$1.06 R$5.39

-4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$2.43 R$12.31

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$3.08 R$15.59

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$0.91 R$4.64

24.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

$0.69 R$3.51

202.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.02 R$5.15

22.55%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$1.81 R$9.16

24.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

$7.85 R$39.79

39.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

$4.87 R$24.69

-10.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

$7.70 R$39.05

24.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

$2.36 R$11.95

20.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$0.79 R$3.99

129.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

$0.51 R$2.60

209.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

$0.87 R$4.41

110.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

$0.98 R$4.98

22.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.14 R$5.78

-7.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

$0.88 R$4.45

-14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

$0.34 R$1.75

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$1.62 R$8.22

81.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

$5.98 R$30.31

33.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.03 R$5.20

14.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$1.68 R$8.51

44.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

$1.26 R$6.38

-25.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

$44.84 R$227

12.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

$1.28 R$6.47

-6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

$0.84 R$4.26

-1.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

$8.25 R$41.83

8.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

$1.01 R$5.13

27.72%

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

$23.5K R$119.3K

-3.22%

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

$33.9K R$171.7K

0.23%

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

$134 R$681

$76.9 R$390

74.76%

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

$10.73 R$54.4

$12.67 R$64.2

-15.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

$21.28 R$108

7.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

$25.88 R$131

16.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

$28.00 R$142

12.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

$7.10 R$35.99

8.87%

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

$584 R$2,960

$273 R$1,385

113.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

$7,230 R$36.7K

77.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

$51.4 R$261

-20.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

$57.8 R$293

-14.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

$102 R$516

-27.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

$79.1 R$401

-16.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

$349 R$1,769

157.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

$243 R$1,230

117.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

$685 R$3,475

94.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

$469 R$2,377

59.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

$1,691 R$8,571

135.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

$1,218 R$6,174

28.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

11.5

3.74%

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 Cachoeira do Sul: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

Cachoeira do Sul

$243 28.4% 54% $285

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

Cachoeira do Sul

$155 18.1% 27.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

Cachoeira do Sul

$111 13% 34% $57

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

Cachoeira do Sul

$120 14% 23.1% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

Cachoeira do Sul

$130 15.3% 26.1% $27

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

Cachoeira do Sul

$55 6.5% 6.9% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

Cachoeira do Sul

$40 4.7% 12.1% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $900 in Rio de Janeiro versus $349 in Cachoeira do Sul. 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 $20.00 in Cachoeira do Sul. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $214 vs $155 – making Cachoeira do Sul the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Cachoeira do Sul

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

Same time as Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

80,070

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Rio de Janeiro Cachoeira do Sul 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
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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 Cachoeira do Sul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rio de Janeiro is pricier by about 49%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,910 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,281 in Cachoeira do Sul. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro and $854 in Cachoeira do Sul. That's a gap of about 49%.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Cachoeira do Sul. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cachoeira do Sul, where all-in costs run around $854, than in Rio de Janeiro at $1,273. In Cachoeira do Sul it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rio de Janeiro it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cachoeira do Sul – 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 Cachoeira do Sul. 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.