Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Campos do Jordão Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and Campos do Jordão

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $960 in Rio de Janeiro versus $772 in Campos do Jordão.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,479 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,226 in Campos do Jordão.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,997 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,679 in Campos do Jordão.

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 24% more expensive than Campos do Jordão, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 28% lower, Campos do Jordão 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.20 R$37.38

$5.36 R$27.81

34.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.52 R$184

$18.20 R$94.5

95.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.44 R$33.46

$5.69 R$29.57

13.18%

Cappuccino

$1.97 R$10.25

$0.84 R$4.38

134.52%

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

$1.27 R$6.62

$0.93 R$4.82

36.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 R$4.66

$0.56 R$2.93

60.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.76 R$9.16

$0.93 R$4.80

89.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 R$13.94

$1.43 R$7.42

87.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R$6.04

$1.04 R$5.41

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.70 R$8.81

$1.58 R$8.21

7.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 R$7.33

$1.39 R$7.24

1.44%

Eggs

$2.00 R$10.37

$2.83 R$14.68

-29.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.05 R$41.78

$12.73 R$66.1

-36.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.62 R$18.79

$4.06 R$21.06

-10.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.20 R$42.58

$8.59 R$44.58

-4.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 R$12.45

$1.63 R$8.45

47.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.20

$1.19 R$6.20

32.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R$7.76

$2.13 R$11.05

-30.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 R$8.10

$1.80 R$9.34

-13.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 R$6.77

$1.27 R$6.59

2.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 R$5.72

$1.24 R$6.45

-11.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 R$3.55

$1.08 R$5.62

-37.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 R$3.01

$1.26 R$6.55

-53.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.95 R$10.12

$2.20 R$11.44

-11.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 R$45.33

$7.71 R$40.04

13.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.31

$1.42 R$7.39

-14.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 R$11.17

$2.06 R$10.68

4.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 R$6.39

$0.87 R$4.52

41.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.30 R$204

$38.96 R$202

0.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R$5.78

$1.29 R$6.68

-13.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 R$3.70

$0.65 R$3.38

9.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.37 R$38.28

$5.36 R$27.85

37.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 R$5.57

$1.04 R$5.39

2.88%

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

$20.4K R$105.7K

$20.4K R$106.2K

-0.45%

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

$27.1K R$140.7K

$28.9K R$149.9K

-6.15%

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

$104 R$539

$71.3 R$370

45.68%

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

$12.18 R$63.3

$8.78 R$45.59

38.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 R$97.1

$16.46 R$85.5

13.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.68 R$133

$22.08 R$115

16.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.37 R$127

$21.85 R$113

11.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.60 R$34.29

$7.82 R$40.60

-15.60%

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

$542 R$2,814

$108 R$563

399.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K R$61.3K

$8,059 R$41.8K

46.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 R$230

$35.55 R$185

24.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 R$218

$39.68 R$206

5.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.8 R$399

$80.6 R$418

-4.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 R$322

$41.65 R$216

48.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 R$2,276

$311 R$1,617

40.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 R$1,716

$216 R$1,121

53.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 R$4,353

$575 R$2,985

45.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 R$2,956

$421 R$2,186

35.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,356 R$17.4K

$1,211 R$6,290

177.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,389 R$7,210

$1,401 R$7,276

-0.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 R$2,845

$295 R$1,531

85.88%

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 1, 2026

Last update for Campos do Jordão: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Rio de Janeiro and $311 in Campos do Jordão. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio de Janeiro pays 86% 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: $36.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $18.00 in Campos do Jordão. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $213, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper for home cooking.

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 Campos do Jordão: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Campos do Jordão wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Rio de Janeiro. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Campos do Jordão the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Rio de Janeiro pays 86% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $438 in Rio de Janeiro versus $311 in Campos do Jordão. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $542 in Rio de Janeiro versus $108 in Campos do Jordão. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Rio de Janeiro pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $772 in Campos do Jordão versus $960 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Campos do Jordão but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. The gap between the two cities makes Campos do Jordão the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Campos do Jordão delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $772 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Campos do Jordão hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Campos do Jordão gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.