Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Cachoeirinha Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Cachoeirinha

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $952 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $768 in Cachoeirinha, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,490 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,230 in Cachoeirinha, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,029 per month in Rio de Janeiro vs $1,691 in Cachoeirinha, rent included.

Rio de Janeiro costs about 24% more than Cachoeirinha, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rio de Janeiro and Cachoeirinha are more affordable than the global median – Rio de Janeiro 29% lower, Cachoeirinha 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 R$37.12

$4.16 R$21.05

76.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.43 R$184

$18.02 R$91.2

102.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.27 R$31.74

$3.80 R$19.22

65.00%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R$10.00

$1.93 R$9.78

2.59%

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

$1.27 R$6.42

$0.61 R$3.10

108.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R$4.27

$0.42 R$2.14

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.77 R$8.98

$1.66 R$8.39

6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 R$14.04

$2.66 R$13.49

4.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.60

$0.84 R$4.28

32.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.71 R$8.65

$1.43 R$7.24

19.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.48

$1.05 R$5.31

40.95%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.11

$2.11 R$10.67

-5.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.77 R$39.35

$10.85 R$54.9

-28.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 R$18.35

$4.62 R$23.40

-21.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.07 R$40.88

$9.63 R$48.74

-16.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 R$11.67

$2.04 R$10.31

13.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R$7.97

$1.26 R$6.39

24.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.39

$1.27 R$6.43

14.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R$7.67

$1.45 R$7.33

4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.26 R$6.38

$1.14 R$5.76

10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 R$5.87

$1.03 R$5.23

12.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 R$3.26

$0.72 R$3.63

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 R$2.88

$0.62 R$3.13

-8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$9.86

$1.98 R$10.02

-1.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.54 R$43.22

$7.46 R$37.76

14.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 R$6.16

$0.99 R$5.00

23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 R$10.40

$1.79 R$9.08

14.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 R$6.31

$0.88 R$4.47

42.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.19 R$198

$38.51 R$195

1.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 R$5.67

$1.65 R$8.37

-32.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.67 R$3.37

$1.01 R$5.13

-33.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 R$37.61

$5.43 R$27.47

36.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 R$5.66

$1.07 R$5.41

4.67%

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

$20.5K R$103.6K

$23.9K R$121.2K

-14.53%

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

$27.1K R$137.0K

$27.5K R$139.3K

-1.65%

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

$103 R$519

$61.2 R$310

67.72%

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

$12.09 R$61.2

$14.42 R$73.0

-16.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.19 R$97.1

$20.14 R$102

-4.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.29 R$133

$22.58 R$114

16.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.69 R$120

$21.20 R$107

11.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.46 R$32.71

$6.21 R$31.43

4.03%

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

$537 R$2,716

$308 R$1,561

73.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K R$59.1K

$7,345 R$37.2K

58.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 R$229

$48.61 R$246

-7.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.03 R$208

$56.2 R$284

-26.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.6 R$383

$82.0 R$415

-7.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 R$303

$64.2 R$325

-6.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 R$2,225

$315 R$1,597

39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$325 R$1,645

$217 R$1,099

49.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$857 R$4,341

$573 R$2,903

49.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 R$2,917

$423 R$2,141

36.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,415 R$17.3K

$1,718 R$8,696

98.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,469 R$7,437

$1,075 R$5,443

36.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$536 R$2,714

$612 R$3,096

-12.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

13.30%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: June 7, 2026

Last update for Cachoeirinha: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $440 in Rio de Janeiro versus $315 in Cachoeirinha. 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 14% higher in Cachoeirinha, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro versus $18.00 in Cachoeirinha. Groceries tell a different story – $185 in Rio de Janeiro vs $189 in Cachoeirinha – so Rio de Janeiro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cachoeirinha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $952 in Rio de Janeiro, $768 in Cachoeirinha – roughly 24% apart. Rio de Janeiro costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,427 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $1,152 in Cachoeirinha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $537 per month in Rio de Janeiro and $308 in Cachoeirinha. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Rio de Janeiro – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $952 in Rio de Janeiro and $768 in Cachoeirinha, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Rio de Janeiro has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $768 in Cachoeirinha to $952 in Rio de Janeiro. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cachoeirinha. 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.