Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Campina Grande

For one person, living is cheaper in Campina Grande: $756 a month against $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Brazil
$1,289
/mo nomad
Campina Grande
🇧🇷 Brazil
$756
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rio de Janeiro and in Campina Grande

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 Campina Grande actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro versus $756 in Campina Grande.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,289
  • Campina Grande $756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,175 in Campina Grande.

  • Rio de Janeiro $1,868
  • Campina Grande $1,175

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,448 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,593 in Campina Grande.

  • Rio de Janeiro $2,448
  • Campina Grande $1,593

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 70% more expensive than in Campina Grande, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 5% lower, Campina Grande 44% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
Campina Grande
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.06 R$51.0
$4.38 R$22.18
129.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.44 R$205
$30.43 R$154
32.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.55 R$43.35
$6.89 R$34.93
24.09%
Cappuccino
$2.38 R$12.04
$1.03 R$5.21
131.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 R$8.18
$1.05 R$5.32
53.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 R$5.22
$0.59 R$2.97
74.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.47 R$12.54
$1.65 R$8.34
49.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.70 R$18.77
$2.20 R$11.14
68.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
Campina Grande
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 R$6.05
$1.22 R$6.20
-2.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 R$10.38
$1.64 R$8.31
25.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.28 R$6.49
$1.12 R$5.66
14.29%
Eggs
$2.29 R$11.60
$1.91 R$9.70
19.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.76 R$54.5
$6.93 R$35.15
55.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.41 R$22.36
$4.10 R$20.78
7.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.84 R$49.86
$8.01 R$40.59
22.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.81 R$14.25
$1.38 R$6.99
103.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 R$9.03
$1.41 R$7.13
26.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 R$8.13
$0.75 R$3.80
113.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 R$9.11
$1.22 R$6.18
47.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.22 R$6.17
$1.26 R$6.37
-3.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.04 R$5.26
$1.09 R$5.52
-4.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.77 R$3.92
$0.49 R$2.48
57.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.67 R$3.38
$0.75 R$3.83
-10.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.01 R$15.27
$1.84 R$9.34
63.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.08 R$40.94
$8.04 R$40.76
0.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 R$6.03
$1.14 R$5.80
4.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.51 R$12.73
$1.59 R$8.05
57.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
Campina Grande
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 R$5.00
$1.01 R$5.13
-1.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.1 R$254
$40.02 R$203
25.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.22 R$6.20
$0.93 R$4.70
31.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.92 R$4.66
$0.73 R$3.68
26.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.97 R$45.45
$3.52 R$17.84
154.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 R$6.57
$1.27 R$6.46
2.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K R$121.0K
$19.8K R$100.5K
20.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K R$166.6K
$33.1K R$167.7K
-0.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
Campina Grande
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$133 R$676
$116 R$586
15.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.82 R$54.8
$10.17 R$51.5
6.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.90 R$116
$17.52 R$88.8
30.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
Campina Grande
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.79 R$156
$19.43 R$98.5
58.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.85 R$161
$30.51 R$155
4.39%
Cinema Ticket
$8.05 R$40.83
$4.95 R$25.11
62.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rio de Janeiro
Campina Grande
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$598 R$3,029
$86.4 R$438
591.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.4K R$68.0K
$11.8K R$59.7K
14.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
Campina Grande
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.04 R$213
$37.13 R$188
13.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$49.68 R$252
$27.89 R$141
78.13%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$74.5 R$378
$72.7 R$369
2.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$68.7 R$348
$42.78 R$217
60.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
Campina Grande
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$903 R$4,578
$263 R$1,334
243.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$529 R$2,684
$194 R$984
172.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,326 R$6,724
$617 R$3,128
114.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$756 R$3,831
$353 R$1,791
113.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,010 R$20.3K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,560 R$7,910
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rio de Janeiro
Campina Grande
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$640 R$3,242
$394 R$1,995
62.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.93
5
138.60%

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 10, 2026

Last update for Campina Grande: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rio de Janeiro
$529
Campina Grande
$194 63.3% $335
Groceries & Markets
Rio de Janeiro
$215
Campina Grande
$172 19.7% $42
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rio de Janeiro
$167
Campina Grande
$143 14.2% $24
Eating Out
Rio de Janeiro
$165
Campina Grande
$87 47.2% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Rio de Janeiro
$106
Campina Grande
$81 23.2% $24
Getting Around
Rio de Janeiro
$60
Campina Grande
$49 18.8% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Rio de Janeiro
$47
Campina Grande
$29 37.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $903 in Rio de Janeiro and $263 in Campina Grande. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 63% 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 $30.00 in Campina Grande for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $215 vs $172 per month, with Campina Grande cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro
🇧🇷 Campina Grande
🕒 Local time
13:18 1:18 PM
13:18 1:18 PM
Same time as Rio de Janeiro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,211,223
419,379
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rio de Janeiro Campina Grande 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Campina Grande

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 Campina Grande: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Campina Grande cheaper than Rio de Janeiro?
Campina Grande is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Rio de Janeiro or Campina Grande?
Average pay runs 63% higher in Rio de Janeiro, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Rio de Janeiro and Campina Grande?
Rent for a central apartment: $903 in Rio de Janeiro versus $263 in Campina Grande. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Rio de Janeiro or in Campina Grande?
Dining out is cheaper in Campina Grande – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Rio de Janeiro and in Campina Grande?
All in, you'll spend $1,289 per month in Rio de Janeiro versus $756 in Campina Grande – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Rio de Janeiro or in Campina Grande?
At $756 in Campina Grande versus $1,289 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Campina Grande but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Campina Grande the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Rio de Janeiro or Campina Grande more family-friendly?
For families, Campina Grande is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Rio de Janeiro, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Campina Grande gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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